Easy-to-make, hearty soup packed with smoked ham and 6 kinds of beans. One of my favorite cold weather comfort foods.
I'm headed back out to Wisconsin this weekend, folks! For lots of farm pictures and videos, follow me over on Instagram (@modernfarmhouseeats) because my story will be filled with lots of cute farm animals!
It's only been a few weeks since I was out there last, but I try to go out there at least once a month. Farm life is so peaceful. I spend a lot more time outside, I get to be around baby animals whenever I want, and I get to spend a bunch of time with my favorite people.
If you don't already know, basically my entire family now lives in Wisconsin. After my parents moved there six years ago, so did the rest of my family except for one of my brothers. So that 2 parents, 3 brothers, 2 sister-in-laws, 2 nephews, 2 nieces and a handful of dogs, and a shit ton of farm animals that all live 3 hours from me, while my other brother lives 45 minutes away with plans to move to Wisconsin soon. It's fine; don't worry about me 🙁
I'm actually pretty excited to see my whiny goats. Matt brought some old wooden spools out to the farm a few weeks ago, and Derek and my dad built some ramps between them for the goats to play on, and I'm pretty excited for the goats to show me their cool moves! Ahh and I almost forgot about the baby pigs! They are a few weeks old now, and I can't wait to see how much they've grown. I'll probably insist on holding one again, and it'll scream like it's dying. No big deal. Other than that, I'll be working and spending quality time with the family. My mom mentioned something about caramel apple making with my nieces and nephews, which I'm stoked about.
But, speaking of family. This Creamy Smoked Ham and Bean Soup is once again a recipe from my mommy dearest. She's just so great at throwing ingredients into a pot to create a bomb ass meal. For this recipe, we actually used our very own smoked ham. (I know, I just got done talking about how cute the piglets are.) But truth be told, we raise all of our own beef and pork, and my parents actually buy chicken (whole bird already cleaned) from a Hutterite colony in North or South Dakota. I always forget. My aunt and uncle actually make the drive every year, and they bring back hundreds of birds for family and friends. But, beef and pork of any kind are the two things I never buy at the grocery store, and I am so thankful that I am able to eat meat that I can trace right back to our own farm. If you don't already, I highly recommend you buy meat from a local farmer. Best you'll ever have.
So, back to the reason you're here, my Creamy Smoked Ham and Bean Soup. Wherever you buy your ham, the soup will be amazing. Whether the ham you buy is precooked or not, I recommend that you cook it in the oven for a couple hours with water in the pan (see recipe) to create stock and just heat the ham through. Other than cooking the ham, this recipe is pretty effortless and quick. Hope you love it! Who am I kidding? I know you will 🙂
If you want to channel your inner child, I have another soup recipe you will love: Chili Lime Shrimp Ramen Soup. The perfect way to satisfy a craving without feeling quality. Ready in less than 30 minutes and made with delicious chili seasoned broth and lime shrimp!
P.S. In the picture below, my mom is testing out her hand model skills. I think she's a natural!
Creamy Smoked Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb smoked bone-in ham
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 celery sticks thinly sliced
- 15 baby carrots thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 ½ tablespoons flour
- Chicken stock up to 6 cups
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 cans of beans blackeye peas, navy, northern, pinto, red kidney, white kidney
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham in roasting pan with 2 cups of water. Cover and bake for about 20 minutes per pound, or bake according to package directions. The ham is done when a meat thermometer reads 130-140 degrees F. Once cooked, reserve stock (liquid) and remove ham meat from the bone. Cut or shred ham into small pieces.
- Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; cook for 10-15 minutes until carrots start to tenderize. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in flour until combined with butter and vegetables.
- Add reserved ham stock to pot. Add chicken stock to equate to 6 cups of total liquid. So, if you had 2 cups of ham stock, you only need to add 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a light boil, stirring frequently, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add heavy cream, ham, beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, and paprika to pot; stir to combine. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.
- If desired, serve with crackers, shredded cheese, and French bread or cornbread. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
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