Navy Bean Soup Recipe: 6 Tips for Making Navy Bean Soup
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 27, 2023 • 3 min read
The best Navy bean soup is a hearty one-pot way to reduce food waste and feed the whole family, with little to no effort.
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What Is Navy Bean Soup?
Navy bean soup, or “ham bone” soup, consists of navy beans, aromatics like garlic and herbs, and vegetables simmered together in a broth enhanced with cooked ham. Navy bean soup has a creamier, stew-like consistency, akin to split pea soup or lentil soup, thanks to the texture of the cooked beans and rendered fat from the ham bone.
Navy beans are small-sized legumes with a pale ivory or white color. These white beans, named for the maritime service branch, have been a staple food in the US Navy for more than 200 years, though they also go by various other names, including Boston beans, Yankee beans, or pea beans. The dense cooked beans have a soft texture and a mild flavor and can easily absorb the flavor of other ingredients in the cooking process—an ideal fit for a meaty, smoky ham-hock broth.
Navy beans are a gluten-free source of carbohydrates, protein, calcium, and fiber and contain vitamins and nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
6 Tips for Making Navy Bean Soup
Serve Navy bean soup with a slice of cornbread or rustic bread, like levain. Here are some tips to consider when building your version of this beloved white bean soup:
- 1. Sourcing the ham: Navy bean soup traditionally includes the leftover ham shank from Easter dinner celebrations, but you can buy one anytime at your local grocery store’s butcher counter. If you can’t find a ham bone, use thick-cut cooked ham (rather than the thin deli slices).
- 2. Make it vegetarian: To make Navy bean soup vegetarian, substitute the chicken stock for vegetable broth and incorporate more veggies, like diced sweet potato, diced tomatoes, and a handful of dark, leafy greens like kale or chard. Boost the protein and creamy texture with other legumes, like chickpeas or lentils.
- 3. Use spices to brighten the flavor profile: Add heat with dried chilies or red pepper flakes, a floral bite with ground cumin or coriander, or warm complexity with turmeric, cinnamon, or curry powder.
- 4. Reduce cooking time with a pressure cooker: By using a pressure cooker, you can make Navy bean soup in about half the time it takes on the stovetop. Alternatively, sauté the aromatics and build the broth in a slow cooker, and leave them to simmer during the day for an easy weeknight dinner.
- 5. Purée the beans for a smoother soup: For a soup with a creamy texture and smooth consistency, cook the dried beans, then purée them with some chicken or vegetable stock in a blender or food processor.
- 6. Substituting the Navy beans: You can make Navy bean soup with other beans if you don’t have Navy beans on hand. Simply use a similar bean for the ham soup recipe, like Great Northern beans or cannellini beans.
Classic Navy Bean Soup Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
1 hr 35 mincook time
1 hr 20 minIngredients
1 pound dried Navy beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into coins
1 celery stalk, cut on the diagonal
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 roughly chopped ham bone, or ½ pound cooked ham
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
1 tablespoon preserved lemon, diced
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
½ cup Italian parsley, leaves roughly chopped
- 1
The night before you cook, rinse the dry beans and pick them over to remove any debris. Place the beans in a large bowl, and cover them with a few inches of cold water to soak. In the morning, drain the bowl and set the beans aside.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large soup pot like a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and ham. Sauté until the ham is golden brown and the aromatics are soft and fragrant.
- 3
Add the cumin, paprika, bay leaf, thyme, and reserved Navy beans and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally, and add more water if the soup is looking too thick.
- 4
After 1 hour, remove the lid, and continue to cook the soup until the beans are tender and creamy and most of the ham has fallen off of the bone. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to pull off any remaining pieces, then discard the bones. Stir in the preserved lemon. Taste the soup and season the broth with salt and pepper as needed.
- 5
Ladle the soup into soup bowls, and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
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