Ham Bone Soup Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Ham Bone Soup Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
5(1,919)
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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1,919

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Private Notes

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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.

Ben Super

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

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.

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.

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!

Suz

Unbelievably good. Made exactly as it says but had a lot of ham so I added it all with some extra water and in turn added extra spices and 3 whole cans of cannelloni beans. I have made a ham and potato soup for years that my family loves and it’s unanimous this is my new go-to.

DC

Simmered the bone first separately for 2hrs so I coins make the soup the next day. Richer broth. Added fresh thyme with bay leaf. Used collard greens instead of kale. Apple cider vinegar at the end is a must!! Otherwise feels like it’s lacking something. Delicious!!

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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.

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.

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

The bone can be stored in the fridge, well wrapped for up to 3 days. The ham bone can also be frozen for up to 3 months. We don't even defrost it when making this soup, just place it in the water and add about 15-20 minutes to the cooking time.

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.

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.

What is the best bone for soup? ›

The Best Bones for Bone Broth

I like to use a mix of big beef bones (saved from roasts or begged from the butcher), meaty short ribs or oxtails, and knuckle or neck bones. Those knuckle and neck bones have a lot of collagen, which give the broth body and a rich flavor.

Why do I feel dizzy after drinking bone broth? ›

If you feel nauseous, light-headed, or foggy after consuming bone broth, it may be that you are sensitive to glutamate or histamine. This doesn't mean you can't benefit from broth. To avoid the negative side effects, simply cook the broth for a shorter period of time or use a pressure cooker.

Is bone soup good for high blood pressure? ›

Potential heart benefits

“These results suggest that dry-cured ham bones [used in] stews and broths could have a positive impact on cardiovascular health and a possible reduction of high blood pressure for consumers.”

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? ›

There's a limit to how much flavor a given ingredient will impart—past that, extra time just turns everything to mush. Big beef or lamb bones can be cooked for up to eight hours, or overnight. Chicken bones are more like four to six. Veggies give up all their flavor in about an hour.

How many times should you boil bones for soup? ›

Cooking beef bones for broth can be as short as a half hour in a pressure cooker or as long as four days at just below a simmer in a large stock pot on a stovetop. The usual is a full simmer for three hours on a stovetop or that half hour in the pressure cooker.

Can a ham bone be used twice for soup? ›

Although you may be able to use a ham bone again for soup, if not all of the meat comes off of the bone, most of the flavor you can get from the bone will be used up the first time you use it to make soup. If you want to try to reuse the bone, refrigerate it and use it again within a couple of days.

Do you leave skin on ham hock when making soup? ›

When I'm making soups with ham hocks I take the time to score the thick skin of the hock. Once cooked I can then easily trim away the skin and excess fat to reveal the meat beneath. It's then a simple matter to cut away the chunks of ham and return them to the soup kettle.

Does honeybaked ham sell ham bones for soup? ›

Did you know that the Honey Baked Ham store sells the bones, after most of the meat has been removed by spiral slicing.

Should ham hock be soaked before cooking? ›

Low sodium broth is best for this recipe – the ham hocks are quite salty so if you use regular broth, the salt might overwhelm the dish. If you're worried about the salt content of the ham hocks, soak them in water for at least half an hour before cooking. This will help remove some of the salt.

How to use a hambone? ›

Just cover the ham bone with water and pot, bring to a simmer, cover and let cook for an hour before starting the recipe. You could probably also just put the bone in a slow cooker with some water overnight to make some ham stock. Whether you use chicken stock or not, both methods work fine.

What bones are good for soup? ›

The best broth is made using a combination or knuckle and marrow bones.

What is another name for bone soup? ›

Home cooks tend to use the terms "broth" and "bouillon" as they refer to the product they purchase at the store rather than referring to its culinary origins. Stock is an ingredient and is made from primarily bones and vegetables, while broth is made from meat, possibly bones and vegetables.

How long is ham bone good in the fridge? ›

Christmas ham stored in the fridge, either on the bone or carved off and wrapped in plastic and foil, will keep perfectly well for up to two weeks. Ham wrapped in plastic and foil and then frozen will last in the freezer for up to a month.

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