There is nothing like a big pot of seasoned ham and beans with onions, celery, and carrots to satisfy your appetite. This dish is a huge family favorite and a great recipe for leftover holiday hams.
This is one of my husband’s favorite recipes. It is easy, flavorful, and hearty. You will love every bite. I love to serve it with corn muffins or sweet potato cornbread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Beans: dried Great Northern or navy beans.
- Onion: sweet yellow or Vidalia
- Spices and seasonings: bay leaf, dried marjoram or oregano, dried basil and thyme, ground cumin and cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Ham: preferably ham with a bone in it. I purchase a ham steak with a bone in it. Leftover ham is excellent for this recipe.
How to Make Ham and Beans
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
The night before, you want to cook the ham and beans, rinse the beans, and sort through them, removing any pebbles. Add the beans to a large pot, cover them with cold water, and soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans in a colander in the sink and rinse.
Dry the pot. Heat a little olive oil in the pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, cooking and stirring frequently until the carrots and celery are tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, marjoram, basil, thyme, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently.
Add the diced ham, ham bone, and beans to the pot. Then, add enough chicken broth to cover the mixture. Stir in the brown sugar and add the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the beans are tender. Fish out the bay leaf and ham bone. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preparation Tips
- For this recipe, it is best to soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.
- Easy on the added salt for this recipe. Ham is cured with salt, and even low-sodium chicken broth has a fair amount of salt.
- Don’t forget to throw in the ham bone. It adds a lot of flavor. Remove It before serving.
- Bay leaves are sharp and can pose a choking hazard. Ensure you fish them out of the pot.
Serving Suggestions
In addition to the usual cornbread suggestions, try corn fritters or Johnny cakes. Other side dishes are collard greens, homemade biscuits, spoon bread, or creamy coleslaw.
More Ham Recipes
Ham and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried Great Northern Beans or dried pinto beans
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 lb bone in ham steak diced don't forget to throw in the bone
- 4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and sort through them, removing any pebbles. Add the beans to a large pot, cover them with cold water, and soak them overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans in a colander in the sink and rinse.
- Dry the pot. Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, cooking and stirring frequently until the carrots and celery are tender.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, dried marjoram, dried basil, dried thyme, ground cumin, and ground cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the diced ham, ham bone, and drained beans to the pot. Add enough chicken broth to cover the mixture. Stir in the brown sugar and add the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the beans are tender.
- Fish out the bay leaf and ham bone. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- For this recipe, it is best to soak the beans overnight.
- Easy on the added salt for this recipe. Ham is cured with salt, and even low-sodium chicken broth has a fair amount of salt.
- Don’t forget to throw in the ham bone. It adds a lot of flavor. Remove It before serving.
- Bay leaves are sharp, and they can pose a choking hazard. Ensure you fish them out of the pot.
Jasmine
This is a really rustic and hearty soup! My husbands new favorite soup! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Jasmine! I am so glad that you and your husband liked it.
Hazel
This ham and beans recipe was pretty yummy! It was easy to make and so flavorful! The family loved it so we will make it again!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Hazel! So happy that you and your family liked it!
Everything Enchanting
This recipe for ham and beans looks so hearty and comforting 😋! Perfect for cold days when you need a warm meal 👌🏻.
Lori
This was so good and easy to make. It was the perfect meal for today because it was cold and rainy! Thanks for the recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Lori!
Yeah Lifestyle
Looks delicious and healthy and I know now what to do with my leftover roast ham from yesterday. Looking forward to making this
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Rosey
My grandma and my mom both made something similar. Haven’t thought of it in years. This is awesome!
Candie
Great recipe. The spices were perfect. My husband and I loved it and it was easy to make
Karen
Ham and Bean omg…I am so gonna try this tonight…If you can’t tell, I love both lol…Thanks a lot for the wonderful recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Karen!