Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

This delicious ham hock soup with navy beans is easy to make and loaded with flavor. It’s an economical one-pot meal that'll warm you up on a cold night!

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 413 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 12 cups water, divided
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2.5 pounds smoked ham hocks
• 2.5 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 0.75 cup mashed potato flakes
• 1 (32 ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth (such as Swanson® Natural Goodness®

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place navy beans into a Dutch oven with 8 cups water; bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand until beans are softened, about 5 hours.

Step 2

Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. Rinse beans and return to the Dutch oven. Add ham hocks, chicken broth, remaining 4 cups water, onion, parsley, garlic powder, basil, black pepper, oregano, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Step 3

Stir carrots, celery, and potato flakes into soup until well combined. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Step 4

Transfer ham hocks to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return meat to the pot and warm through over medium heat, about 3 minutes.