An excellent ham soup bursts with potatoes, rice, carrots, and beans in a spicy broth. Give that ham bone a great ending today with this hardy soup you will love.
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Introduction
This has been a standard at our house for years. We are the only ones calling it Christmas soup, but I'm sticking with the name since that is when we usually make it. I originally called this recipe "Puerto Rican Chuletón Soup, AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soup," but shortened the name.
Based on a recipe from a children's book, "Everybody Serves Soup" by Norah Dooley. I should have guessed the origin of the requested recipe with two children librarians in the family (a wife and a daughter).
This is so NOT cooking for two friendly unless you have freezer space or a crowd coming for dinner.
👨🍳How to Make Puerto Rican Ham Bone Soup
- Rinse the ham under running water if there is a sugary coating, and trim any large chunks of fat.
- In a large stock pot, cover the ham bone most of the way with water simultaneously, measuring the water to adjust other ingredients later.
- Bring to boil over medium-high heat and then decrease to low and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, then remove to cool some.
- Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces. Chop onions.
- Remove all meat from the bone. Discard bone and any fat and waste. You want about 2 cups, but a bit less or more is fine.
- Add ham, vegetables, and all other ingredients to the stock pot. Bring to boil with medium-high heat, then decrease to simmer for 1-2 hours until potatoes and carrots are tender. Cool in the refrigerator overnight, then skim the fat before serving is recommended but not required.
When you cover the ham with water, measure it. The vegetables and spices are set for about 6 cups of water. If you need a lot more, increase the vegetables and beans proportionally.
📋 Ingredients
Ham Bone—If your ham is covered with a sugary coat, rinse off as much as possible under running water before starting. Also, there is usually a fat coating over a lot of the ham. Cut or scrape it off. You want about 2 cups of ham but can use more or less.
Do I Need Chicken Broth? I suggest using water with the ham to make the broth. I don't see the need to use chicken broth, which will add salt. There is plenty of salt in the ham already. The ham will make its own's broth.
Potatoes—This recipe needs 1 ½ to 3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and diced. A medium size potato is about ½ pound. I generally have russet potatoes but use what you have.
Beans—The original recipe calls for pigeon beans... not in West Michigan. I see this as your option to make the soup what you want. I used black and navy beans.
♨️Can I Do This in a Crock Pot?
This stovetop recipe can be easily done in a crock pot. Add everything at the beginning. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, then remove the ham and strip the meat. Add the ham back and cook for another 1-2 hours until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
❓FAQs
The sodium can get very high in soups made with ham bones. Ham is high in sodium, some more than others.
Use low-sodium beans and rinse them.
Never add salt to a ham soup until near the end, and you are sure it is needed.
Ham soup will store in a refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze in an airtight container for 3-4 months.
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📖 Ham Soup Recipes
Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Rinse the ham under running water if there is a sugary coating. Also, if there are large chunks of fat, then trim them some.
Cover the ham most of the way with water. Measure water and increase all other ingredients proportionally. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then decrease to low and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes. Remove the ham bone to cool.
Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces. Chop onions.
After the ham is cooled enough to handle, remove all meat from the bone. Discard bone and any fat and waste.
Add all ingredients back to the broth. Bring to boil with medium-high heat, then decrease to simmer for 1-2 hours until potatoes and carrots are tender.
Cool in the refrigerator overnight, then skim the fat before serving is recommended but not required.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Puerto Rican Ham Bone Soup with Potatoes and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone with meat
- 6 cups water - enough to cover the bone
- 2 onions - large
- 3-4 potatoes - about 1 ½ to 2 pounds
- 3-4 carrots
- 42 oz precooked beans - I used ⅔ navy and ⅓ black beans
- ½ cup rice - not instant or rapid cooking
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Rinse the ham under running water if there is a sugary coating. Also, if there are large chunks of fat, then trim them some.
- Cover the ham most of the way with water. Measure water and increase all other ingredients proportionally. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then decrease to low and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes. Remove the ham bone to cool.
- Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces. Chop onions.
- After the ham is cooled enough to handle, remove all meat from the bone. Discard bone and any fat and waste.
- Add all ingredients back to the broth. Bring to boil with medium-high heat, then decrease to simmer for 1-2 hours until potatoes and carrots are tender
- Cool in the refrigerator overnight, then skim the fat before serving is recommended but not required.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is set for 6 cups of water. If you need more to mostly cover the ham bone, you will need to adjust the vegetable and spices up some.
- This makes a large amount of soup. The amount varies by the amount of water needed.
- If your ham has a sugar coat, rinse it off. And then do it a second time—you do not want the sweetness in the soup.
- Ham bones freeze well for 3-4 months.
- The sodium can get way high on this. The ham is high in sodium. Try to use low-salt beans and rinse them. You can add salt near the end if needed.
- You can skim off the fat after the soup is refrigerated overnight. This is preferred but not required.
- Good in refrigerator for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
- There is nothing exact about either the serving number or nutrition on this recipe. I estimate a serving size of about 1 ½ cups.
Crock Pot Variation
This is a stovetop recipe but can be done easily in a crock pot. Add everything at the beginning. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, then remove the ham and strip the meat. Add the meat back and cook for another 1-2 hours until the potatoes and carrots are tender.Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published February 3, 2011. Updated with newly edited pictures, expanded discussion with more details, and a jump table.
Shannon says
Not sure what makes this Puerto Rican. Where is the sofrito, the Adobo, the Sazon, or even some cilantro. The pigeon peas, gondolas, would have been the only thing typically Puerto Rican. :( I am sad. I thought I had found a new recipe.