Dutch Oven Ham and Bean Soup {tomato based}

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Rich, hearty, and delicious, this tomato-based Dutch Oven Ham and Bean Soup will be a family favorite and is a great way to use leftover ham.

There's nothing pretentious or particularly sacred about this humble soup. It's completely adaptable to whatever you have on-hand and tastes great every time. If you love soups, stews, and chili like we do, give our quick chicken noodle and awesome chili a try.

Spoon-ladle-full of ham and bean soup garnished with fresh thyme.

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Can you cook soup in a Dutch oven?
Why this recipe works
Recipe ingredients
Step by step directions
Recipe FAQs and Variations
What to serve with this Dutch oven ham and bean soup
Other Soup, Stews and Chili Recipes
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There's nothing quite as soul-satisfying as a hearty soup.

Can you cook soup in a Dutch oven?

Yes. If your Dutch oven is properly seasoned, you'll have absolutely no problem making ham and bean soup, which has a tomato base or any of your favorite soups.

Why this recipe works

This is one of those recipes that I've made some version of for years. The ham, white beans, and vegetables remain the same, everything else is changeable. Sometimes we use broth, other times we use water and bouillon.

This year, when we made our Honey Mustard Glazed Ham, we saved the cooking liquid and used that as the base of this soup. Oh my...delicious. The soup broth is a bit sweeter in the end as a result but it really works with the savory of the tomato.

Bowl of tomato based ham and bean soup garnished with fresh thyme.

What kind of beans for ham and bean soup

White beans are the most typical or common bean used in a soup like this. Any white bean will do. They all have slightly different flavors and textures but in the end, your soup will taste great with any of them.

Navy Beans but also called pea beans. They're the smallest, most fragile, and kind of oval in shape. These are most often used in pork n' beans or Boston baked beans.
Great Northern Beans are a medium sized bean with a firmer texture or flesh. This makes them great for using in soups and stews.
Cannellini Beans are sometimes called white kidney beans due to their kidney-like shape. These are the largest of the white beans. They're flavor is also a bit bolder or nuttier than the great northern or navy bean.
Baby Lima Beans or butterbeans are small with a creamy or buttery texture, hence the moniker butterbeans.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients and pot needed to make the soup: Herbs and seasonings, broth, dutch oven, onion, celery, ladle, carrots, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, ham and ham bone

Ham and ham bone — we used leftover slices of spiral ham and the bone to make the broth.
White beans — use your favorite white bean. We used canned cannellini beans. Drain and rinse them first.
Vegetables — the standard three, mirepoix, or the trinity: onions, celery, and carrots. A can of diced tomatoes too.
Liquid — You'll want 8 cups of total liquid, plus 8 ounces of tomato sauce (or 15 for a really tomato-y broth). We used 2 cups of ham cooking liquid as mentioned above, a 32 oz container of low-sodium chicken broth, and 2 cups of water.
Herbs and seasonings — oregano, thyme, granulated (or fresh) garlic, pepper, and bay leaves. We used a mixture of dried and fresh, use whatever you have on hand.
Optional ingredients — tomato paste for thickening and salt if needed to taste.

Step by step directions

Added the ham bone, onions, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, and fresh herbs to the Dutch oven. — **Step 1**

Adding all the cooking liquids except tomato sauce. — **Step 1**

Step 1 — Add the ham bone, onions, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, and fresh herbs to the Dutch oven.

Step 2 — Add all the cooking liquids except tomato sauce.

The dried herbs and seasonings are being added to the Dutch oven. — **Step 3**

The ham bone is being removed from the boiling soup. — **Step 3**

Step 3 — Add the dried herbs and seasonings to the pot; stir well. Bring it all to a boil for 15-20 minutes. The liquid should reduce.

Step 4 — After the boiling time, remove and discard the ham bone.

Tomato sauce being added to the soup. — **Step 5**

Tomato paste being added to the soup as a thickener. — **Step 5**

Step 5 — Add the tomato sauce and return the soup to a low simmer.

Step 6 — If you want to thicken your soup broth, add anywhere from 1 tablespoon to the full 6 oz can of tomato paste. Slow add a bit at a time to your desired thickness.

Ham being added to the soup. — **Step 7**

Canned beans being added to the Dutch oven. — **Step 7**

Step 7 — Once the soup has reached the desired thickness, add the diced or cubed ham.

Step 8 — And finally, add the drained and rinsed canned beans. Allow the to heat through, about 5 minutes.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

Can I used dried beans instead of canned?

Yes about 1.5 cups of dried beans. After sorting and soaking your beans, you'll need to boil with the ham bone for about 2 hours. During the last 20 minutes of that boiling time, begin the recipe by adding the vegetables.

There's no salt listed, is that an error?

No. Between the ham and the canned ingredients, this dish can be salty all on it's own. However, sometimes it does need salt. Taste the broth during the cooking process and add salt to taste as needed.

Can I use water and bouillon instead of broth?

Yes, we do this often. We prefer Knorr's granulated chicken bouillon. Make sure you start with 8 cups of water and add as much bouillon as per the package directions and/or to taste.

Can I still make this if I don't have a ham bone?

Please do. The ham bone just adds some depth of flavor to the broth, but you can obtain that with herbs and seasonings.

Is this recipe gluten free?

Yes it is.

Is this soup Italian or Italian in flavor?

No, it is not. Some of the ingredients gives that impression but this would not be considered an Italian or Italian-style soup.

What to serve with this Dutch oven ham and bean soup

While this soup is fantastic on its own, we can't blame you for wanting a bit more of something...but what? How about cornbread? Our creamed corn cornbread or sweet cornbread would be wonderful.

Or you could enjoy with a classic homemade white bread.

If you're wanting a bit more to eat than just soup, how about these Hot Italian Sandwiches from Family Fresh Meals?