Hearty Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

Here’s a Hearty Navy Bean & Ham Hock Soup—smoky, rich, and perfect for a cold day 🥣

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Hearty Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried navy beans

• 2 meaty ham hocks (or 1 large)

• 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

• 1 large onion, diced

• 3 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 8 cups water or chicken broth

• Salt, to taste

• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

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Instructions

1. Soak the beans (recommended)
   Rinse beans and soak in water overnight. Drain and rinse.
   (Quick soak: Boil beans 2 minutes, cover, rest 1 hour, drain.)

2. Build the soup
   Add beans, ham hocks, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and broth to a large pot.

3. Simmer
   Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 2–2½ hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.

4. Finish the soup
   Remove ham hocks. Shred meat, discard skin/bones, and return meat to pot.
   Remove bay leaf. Salt to taste.

5. Serve
   Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread or cornbread.

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Tips & Variations

• Creamier texture: Mash some beans against the side of the pot.

• Extra smoky: Add a pinch of smoked paprika.

• Slow cooker: Cook on Low 8–9 hours or High 5–6 hours.

• No ham hock: Substitute smoked ham or smoked turkey leg.

If you want, I can convert this into an Instant Pot version, make it thicker, or scale it for meal prep and freezing.