If you’re looking for an easy-to-make recipe, look no further than this honey baked ham bean soup. It’s full of delicious flavor, and it will keep your taste buds happy and your belly full for days. Plus, this simple soup only takes about an hour to prepare, so it’s perfect for a quick dinner.
Ingredients
One of the most interesting ways to enjoy a ham is in a soup. This hearty dish is easy to make, and can be reheated for several days in the fridge. It pairs well with green salads and pickled asparagus.
The ingredients for a ham and bean soup are simple and straightforward. You will need some ham, a hambone, some vegetables, and a soup pot. A large pot is recommended, as you can easily overcrowd a small pot. However, you can also cook the ingredients in a crockpot.
First, make sure to rinse the beans. They should be soaked for at least a day.
Next, chop up the vegetables. Start with an onion and garlic. When the onions begin to soften, add the other vegetables. Continue to cook until they are tender. Add some butter to the pot.
After you have cooked the veggies, add the ham bone. Make sure you remove the ham bone from the pot after the requisite hours of cooking.
The ham and bean soup has all the flavor of a homemade concoction, but the cheapest option is a store bought brand. If you are really on a budget, you can try your luck with a ham and chicken stock combination.
The best part is you can enjoy the soup as soon as you are done with it, or let it simmer for another two hours.
Soak the beans
If you are looking for a delicious, nourishing, and filling soup, Honey Baked Ham(r) Mixed Bean Soup Mix is a great choice. It is also ideal for meal prep.
When making this ah-mazing recipe, you must remember to soak the beans. The reason is that pre-soaking beans reduces the amount of gas produced while cooking. This also makes the resulting bean soup more flavorful.
For a truly satisfying meal, it is recommended to soak the beans for at least 8 hours. You can do this in a slow cooker or on the stove.
To soak the beans for a ham and bean soup, start by putting them in a large pot and covering them with water. Add a bit of baking soda to the water.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Alternatively, you can use a pressure cooker. Regardless of which method you choose, you will need to allow the ingredients to simmer for around 45 minutes to an hour.
Once you have the beans boiled, you can add them to a stockpot. You may want to add some cayenne pepper or parsley. A pinch of sugar is also a good idea.
You can also use a ham hock in the soup. Normally found in meat departments year-round, a ham hock is a cut of meat whose bone is removed, leaving a delicious meat that you can add back to the soup.
Cook the ham shanks
When you’re ready to make honey baked ham and bean soup, you can either start with a ham hock, or you can cook the ham shanks yourself. Both can be done in the slow cooker.
The ham shanks are located below the shoulder and just below the hip. They’re usually smoked. You can find them at the deli counter.
After you’ve browned the ham bone, remove it from the pot and set it aside. After a few minutes of cooling, you can use it in your ham and bean soup recipe.
To prepare the ham shanks, you’ll need to score the skin of the ham in a diamond pattern. If you don’t have an X-Acto knife, you can use a utility knife to slice the skin off.
Once you’ve got the ham shanks, you can put them into the stock pot. Add the water and ham hocks, and then boil for about an hour and a half. This should be enough time to get the ham and beans cooked.
Once the ham shanks have been cooked, you can start adding the vegetables. You should start with onions. Cook them in butter until translucent. Also, you can add chopped garlic for another minute. Finally, you can add salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to the vegetables.
The vegetables should be basted a couple of times during the cooking process. Towards the end, you can add in canned tomatoes. Tomatoes are a nice addition to the flavor of your soup.
Add mirepoix
The mirepoix is an onion, carrot, and celery mixture, which is commonly used as a flavor base for soups. When used as a flavor base, it adds a layer of depth and texture to the soup.
You can buy mirepoix in a jar. It will be a handy shortcut if you do not have time to chop all of the vegetables.
If you want to use fresh herbs in your ham and bean soup, add them early. You can also use dried thyme sprigs in place of the fresh ones. Use the dry sprigs if you are cooking the soup in a slow cooker. However, if you are making the soup for a short period of time, the fresh sprigs will make the soup more flavorful.
To prepare the ham and bean soup, start by soaking the beans. Soak the beans for at least an hour, and then rinse them under cold water. After that, you should strain them through a colander. This will help to keep the texture of the soup even.
Next, add the chopped veggies and the liquids to a large pot. Add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Depending on the type of onion and garlic, it may take longer.
After the vegetables have been cooked, add the meat. Shredded ham works well. But you can also substitute chicken or Italian sausage.
Store leftover soup in a covered glass or plastic container
The most effective way to store leftover honey baked ham bean soup is in a covered glass or plastic container. This will ensure that the soup keeps its shape and is still fresh for a long time.
It is also best to freeze the soup. You should freeze the soup in portions. If you have multiple servings, leave a few inches of space between them. Otherwise, ice crystals can form, disrupting the texture and flavor of the soup.
There are several ways to freeze the soup, but the safest is to let it cool in a cooled ice bath. However, if the freezing is not successful, you will need to refreeze the soup in its original container.
The most important step is to completely cool the soup before storing it. Once cooled, you can store the soup in a freezer container, such as a zip-top bag or freezer tray. Use a clear, airtight, glass or plastic container to ensure the soup remains fresh.
The next step is to label the container. When you are ready to reheat the soup, it should be a quick matter of stirring it into a pot of hot water.
After reheating, you should be able to see if the soup is still good. Typically, the meat will go bad in about three days, but it’s possible to reheat the soup well after four days.
Burn off 170 calories
Did you know that the Honey Baked Hams (HMHB) is the cheapest calorie free nit on the planet? The HMHB is the sibling to the more expensive but less palatable HBH, and is the perfect solution for those looking for a more affordable calorie free alternative. The HMHB is the best way to eat your heart out without having to worry about a calorie bomb. There are few pitfalls to be aware of if you are going to make it happen. It is also the best way to make sure your family does not go hungry, or worse, become a food borne disease carrier. The HMHB is also a family friendly alternative to more egregious HBHs, making it the king of the HBHB castle. So what are you waiting for?