Ham Bone Soup Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Ham Bone Soup Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
5(1,930)
Notes
Read community notes

This hearty soup requires a good afternoon simmer, filling your house with the aromas of all things good and warming. The marrow imbues the broth with a silkiness and richness, and the kale is thrown in for color and health. You might want hot sauce, or not. Either way, a bowl of this is the kind of thing that cures what ails you.

Featured in: A Bare-Bones Soup Recipe

Learn: How to Cook Ham

Learn: How to Cook Beans

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

  • 4strips bacon, thick cut, sliced into ½-inch pieces
  • 3large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
  • 1large onion, peeled and diced
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1ham bone 1¼ pounds, cut in half or in thirds ask your butcher to do this
  • 1bay leaf
  • teaspoons salt, plus additional to taste
  • ½head green cabbage, shredded about 8 cups
  • 3cups cooked beans rinsed and drained if canned, such as cannellini, navy or pinto
  • 1small bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces 6 cups
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce or apple cider vinegar, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

461 calories; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 658 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Ham Bone Soup Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.

  2. Step

    2

    Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pot. Stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Drop in the ham bone and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and simmer 30 minutes. Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the kale and simmer until soft, but vibrantly green, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste). Add lots of pepper and a dash of hot sauce or vinegar. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

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5

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1,930

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Cooking Notes

Carole

I adapted this to use a left over cooked Ham Bone and pieces of ham.
Follow directions for first 5 ingredients. Then add ham bone ( no need to cut in half). Simmer 2 hours -- add water as needed to cover.
Then remove bone, add 4 cups chicken broth, and diced left over ham and then follow the rest of the recipe.

Lisa

I made the ham broth the day before I made the soup, in my slow cooker - whole hambone, 1 chopped onion, three or four stalks of celery and 4 chopped carrots with 2 liters of water and simmered on high for 5 hours. The bone split naturally into about five separate pieces, infusing the broth with gelatin.. I refrigerated the whole thing overnight which brought the fat to the top where it was easy to skim. I threw away the solids and then went about using it as the broth base for the soup.I

Melisa

I just use my ham bone whole instead of worrying about cutting it up. It seems to work just as well in my experience.

Suzanne M

Made this using dried beans, simmering them in water (I used a few cups over 8) and the ham bone for about an hour. Then proceeded with the recipe, but skipped the separate 20 minute simmer of the sauteed vegetables. Very nice recipe.

Mary

I make this often with whatever meat bits I have on hand and I leave out the bacon and cabbage. I throw in the onion peel to get a lovely golden brown color (remove before serving) to the liquid and use chopped dry hot peppers to taste. It is also delicious with chorizo or Portuguese sausage. Wonderful versatile and healthy!

SupaD

This soup was SO good, the best bean soup I've ever eaten. But I was sad, because I only cook ham maybe once or twice a year, so I can't have it more often. Well I just learned that Honeybaked Ham sells ham bones, so I'll be making this more often.

Clive

Please. Reduce. Reduce. Simmer. Add bacon hot sauce and vinegar. If you don't. You will miss out. Sooo good. Yummy.

SupaD

This. I used heirloom yellow eyed beans I bought on a trip home to Charleston. Oh. My. God. This was SO good. I worried that kale *and* cabbage would be overkill, but it was perfect. The tender cabbage gave an extra oomph of umami, while sturdy kale gave it wonderful contrast, both in color & texture. This recipe is going into permanent rotation in my kitchen, for ham bones after New Years & Easter. Oh yes. I almost panicked that I hadn't saved this on my Mac. Google saved the day.

Lauren

This is so simple, economical and delicious....but it’s gained an unflatulent, I mean unflattering, nickname of Fart Soup at our house. Gas aside, it’s wonderful made as is and then top with a spoonful of NYT’s chimichurri recipe and extra hot sauce. I also threw in some rosemary in one leftover rendition.

