What are Great Northern beans? Are navy beans the same as northern beans?

Great Northern beans, also called Northern beans, are medium white beans that are mild and delicate in flavor and can be found at any grocery store. Navy beans are usually a little bit smaller and don’t take quite as long to cook. The Harvard Medical School says that eating beans is a cheap and nutritious recipe for health ! Perfect! Try them in this recipe ham soup beans or other soups, like my Instant Pot White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale or Vegetarian Chili , or even desserts like my White Bean Blondies .

Why does my ham and bean soup taste bland?

I’m not sure but try this ham and bean soup recipe! You get the salty umami flavor from the ham hock. Sautéing the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic gives you plenty of rich aromatic flavor, and adding the seasonings for a minute before stirring in the rest of the soup ingredients helps really bring out their flavor as well. Using dried beans that cook in the broth also adds a richer flavor than using canned beans or previously cooked beans. If you still feel your soup is bland after cooking, add some additional salt and black pepper.

What makes ham and bean soup thicken?

As the beans cook, they absorb some of the broth, resulting in a thicker, stew-like soup. They also shed their outer coating, which breaks down in the stock and creates a slightly thicker, creamy sauce. No need for flour or cornstarch here!

Why do people put vinegar in ham beans?

Some people add vinegar toward the end of the cooking time to help break down the beans and brighten their flavor. With this ham and bean soup recipe, we’ve built up enough flavor that vinegar isn’t really necessary.

Classic Hearty Ham and Bean Soup

Northern Beans and Ham Soup

Print Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

Enjoy this frugal and delicious ham and bean soup. Cook up this hearty, satisfying meal in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop – it’s perfect for cold winter days!

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Soup & Salad
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

½ pound dried northern beans, soaked overnight
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
¼ tsp thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 quart homemade chicken stock
¼ tsp sage
1 ham hock (approx 2lbs)
1 cup chopped ham (optional, approx 1 ham steak)
salt and black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

Drain soaking liquid from beans and set beans aside.
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
Add cooked vegetables, beans, and all other remaining ingredients to a slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until beans are cooked through.
Serve over prepared white rice or cornbread.

Stovetop

In a large pot, sauté the vegetables until fragrant. Add the seasonings and sauté another minute (this deepens their flavor).
Add the soaked and drained beans, and all the remaining ingredients into the pot.
Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on medium-low for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Add salt and black pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.

Instant Pot

Use the sauté function to sauté the vegetables in the olive oil in the Instant Pot until fragrant, then add the seasonings to the vegetables for another minute (this deepens their flavor).
Add the soaked/drained beans, ham hock, and all the remaining ingredients.
Lock the lid and make sure the release lever is turned to ‘sealing.’
Cook the bean & ham soup on manual high pressure for 40 minutes.
Allow a natural pressure release for another 20 minutes.
When you remove the ham bone, you may have to cut the meat off the bone and then stir the meat back in.
Add salt and black pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.

Notes

Ham and Bean Soup freezes very well (and you can freeze it for up to three months). Once cooled, if you portion the soup into freezer bags and lay them flat, you’ll save a lot of space in the freezer – with more room for freezer meals like these dinner plans and these breakfast plans!
I have seen some other recipes that call for bay leaves, which I haven’t added to this recipe, but I definitely think it would add another layer of flavor – if you have bay leaves on hand.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 225

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/classic-recipe-northern-beans-ham-soup/