Ham Bone Soup

Can ham get any better? Sure it can… Just wait until you try my out-of-this-world delicious Ham Bone Soup!

What do you do with your leftover ham bone after you cook a ham? Whatever you do, this time DO NOT throw it out, but put that bone to good use.

When it comes to leftover ham, I’ve got a trick up my sleeve: Make a soup out of it! With some ham chunks and that flavorful bone, you’ve got the perfect base for a hearty meal. And here’s the best part: it all simmers away in the slow cooker (but I’ll also share stove top and Instant Pot directions). Sound good? Read on…

Turning leftovers into a whole new delicious meal is like magic. I find that secondary meals are always so much easier and customizable to whatever I feel like creating.

This ham bone soup is an excellent example of a leftover meal out of your holiday ham.

I am amazed how much flavor it creates in a soup base when I simmer that ham bone with the usual classic soup ingredients, along with a few leftover ham scraps. I love to cook it low and slow in my crock pot, so I don’t have to give another single thought to it for a long time.

In the end, I always end up with a light, yet flavorful brothy soup with ham chunks and veggies floating merrily…

Ingredients Needed

• Leftover ham bone – When saving leftover holiday ham bone, make sure to leave some meat on it for flavor. I usually freeze it in a freezer-friendly bag, squeezing out all the air to prevent freezer burn. While I thaw it before adding it to the crockpot, it’s common to put the frozen ham bone straight in. If you don’t have any leftover bone, you can easily buy one from the butcher for next to nothing.
• Ham chunks – This soup is the reason to save some ham and repurpose it.
• Veggies – Onion, carrots, celery, corn, potatoes and diced canned tomatoes.
• Cannellini beans – I use canned beans to saving time and for convenience.
• Herbs – Fresh rosemary and thyme (you can used dried herbs if you don’t have fresh).
• Flavor enhancers – Garlic, bay leaves, chili flakes, chicken broth.

Ham Bone Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker Method)

Your crockpot makes it for you… It’s as easy as dump everything in the crock and let it simmer and do its own magic.

I start by placing all the ingredients, except for the diced ham, in the crockpot. Since the ham is already cooked, I’ll add it in later. Then, I cover the lid and let everything cook for 5-6 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low, until all the veggies are tender.

About 2 hours before the total cook time is up, I stir in the diced ham.

When the soup is almost done cooking, I remove the ham bone from the crockpot and scrape off any meat that’s still clinging to it (trust me, it’s delicious!). Then, I add the meat back into the soup and discard the bone.

It’s important not to add any salt at the beginning, as both the ham and ham bone provide plenty of flavor. I always taste the soup before serving and adjust the salt according to my preference.

Once everything is ready, I serve the soup immediately, piping hot and full of comforting flavors.

Instant Pot Method

1. In the pressure cooker, I place the ham bone along with chicken stock and bay leaves. Then, I seal the lid and pressure cook on High for 30 minutes.
2. I quick release pressure. Then I remove the ham bone and scrape any meat from the bone and add it back to the soup.
3. Next, I add all the remaining ingredients into the pressure cooker. Once everything’s in, I seal the lid and pressure cook on High for about 7-8 minutes. After that, I quickly release the pressure to finish off the soup.

Stove Top Method

1. I start by sautéing onion, carrots and celery in a little oil.
2. Then I add in all the ingredients and bring the soup to a boil. I reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 60-90 minutes.
3. Next I add 1-2 cups of additional water if the soup is becoming too thick. I discard the ham bone and add in any scraps of ham from it back to the soup.

Alpana’s Tips and Notes

• Store ham bone with meat attached: I always make sure to store my ham bone with some meat still attached. This adds tons of flavors.
• Don’t skimp on veggies: When I make soup, I always add lots of veggies like carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes. They not only make the soup tastier, but also healthier.
• Adjust seasoning carefully: I wait until the soup is almost done before adding salt because ham and the bone already add plenty of saltiness. Then, I taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• Experiment with herbs and spices: I like to jazz up my soup by adding herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, or paprika.
• Add beans or grains: If I want to make my soup heartier, I think about adding more beans, lentils, rice, or barley.
• Cook low and slow for maximum flavor: If using a slow cooker or simmering on the stove, allow the soup to cook low and slow to develop deep, rich flavors.

Can I Make It with With Dried Beans?

Sure you can. Dried beans are very economical, and you don’t need to soak them overnight if you are cooking them in a crock pot.

When I use dried beans for the stove top method, I find it’s better to soak them overnight to cut down on cooking time. I just put them in a big bowl, cover them with about three inches of water, and then drain them when I’m ready to use them.

Here’s a tip: If I don’t have time to soak the beans overnight, and happen to have an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, you can pressure cook the beans instead. It’s a quicker way to get the beans ready for the soup!

Variations

1. You can have a different flavor profile by using different types of beans. Mix and match, like cannellini with kidney beans, navy beans or black beans. This is great recipe to use those dried 15 bean or 20 bean mixes. They come with a seasoning packet. You can use that too, to add different flavors to the soup.
2. Some don’t add tomatoes, but I love the color and flavor they add to the soup.
3. Some days I add in other veggies like green beans, peas or sweet potatoes.

Well there you go, now you know exactly what to do with all that ham from holidays. And if you didn’t save your ham bone, Easter is just around the corner.

This cozy, comforting and super tasty bowl is perfect for some cold chilly nights that follow the holidays. Make that crock work for you and enjoy my version of delicious Ham Bone Soup with your near and dears. Take care…

Ham Bone Soup, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other soups from around the world!
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Albondigas Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup
Sopa de Fideo
Caldo de Pollo
Fasolada
Borscht

Ham Bone Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Put your holiday leftovers to good use with my Ham Bone Soup. It's a hearty slow cooker or instant pot meal loaded with veggies and great flavors!

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Ingredients

• 1 leftover ham bone
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 15oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 sprigs rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 5-6 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ -1 tsp chili flakes
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 3 cups leftover ham, diced

Instructions

Slow Cooker Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except diced ham, in a crock pot.
2. Cover the lid and cook for 5-6 hours on high, or until all veggies are cooked, or 8 hours on low. Add in diced ham 2 hours before the total cook time.
3. Remove the ham bone and scrape any meat from the bone and add it back to the soup.
4. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot Method

1. Place ham bone along with chicken stock and bay leaves into pressure cooker. Seal lid and pressure cook on High for 30 minutes.
2. Quick release pressure. Remove the ham bone and scrape any meat from the bone and add it back to the soup.
3. Add all remaining ingredients into the pressure cooker. Seal lid and pressure cook on High for 7-8 minutes. Quick release pressure.
4. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Leftovers: This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. The flavors get accentuated as it sits for a few days.
2. Ham bone soup can be frozen up to 4-5 months in an air tight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 373Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 36mgSodium 1627mgCarbohydrates 60gFiber 16gSugar 14gProtein 28g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.