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Hearty Navy Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hock: The Ultimate Comfort Classic

Close-up of a warm bowl of navy bean soup, featuring white beans, chunks of ham, and orange carrots, seasoned with pepper.
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Make this classic navy bean soup using a smoked ham hock for deep, smoky flavor. This recipe creates a rich, hearty, and thick bean soup perfect for cold days and satisfying comfort food dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 to 1.5 pounds)
  • 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste after removing ham hock)

Instructions

  1. Place the rinsed navy beans in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water by at least two inches. Soak the beans overnight, or use a quick soak method: cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the soaking water.
  2. Add the drained beans, ham hock, 8 cups of water or broth, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper to the pot.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are very tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  4. Remove the ham hock from the pot. Let it cool slightly, then shred the meat from the bone, discarding the skin and any excess fat. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
  5. Return the shredded ham meat to the soup. Stir well. Taste the soup and add salt as needed, keeping in mind the ham hock adds saltiness.
  6. For a thicker soup, mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, or transfer 1 cup of soup to a blender, blend until smooth, and stir back into the pot. Simmer for 10 more minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  7. Serve this hearty navy bean soup hot.

Notes

  • If you are using leftover ham bone instead of a ham hock, increase the simmering time slightly to ensure the bone releases maximum flavor.
  • For a quick weeknight version, substitute 2 (15-ounce) cans of navy beans (rinsed and drained) for the dried beans, reducing the cooking time significantly. Add the canned beans during the last 30 minutes of simmering.
  • This soup freezes well. Cool completely before transferring to airtight containers.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gourmetgaze.com/navy-bean-soup-hearty-ham-hock-classic/