Deborah

I made a low salt version, simmered some chicken bones, and used the resulting stock instead of water, which added a boost to the flavor, so the tablespoon of salt was not missed all. The bacon and ham introduced enough. Brilliant recipe.

brushjl

I made this for a church group that is big on soups and this was a hit. I used ham hocks and of course cooked my own beans. I also used mustard greens instead of kale and it was great. all these soups are always improved by a night in the wonderbag, look it up.

Ben Super

Next time I will reduce the cabbage. I would like it to be more soupy next time.

Anne L.

I made this with turkey leftovers instead of the ham bone and it was delicious! Some apple cider vinegar at the end is important; it will make the soup sparkle in your mouth!

Lauren

Used all chicken stock (boxed, low sodium but no need to add extra salt), a huge, meaty ham bone and cooked gigondas I had in the freezer....really good.

Elisa

Great soup, only change I made was to simmer bone for 2 hours instead of 20 minutes.

bsj40052

Wow! This was a perfect soup, when gifted a hambone. Used garbanzo beans, as that is what we had and truly enjoyed it-husband said “man is this good!” Put shaved parm on top. Followed the advice of adding a splash of vinegar-perfect. Served with cheese, salami, cornichons and crusty Italian bread on the side. Will definitely have again!

Katie

It is ridiculous how delicious this soup is. I used leftover baked ham pieces instead of bacon.

Mary

I made this soup to cheer me up on Day 7 of a head cold. I only had red cabbage and it turned the soup a threatening brown/purple. But a glug of apple cider vinegar turned the soup to a charming pink. Tasty and pretty.

Julie Park

Used left over Christmas ham with bone. I did not cut the bone, so added extra chicken stock to cover due to its larger size. All else cooked same as recipe. An excellent soup!

allisonfoxhole

The vinegar and hot sauce are key to elevating the flavors. Otherwise this was bland to me.

Trent

This soup was outstanding, perfect way to use the bone from our Christmas ham. Took the advice of others and let the bone simmer with the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for a couple of hours before adding the kale and cabbage. Used a whole cabbage and added it at the same time as the kale. Large chunks of ham came off the bone, took them out and chopped them up before putting back in. Served with sourdough bread. Splash of vinegar brightened it up. Simple and delicious, definitely a keeper!

2rottiesmom

This soup is fantastic. Tasting while cooking thinking what's everyone raving about. Oh my goodness when you ad the vinegar and hot sauce "WOW"! Keeper so deliciously different.

mdc

Followed Lisa’s comments/recommendations and it came out fantastic. I used leftover ham bone and pieces from a spiral ham - I did make sure to cut off the sweet end parts. Highly recommend!

Jeanette

Gorgeous! In step one I friend up pieces of leftover ham instead of bacon. I charred half a lemon alongside the aromatics and left it in the pot to simmer with the ham bone for about 30 min. I simmered the bone for much longer- probably about 2 hours- and the resulting broth was fabulous. This is a perfect use for a holiday ham!

Salbug

I chopped up bits of leftover ham instead of bacon, and used the hambone to make broth. I added pinto beans the potlikker that I had made a few days earlier. This is perfect rainy day soup!

Champ

I used two cans white beans, one can kidney, and half a cup dried red lentils to make up the difference. The lentils I put it before the simmer, I added the beans with the pureed vegetables. I left out the kale but will add next time.

sheila

Cooked ham bone 6hrs

Krista

This was spectacular - so good even my picky 4 year old loved it!!! She happily ate this 3 nights in a row, and asked if we could make it again soon! I managed to get a pork butt for 29 cents/lb, so I used the bone with a fair amount of meat left on it - and added some extra ham cut into cubes with the bacon. I did start the ham bone with bay leaf in the morning on the stove with some extra water, which gave a great depth of flavor. Added the celery leaves so they didn't go to waste. 10/10!

meinmunich

At a market I buy a ham bone from a deli stand just to make this. Kale was not to be found so I omitted but I suppose I could have used chard. My husband goes nuts over this soup.

