Ham Butter Bean Soup (Printable)

Savory Southern soup with butter beans, smoky ham, fresh herbs, and rich, comforting flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb smoked ham hock or diced ham

→ Legumes

02 - 2 cups dried butter beans or 3 cans (15 oz each) butter beans, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 2 cups water

→ Herbs and Seasonings

09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - Salt to taste

→ Optional

15 - Hot sauce for serving
16 - Crusty bread for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - If using dried butter beans, soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain and rinse thoroughly before use.
02 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat a splash of oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add the ham hock or diced ham, prepared butter beans, chicken broth, water, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
05 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour (or 45 minutes if using canned beans), stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and flavors are well developed.
06 - Remove the ham hock from the pot. Shred any meat from the bone and return it to the soup. Discard the bone and excess fat. Remove and discard bay leaves.
07 - Stir in fresh parsley and chives. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh herbs and a dash of hot sauce if desired. Serve alongside crusty bread.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It requires almost no actual cooking skill, just patience and a good pot, which means even a Tuesday night after work becomes manageable.
  • The smell alone will have everyone asking what's for dinner before they even walk in the door.
02 -
  • If you're using a ham hock, the meat sometimes seems stubborn about shredding—use two forks and pull it apart slowly rather than fighting it, and don't get frustrated if some of it stays chunky because that texture actually feels good in the soup.
  • Don't add all your salt at once because the ham is already salty, and you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • If you want a creamier texture, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon right before serving, which thickens everything without adding cream.
  • The fresh herbs stirred in at the end make the difference between soup that tastes good and soup that tastes like someone who cares made it, so don't skip that step even if you're tired.
Go Back