Ham and Bean Soup with Kale
This Ham and Bean Soup with Kale is a quick and easy meal that tastes like it's been simmering all day. With convenient ingredients like canned beans and pre-cooked ham, you can enjoy a hearty, healthy, and delicious bowl of soup in no time!
Post, recipe, and images updated on 1/13/2025
Just Like Mom Would Make, Only Faster
Growing up, my mom would soak beans overnight and slow-cook them for hours with a ham hock. She called it "a pot of beans," and it was the coziest, most comforting soup.
I don't quite have my mom's patience to wait all day for a bowl of soup, so I created this easy and fast Ham and Bean Soup with Kale.
It has all the wonderful flavors and goodness of my mom's bean soup but takes only a fraction of the time to make. It's hearty, healthy, and packed with veggies and beans. The broth is rich and smoky from the ham - absolutely delicious.
What You Need
- Oil- I use olive oil to help sauté the veggies.
- Veggies- Onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and kale.
- Ham- I like to use pre-cut ham to make this super fast and easy.
- Beans- White navy beans are a nice choice because they are soft and don't have a thick skin.
- Seasonings- Dried thyme, black pepper, red pepper flakes.
- Chicken stock- My favorite brand is the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. It has a rich, savory flavor.
- Herbs- Fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese- Optional topping
How To Make Ham and Bean Soup with Kale
See full instructions in recipe card below
Step One. Heat a large soup pot to medium heat with olive oil and sauté onions, carrots, and celery, then stir in garlic and seasonings.
Step Two. Add ham, beans, and chicken broth to the veggies. Bring to a boil and place the lid on. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-minutes.
Step Three. Add in the kale and cook a few more minutes. Stir in parsley and garnish with parmesan cheese.
Substitutions and Add-Ins
- Veggies- Use other veggies like potatoes, corn, or green beans. If you don't like kale, use spinach.
- Ham- This is a great recipe to use up leftover ham from the holidays or any occasion.
- Seasonings and herbs- Add in your favorite earthy and savory seasonings and herbs. Herbs de Provence is a well rounded dried herb, perfect for soups. Rosemary, sage, or adding a bay leaf will really amp up the flavor. You can do dried or fresh.
Ang's Tips
- For a thicker soup, reserve ¾ cup beans and blend or mash them with a fork. Add to the soup mix for a thicker and creamier soup.
- Don't add any salt. Ham is already plenty salty and the chicken stock is also seasoned with salt. You can always add it at the end after the cooking time if you feel it needs seasoned.
Common Questions
Yes! I love freezing this soup. It reheats really well. Make sure it is completely cooled before you add it to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Yes, you can use a smoked sausage of your choice. I love the smoked turkey sausage rope.
This soup is perfect for a chilly day and guaranteed to warm up your bones and soul.
If you love beans, you'll also enjoy my Italian Turkey Sausage Soup with White Beans; another quick and comforting favorite full of amazing flavor.
Ham and Bean Soup with Kale
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot with fitted lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup yellow onion, chopped fine
- 1 cup carrots diced small, about 2 medium carrots
- ½ cup celery, diced small, about 2 stalks
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 (15.5) ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups fresh chopped kale
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated optiional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil to medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté veggies until carrots are almost tender, about 5-minutes.
- Stir in garlic, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1-minute.
- Add ham, white beans, and chicken broth. Stir and turn the heat up to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Place the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 20-minutes stirring a few times.
- Stir in kale and place the lid back on for 5-8 minutes or until kale is wilted. Stir in parsley and serve with parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Try these Comforting Soups Next
It is full on soup season. Make sure to try these delicious combos next: White Bean Chicken Chili, Mom's Hamburger Soup, Hearty Vegetable Soup with Couscous, Quick Minestrone Soup, Beefy Slow Cooker Chili, and Easy Tomato Soup with White Beans.
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This is so delicious! I love the bright green Kale in it too. I love beans. Excellent Angela!👍
I'm glad you loved it! Love those greens!😍
This was excellent. Got alot of compliments. I used3 cans of beans,and dded some red potatoes and a hatch chili. Making it against tomorrow.
I'm so glad to here it turned out well for you! I love your additions. Thank you for taking the time to comment and review the recipe!
I made this today and it’s delicious. I used navy beans and butter beans and also added two small potatoes. Serve with plenty of parmesan. Perfect winter soup that has both protein and lots of good for you veggies. I added more carrots and 3 stalks celery and more kale because I like lots of veggies. I sautéed the kale with the onion, carrot and celery because I like a softer kale mouth feel. I used 3/4 chicken stock and 1/4 veggie stock.
I'm so glad to hear this was a hit for you! Thank you for sharing your additions, which is super helpful for others!
Had leftover ham and a bunch of Kale from the garden. Found this recipe and made the soup. It is an incredible recipe. Delicious. I did double the vegetables (something I usually do with soups) and simmered the ham bone in the stock before removing it and adding the beans.
That's fantastic! I'm so happy you enjoyed this soup and could work with ingredients you had on hand. Thank you for taking the time to comment and review this recipe!
So good. I didn't have any parsley and only added one can of navy beans but I added 10 small white baby potatoes, cut in half. My stock was homemade and was already a bit on the spicy hot side but I added the red and black pepper anyway and it was perfect.
Sounds like you had some great swaps to make your soup extra special! Thank you for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed it!