Chase W.

Didn’t have bacon or kale, but had enough meat from the ham bone and enough cabbage to make it work. This was a solid recipe and I will definitely make it again!

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Ham Bone Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of soup can be made from a ham bone? ›

This is a Ham Bone Soup made using the slow cooker which is the most effortless way to cook leftover ham bone. Set, forget, fall apart meat, flavour infused soup! You'll love the creamy broth (but no cream!), and how the tender beans absorb the flavour.

How long can you keep a ham bone to make soup? ›

A ham bone will keep in the freezer for at least a few months. That buys you some time to make full use of it and you have a few days to properly prepare it for long-term storage.

Can a ham bone be used twice for soup? ›

Ham Bone Soup Recipes

Depending how much meat comes off the bone, you may be able to reuse it if you refrigerate it between uses. Salt and pepper the recipe to taste.

How do you thicken ham bone soup? ›

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Is ham bone soup good for you? ›

Broth made from animal bones simmered up to 20 hours can heal your gut, boost your immune system, reduce cellulite, strengthen teeth and bones, tackle inflammation and much more. Or that's what a host of health and fitness websites claim.

What to add to bone soup? ›

You can also add vegetables, herbs, or spices to your broth to enhance the flavor. Common additions include garlic, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, and thyme. You can add these in step one. Bone broth is made by simmering bones in water and vinegar.

Can you buy just a ham bone for soup? ›

They're not a super-fancy item only found at gourmet grocery stores—I buy mine at the local Safeway. If you can't find them, just ask. Both fresh and smoked ham bones need to be cooked thoroughly before eating and do best when simmered slowly for hours in a pot of soup.

Can you overcook soup bones? ›

You can tell the bones are spent when there's no meat or fat left on them and they're totally clean—usually after roughly 14 to 16 hours, depending on how large your bones were and the recipe you're following. Canora cautions against overcooking your bone broth, which can actually seriously hamper the flavor.

How many times should you boil bones for soup? ›

Any flavor that does still exist will also become increasingly unbalanced. I would imagine chicken bones would be similar, although, since they are smaller, the first batch may be more effective than 20%. You can use chicken bones to make broth only once, all the goodness gets cooked out of them the first use.

How long do you leave bone in soup? ›

The way to that is to simmer the bones ever so gently over a long period of time, anywhere between 6 and 48 hours depending on the type of bone (i.e. larger bones like beef take longer). Don't be turned off by the length of time, it's all passive hands-off cooking time!

What is the difference between stock and broth? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

Is ham still good after 7 days? ›

Whole cured hams last in the refrigerator for up to a week. However, fresh ham only lasts a few days in the refrigerator, about three or four once you've cooked it. It doesn't matter if the ham is whole or sliced; the lack of preservatives allows it to spoil more quickly.

Does heavy cream thicken soup? ›

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

Is it better to thicken soup with flour or cornstarch? ›

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

What is the best ingredient to thicken soup? ›

About this method: One of the most common ways to thicken sauces and soups is with a starch-based slurry, and cornstarch is a popular choice. Cornstarch is flavorless, easy to mix up, and versatile, which makes it a go-to pantry ingredient.

Which bone is best for soup? ›

The best bones for broth are full of connective tissue like joints or knuckle bones for beef and feet for chicken. Think about getting the big joints responsible for moving animals around. These are feet, hips and knees.

Is a pork hock the same as a ham bone for soup? ›

Is a ham hock the same as a ham bone? No, but they can definitely be used in the same way—both are usually smoked, so they add similar flavor to a dish. A ham bone will have more usable meat on it than a ham hock.

What to do with a fully cooked bone-in ham? ›

Convenient and easy to prepare, a fully cooked ham can be sliced and eaten cold, making it great for sandwiches and salads, but the flavor and texture are even better once reheated.

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