Don't toss that leftover ham bone; make a delicious hearty soup loaded with tender vegetables and ham instead. Super easy on in your crock pot or on the stovetop.
Introduction
So what to do with a ham bone from that holiday spiral cut ham? You can toss it or make soup. But let's change it up some from the traditional ham bone bean soup—more vegetables with fewer beans.
Inspired by an Allrecipes.com recipe called Ham Bone Soup, I have added multiple options to have your soup your way.
We have repeated this recipe many times since initially published in 2013 when we wanted more vegetables and fewer beans. It always puts a smile on our faces.
My Rating
I'm at a four, but my wife, the ham person, is a high four or low five.
🐖Ingredients
Ham Bone
Any ham bone with a fair amount of meat will do. You will need to get about 3 cups of shredded ham off the bone after cooking. I find anywhere from 2 to 4 cups works well.
If you are short on ham or want meaty soup, you can use chopped ham from another source, like a ham steak.
Honey Coated Ham: Many hams have a sugary coat. The sugary taste is not needed in the soup, and I think it would be "weird."
This sweetness needs to be reduced as much as reasonably possible. Trim or scrape off some, and then a good rinse should usually do.
Ham Hocks: The ham hock will add flavor but does not contain the same amount of meat. So if you use a ham hock, add some ham from another source. You want to have about 3 shredded or cubed ham cups, but between 2 to 4 cups will be fine.
Broth
Commonly low sodium chicken broth is used, but you can make your ham broth with water with a long simmer time in this recipe.
You can always add some chicken bouillon cubes if you want more flavor near the end of cooking. I also have a ham soup base that can add flavor if needed.
Potatoes
I like to use Russet potatoes for prolonged cooking, but all potatoes cook about the same. With Russets, peel first, but for thinner skin potatoes, you can leave the skin on the potatoes.
Vegetables
In addition to the potatoes, the common vegetables are carrots and celery.
Other vegetables to consider are frozen corn or green beans that can be added at the start of cooking. Frozen peas could be added near the end of cooking. Use one cup of any of those vegetables.
There are some kidney beans in the recipe, but you may eliminate them or change them to black beans or a type of white beans.
Seasoning
Just garlic and pepper are good with all the other flavors. Some will add thyme or other herbs and spices.
Skip the red pepper if you don't want that slight touch of heat. Increase if you want more heat.
No salt should be added until the end of cooking, and then only if you are sure it needs salt.
👨🍳How to Make in a Crock Pot
- Prepare the ham bone by rinsing off any honey coating and time any large pieces of fat.
- Prepare the potatoes and vegetables.
- Place all ingredients in a large crock pot except the ham bone—mix well. Add the ham bone.
- Cook for 7 hours on low or 3 hours on high, remove the ham bone and strip off the meat. Disgard the waste and add the meat back in the crock pot. Cook one more hour and until all vegetables are tender.
- Serve hot. If you have time, refrigerate overnight and skim any fat off the soup the next day.
👨🍳How to Make on the Stove Top.
- Prepare the ham bone by rinsing off any honey coating and time any large pieces of fat.
- Prepare the potatoes and vegetables.
- Place all ingredients in a large soup pot or a large Dutch oven except the ham bone—mix well. Add the ham bone.
- Bring it to a light boil, then decrease to simmer and cover for 2 hours.
- Remove the ham bone and strip off the meat. Disgard the waste and add the meat back in the pot. Simmer an additional 30 minutes and until all vegetables are tender.
- Serve hot. If you have time, refrigerate overnight and skim any fat off the soup the next day.
❓FAQs
No, not until you are sure it is needed.
The salt could quickly get out of hand here. Ham has a lot of salt. Use low sodium broth and rinse the beans.
You want to have about 3 shredded or cubed ham cups, but between 2 to 4 cups will be fine. You can add ham from other sources if needed.
Yes, there is a lot of fat in a ham. If this is a concern (and it should be), refrigerate overnight and scrap the disgusting fat off the top, where it will solidify. Hopefully, you scraped some off with the sugar coating.
❄️Storage
If you have time, refrigerate overnight before the first serving of any ham bone soup. The excess fat will come to the top and become solid. You can then skim off that fat.
Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze for 3 to 4 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, then reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave.
📖Ham Bone Soup Recipes
Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup
Puerto Rican Chuletón Soup AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soup
Also, see What to Do With Leftover Ham.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
There is more than enough ham on this bone. The chicken broth is an option, but just water works well.
Rinse the ham under running water to remove as much of any sugary coating as possible. Also, this is a good time to trim any fat that can be easily removed.
Chop two peeled potatoes, two peeled carrots, a medium onion, and two celery ribs. Feel free to vary the veggies.
Rinse one can of kidney beans—low sodium preferred. Beans are optional.
In a large crock pot, combine 6 cups water, 15 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and an optional ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add the rinsed beans (optional) and the veggies, then stir to combine. You may use low sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
Add the ham bone and cook for 8 hours on low.
With about one hour left in the cooking, remove the bone and strip of meat.
Return the meat to the slow cooker.
Finish the 8-hour total cooking. You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
📖Recipe
Ham Bone Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone with meat
- 2 carrots - diced
- 2 ribs celery - chopped
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 2 potatoes - medium russet cubed
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 48 oz water - or low-sodium chicken broth
- 14 oz light kidney beans - drained and rinsed. Optional
- 1 bay leaf - optional
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
Instructions
- Rinse the ham under running water to remove as much of any sugary coating as possible. Also, this is a good time to trim any fat that can be easily removed.
