Ham Cannellini Bean Soup (Printer View)

Comforting soup with ham, creamy cannellini beans, and vibrant fresh herbs in a savory broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 cups cooked ham, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Beans

06 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

→ Herbs & Seasonings

08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste

→ Other

14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Method Steps:

01 - Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
02 - Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add the diced ham and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add the cannellini beans, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
06 - Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
07 - Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, garnished with extra fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The fresh herbs at the end transform everything from ordinary to genuinely special, and nobody has to know how simple it actually was.
  • It's naturally gluten-free, budget-friendly, and one of those soups that somehow tastes even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't let those fresh herbs cook longer than a few minutes or they'll turn dark and lose the bright flavor that makes them worth using in the first place.
  • If your soup feels too thin, you can mash a handful of the cooked beans against the side of the pot to release their starch and naturally thicken everything—this trick has saved me more times than I can count.
03 -
  • Dice everything roughly the same size so it cooks evenly and makes the whole bowl feel balanced and intentional.
  • Save some fresh herb stems to float on top when you serve—it costs nothing but signals that you cared about the details.
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