Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe
Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe is made with white beans, leftover ham, garnished with tomatoes and a dab of sour cream.
Friends, take holiday leftover ham (fresh or frozen), to make this Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe!
Soup after the holidays is the best! And I like to take any leftover meat and toss it in the freezer for soup in the following months.
Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe
All you need are these ingredients:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Bay leaf
- Thyme
- Broth
- Creat Northern Beans
- Cooked ham
- Diced tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
When I think about my Grandma Friesen, I think about a big pot of her red German beans with bacon (and brown sugar) simmering on the stove. My mom made a different version of beans, with white beans and ham.
How do you make White Bean Soup
Today I’m sharing my shortened version: Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe.
- In large pot, place garlic, onion, celery, carrot sand seasonings. Add enough broth to cover the vegetables (start with 6 cups and add more as needed). Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender!
- Add Great Northern Beans, cooked ham, tomatoes and salt to taste. Check seasoning flavor and add more thyme, black pepper or salt, if needed. Simmer and cook!
- Garnish with sour cream and fresh tomatoes! SO good!
Grandma Friesen, a life of inspiration
But first, my grandma lived in a tiny house before tiny houses were a thing. Her apartment had very little furniture, and was always immaculate and clean. Yes, Grandma lived simply, but not without hospitality, good food, and a whole lot of love. I’m sure if someone would ask Grandma today, how are you? her answer would not be like most of us: I’m so busy.
Like many folks in her generation, she lived through hard times – she lost her mother when she was 18, 2 siblings at a young age, and then later 2 of her own children in early adulthood. Plus my Grandpa George, and lots of siblings and loved ones! Grandma had virtues that I continue to strive for in my life, as an example of inspiration.
So in her kitchen (my Dad took this shot of her cooking bacon – YAY bacon!), Grandma’s hospitality was not to impress, but it was full of extravagant love (and tasty Mennonite recipes). She was either whipping up a pot of beans, fried chicken, homemade tapioca pudding, or a delicious upside down cake.
Later in life, in my 20’s, I had the pleasure of picking Grandma up once a week and driving her to appointments, the bank, and the grocery store. It was our special time together; she always wanted to know how I was, wanting to know the details of my life.
I remember having a selfish 20-year-old attitude of … I have to go get Grandma today, but then I’d come away so refreshed and happy, because my Grandma made me happy and was so sweet. My heart was grateful heart that I chiseled time out of my not-so-busy schedule to spend part of the day with her.
How do you make Great Northern Bean soup?
No need to wait for dry beans to soak.
Open 2 cans of Great Northern Beans!
You get great homemade soup in about an hour!
Or, you may also love my BEST Baked Potato Cheddar Ham Soup recipe!
Comfort winter dish
My Grandma’s recipe, she would cook the beans all day long, but this Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe is super easy using a few cans of Great Northern Beans!
It’s delicious made with leftover ham (or ham hock)–a pure comfort, winter dish – for sure!
ENJOY!
Also try these soup recipes:
Chicken Curry Crock Pot Lentil Soup
Get the Recipe:
Great Northern Bean Ham Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 ribs green celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 dried bay leaf
- 1 tsp. thyme, whole, crushed
- 6-8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 2 cans, 15 ounceBush's Great Northern Beans, drained
- 2 cups cubed cooked ham
- 1 can, 14 ounce diced tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In large pot, place garlic, onion, celery, carrot sand seasonings. Add enough broth to cover the vegetables (start with 6 cups and add more as needed). Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Add Great Northern Beans, cooked ham, tomatoes and salt to taste. Check seasoning flavor and add more thyme, black pepper or salt, if needed.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes; serve.
- Garnish with sour cream and fresh tomatoes (optional).
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
How special Sandy! I just love family memories. One of my favorite things is looking through old family photos…they don’t even need to be my family’s lol. And yummy recipe.
If I have it…I take the hambone…..boil it w/aromatics 1/2 onion 1/2 lemon…bay leaves, my own home grown herbs….parsley sage rosemary thyme…boil and strain….add some chicken stock,ham stock,…store bought….add veggies…carrots,celery,onions..frozen…can of tomatoes…can of white beans or 2…more love in this recipe….!
This soup is the greatest Great Northern Bean Ham soup I have ever had. I made 1 1/2 x the recipe for a huge vat of soup because I had the 48 oz jar of cooked beans, and that is still going quickly between just my husband and me. This will get you through the winter like nothing else will.
I had just called my uncle today to find out how my grandma made northern bean soup and made it since it is below zero up here in SD! He mentioned adding the whole can of tomatoes to give it more flavor as I see it in your recipe. My grandma made homemade dumplings that I hope to try tomorrow with the soup if I can remember the recipe! It seems like it was just one egg, a teaspoon of Baking Soda and a pinch of salt mixed up and dropped in a separate pot of boiling soup broth until they come to the top! They used to be so good! We also use two packages of Lipton Onion Soup Mix to add more flavor!
really nice thoughts, I know that generation through my own family, so many similar characteristics, they all seemed to live pretty simply, thank you for this recipe too, have been eating more legumes as part of my diet and this works beautifully!
Oh what a warm and gentle story about your grandmother, thank you for sharing this, Sandy! I love especially your comment about not describing ourselves as being too busy, yet always being productive. What a beautiful contradiction.
Your grandmother sounds a lot like you, so I bet she would be so proud. And how cool that the piano your son plays is hers, wow. Love that!
Ham and bean soup is so good. My FIL was raised mennonite, from Indiana. We loved the times we went to visit. My MIL shares stories of going to the mennonite church when they were first married.
I love the tins to the left in that one picture.
Love the pictures of your Grandma do you have her actual recipe? Would love to have it!
Thanks Edee
Hi, Edee. I’ll have to ask my dad if he has it. Stay tuned … :) If not, look for a Mennonite cookbook and I bet it’s in that! :)
You are so blessed with the examples of loving godly women in your family. No wonder you are such a star! Love you!
and remembering the soup bowls and silverware did not match and no one got bent out of shape because they didn’t. We just remember the wonderful flavor coming out of those bowls or plates and how much we were in the present at that time. Enjoying life. Grandma was never into herself and worrying what people would think of her. I guess love outshines the material things we think we need to have to look good. Thank you Grandma for the memories and to Grand dude for making it happen
Loved the pictures of your gma. The hair… the dress… just made me smile and remember my own “Bobo” and my aunts who exhibited the same love for us and the delicious, simple things that they cooked!