- Chop two peeled potatoes, two peeled carrots, a medium onion, and two celery ribs. Feel free to vary the veggies.
- Rinse one can of beans. I used light kidney but did not have low sodium that would be preferred. Beans are optional.
- In a large crock pot, combine 6 cups water, 15 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and an optional ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add the rinsed beans (optional) and the veggies, then stir to combine. You may use low sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
- Add the ham bone and cook for 8 hours on low.
- With about one hour left in the cooking, remove the bone and strip of meat. Return the meat to the slow cooker.
- Finish the 8-hour total cooking. You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- There are many options covered in the post.
- Your ham bone should have some meat on it. You may add other ham if you think you need to. You should have about 3 cups of meat but anywhere from 2 to 4 cups should work.
- Rinse and scrap very well to remove as much sugar as possible if you have a sugary coating. Also, remove fat that is easy to remove but don't obsess over the fat.
- Use all low sodium products and do not add salt unless you are sure you need it.
- I now use water for this recipe instead of chicken broth. You may use low sodium chicken broth or add some bouillon cubes when stripping the ham bone if you think it is needed.
- You may serve hot out of the pot or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
Stovetop Instructions
Use the preparation and options of the crock pot version with the following cooking instructions.- Use a large soup pot or a large Dutch oven.
- After adding everything to the pot, bring it to a light boil. Then decrease to simmer and cover.
- Cook for 2 hours, remove the ham, strip off the meat, add the ham back to the pot, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender—about another 30 minutes.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published April 13, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Jeanne T
OMG this is great, I did make it with 38 ounce chicken broth and added water for the rest. I didn't add two potatoes just one because I used white beans. Just a little idea put some shredded swiss cheese on the bottom of your soup bowl, you won't be sorry.
DrDan
Hi Jeanne,
I do love a good soup and thanks for the suggestions.
Dan
Sandra Bowman
Just finished eating this delicious soup and the only thing we altered to the recipe was we added 1&1/2 cup of chopped ham (only because we had the leftover ham). We definitely will make this again whenever we have a hambone. Great recipe!!
DrDan
Thanks for the note. Glad you liked it.
DrDan
Adam Turner
In the slow cooker as I type. I used fresh garlic instead of the powder and no tomatoes. Also added a tbsp of Italian seasoning. Oh and used kidney beans and northerns. My ham bone was bigger than the one in the picture so I had to add 1/3 more broth.
I also added some rice.
I sure hope it tastes as good as it smells. This house smells incredible.
Rick Bradley
I recommend that you try a smoked pork shoulder in place of the ham. You'll find that it's processed with WAY LESS salt, has a very similar flavour so #1 will be pleased and after cooking low and slow (5hr @ 275F) the fat that hasn't rendered can pretty much be rubbed off by hand. I save the cooking liquor and then use the bone and some more veg the next day for a total of about 4L of broth.
Paul
I see a can of tomatoes in the ingredients but you do not mention
them in your directions. . . thanks for the great recipe!
DrDan
Thanks for the error catch. I'm editing the post now.
Dan
Dorothy
My family loved this soup. So easy to prepare on a cold morning and letting it cook all day in the crock pot. My husband 'put it together' the first time and it was a hit. I agree that it can become salty with the ham. I used all the low sodium ingredients as suggested and felt it was just right. I also added some frozen chopped spinach and bow tie pasta near the end of cooking time. I was just as good a couple of days later. Will make this again.
DrDan
Thanks so much for the note.
DrDan
Susan
Forgot my rating!
DrDan
Thanks so much for the note(s) and Rating
DrDan
Susan
Your recipe was delicious! I made a few modifications when I made mine. I left out the onion only because I didn't have one on hand. I added 4 cloves of fresh garlic, black beans instead of kidney beans, canned corn, a couple of bay leaves, and turmeric spice because it's good for you. It was a huge hit! Thanks again!
Rena
Just trying this recipe now. Followed it exactly except using black beans. Will do a taste test at 3 hour mark and may adjust seasonings if needed, also thinking of adding some zuchine and yellow squash. Still on the fence re: the squash. Will rate after eating tonight. Also, if you oversalt a dish grating a potato into the broth helps reduce the saltiness.
Donna
I made this recipe but added 1 - 8oz can tomato sauce after tasting the broth and feeling it needed a little more tomato taste. I also threw in a couple of handfuls of broad noodles during the last 30 minutes of cooking. I got a late start in preparing the dish, so I cooked mine on high for 5 hours and it came out delicious.
DrDan
Thanks for the note. I love to hear modifications.
Again thanks for the comment and rating.
DrDan
June
Googled "ham bone soup" and found your site. I wanted a ham bone soup with no dried beans (don't have any on hand right now). I was planning on making my soup basically like your recipe, but would use water instead of broth. Good comments. I do have part of a can of black beans. I will rinse those and add, that made me think of corn, so will add some of those and maybe tomatoes. We shall see what tomorrow brings! Thanks for the great ideas.
Dave
Really great flavors in this dish. Great use of the entire ham. Sodium was not a problem. Only modifications were to add a few extra vegetables Thanks for the recipe.
Dave in Ann Arbor, MI
DrDan
Thanks for the note Dave and Happy Harbaugh Day there in AA
DrDan