The Best Bean and Ham Soup
Legume fans who enjoy 7-bean soup will love this extra beany version made with a dried 15-bean mix. I make this hearty soup using the ham bone from our Easter spiral ham and serve it with corn muffins and fresh fruit. It makes a huge pot of soup, so invite some friends over or just freeze several portions for later use. Remember to soak the beans the night before you make the soup.
Ingredients
- 20 ounce package 15-bean soup mix seasoning packet not used
- 2 ½ cups cubed ham
- 1 ham bone
- 5 large carrots chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 12 fluid ounce can low-sodium vegetable juice
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 large bay leaves
- 7 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste (Optional)
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Place beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight.
- Drain beans and transfer to a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain.
- Add ham, ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, and undrained diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir in vegetable broth, vegetable juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, chili powder, parsley, pepper, and bay leaves. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover ingredients and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding more chicken broth as needed, for about 8 hours.
- Remove and discard ham bone and season soup with salt. Continue to simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve and enjoy!