Ingredients
- 20 ounces dried Great Northern Beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 carrots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked diced ham
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
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Instructions
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Rinse and sort through the beans, discarding any rocks or debris. Set aside.
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Dice the onion, celery, and carrots. Mince the garlic.
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Add the oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. When hot, stir in the onion, celery, and carrot.
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Cook vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 more seconds.
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Add the water and Italian seasoning to the pot along with the dried beans.
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Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring every 30 minutes, for 2 hours or until beans are mostly tender.
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Add the ham, salt, and pepper to the soup. Continue simmering for 30 minutes to an hour more, or until beans are fully cooked.
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Add additional water or chicken stock to the pot to thin the soup to your desired consistency just before serving. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Tips & Notes:
If your soup is thicker than you’d like, add additional water or broth as needed to reach your desired consistency.
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We like to use leftover ham in this recipe, but the refrigerated diced ham from the grocery store works well too.
We originally called for Hurst’s Beans in this recipe, which comes with a little packet of seasoning. Many readers were having trouble finding that specific brand, so we’ve changed the recipe a bit. To add more seasoning to the soup, add 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika along with the Italian seasoning and salt to taste once cooked.