Ham and Pinto Bean Soup

A big pot of soup is the ultimate comfort food! It’s packed with tender pinto beans, loads of vegetables, pieces of briny ham and fresh and dried herbs in an uber-flavorful ham hock broth.

This best-ever ham and pinto bean soup is ready in under 40 minutes!

Featured Ingredients

• Ham: In two forms, cubed ham and a ham hock to flavor the broth.
• Pinto Beans: Three cans of cooked pinto beans to make a quick and easy soup.
• Mirepoix: Onion, carrot and celery, the base of most soups.
• Aromatics: Garlic, bay leaf, mirepoix, gives the deep, rich flavor of the best soups.
• Herbs and spices: Oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.
• Stock: Homemade or your favorite store-bought (mine is Kitchen Basics).
  • You can also make stock with bouillon and water. My favorite bouillon is Better Than Bouillon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil to medium. Add onion, carrot and celery. Sauté 3-4 minutes or until soft.
2. Stir in cubed ham, garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Add beans, stock, ham hock and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
4. Cover; cook 2-3 hours on low heat or until ham falls off the hock.
5. Discard ham hock and bay leaves; shred ham with forks.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
7. Optional: Run an immersion blender through the soup for a few seconds for a thicker broth.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

• For the ham: You can skip it altogether or just use the hock to flavor the broth, discarding it after cooking.
• For the pinto beans: Any white bean will work, such as Great Northern, navy or cannellini.
• For the mirepoix: If you don't have time to chop, use store-bought frozen mirepoix mix.
• For the stock: You can use broth as well.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make this gluten free: This recipe does not contain gluten.
  • Be sure all ingredients you use are gluten free.
• To make this dairy free: This recipe does not contain dairy.
• To make this vegetarian/vegan: Skip the cubed ham and ham hock.
  • Use a scoop or cube of your favorite bouillon to up the flavor of the broth.
• To make this nut free: This recipe does not contain nuts.
  • Be sure all ingredients you choose are nut free.
• To make this egg free: This recipe does not contain eggs.

Storage and Reheating Tips

• Storage Tips:
  • Let soup cool slightly at room temperature.
  • Transfer to airtight containers.
  • Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days or the freezer up to 2 months.
• Reheating Tips:
  • Reheat on in a saucepan on the stove until heated through.
  • Reheat in a microwave-safe container at high power until heated through.

Soup recipes to add to your menu plan:

• Old-Fashioned Ham and Cabbage Soup with Potatoes
• Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup
• Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup
• Creamy Pesto Tomato Soup
• Best Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Italian Wedding Soup

Ham and Pinto Bean Soup

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A big pot of soup with tender pinto beans, loads of vegetables, pieces of briny ham and fresh and dried herbs in an uber-flavorful ham hock broth.

• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 10 mins.
• Cook Time: 35 mins.
• Total Time: 45 mins.
• Yield: Serves 8
• Category: Soups
• Method: Stove-Top
• Cuisine: American, Southern

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 medium celery ribs, diced
• 1 cup cubed ham
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 ham hock
• 3 bay leaves

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Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil to medium. Add onion, carrot and celery. Sauté 3-4 minutes or until soft.
2. Stir in cubed ham, garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Add beans, stock, ham hock and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
3. Cover; cook 2-3 hours on low heat or until ham falls off the hock. Discard ham hock and bay leaves; shred ham with forks. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
4. Optional: Run an immersion blender through the soup for a few seconds for a thicker broth.

Notes

Storage Tips: Let soup cool a bit at room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days or the freezer up to 2 months.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
• Calories: 267
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 741mg
• Fat: 6g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 14g
• Protein: 18g
• Cholesterol: 8mg