Navy Bean Soup

Name: Navy Bean Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts)
Ingredients: 3 cups (1-1/2 pounds) dried navy beans; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 meaty ham hock or 1 cup diced cooked ham; 2 cups chicken broth; 2-1/2 cups water; Salt and pepper to taste; Minced fresh parsley, optional

Total Time Prep: 30 min. + soaking Cook: 1-3/4 hours

Yield 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts)

Test Kitchen Approved

When comfort food calls, make this hearty navy bean soup. It's soul-warming and filling, a perfect way to use up leftover ham.

Ingredients

3 cups (1-1/2 pounds) dried navy beans
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large onion, chopped
1 meaty ham hock or 1 cup diced cooked ham
2 cups chicken broth
2-1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions.
Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Place in a Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes with juice, onion, ham hock, broth, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
Add more water if necessary. Remove ham hock and let it stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bone; discard bone. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside. (For a thicker soup, cool slightly, then puree beans in a food processor or blender and return to pan.) Return ham to soup and heat through. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 244 calories, 2g fat (0 saturated fat), 8mg cholesterol, 410mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 10g fiber), 18g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

My family loves navy bean soup! Beans were a commodity you did not survive without in the '30s. This excellent navy beans and ham soup is a real family favorite of ours and I make it often. —Mildred Lewis, Temple, Texas

Recipe Creator