Easy Navy Bean Soup Recipe

I turned canned navy beans, a ham hock, carrots, celery, dried rosemary and thyme, and a little bacon into my Navy Bean Soup and share the one technique that changes how it comes together.

I love when a bowl does most of the talking, and this Navy Bean Soup is one of those. Navy beans paired with a smoked ham hock give the kind of deep, slightly smoky thing that makes you pause and wonder how something so simple can taste this meaningful.

It sits somewhere between Easy Ham And Bean Soup Using Canned Beans and Crock Pot Northern Beans And Ham in spirit, familiar but with little surprises. I keep finding excuses to sneak a spoon when no ones looking, because the flavor keeps changing as it cools and you notice new notes.

Ingredients

• Navy beans: Creamy, packed with protein and fiber, keep you full and stabilize blood sugar.
• Ham hock: Smoky, adds deep savory flavor, collagen gelatinizes for silky mouthfeel.
• Bacon: Salty fat gives crisp meaty notes, boosts umami, not great for daily eating.
• Onion: Sweet when cooked, builds savory base, adds vitamin C and antioxidants.
• Carrots: Add mild sweetness, fiber and vitamin A, color and subtle crunch.
• Garlic: Punchy aroma, supports savory depth, small amounts go a long way.

Ingredient Quantities

• 3 (15-ounce) cans navy beans
• 1 large smoked ham hock (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds) or 2 small ham hocks
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

How to Make this

1. Prep everything: drain and rinse the 3 cans navy beans, chop the onion, carrots and celery, mince the garlic, and set aside the parsley. Pat the ham hock dry so it doesn’t spit when it hits the pot.

2. In a large soup pot over medium heat cook the diced bacon until most fat is rendered and bacon is crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon and leave about 1 to 2 tablespoons fat in the pot (add 1 tablespoon olive oil if you need more fat).

3. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery to the bacon fat and sauté until soft and starting to color, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then so nothing sticks.

4. Stir in the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1 teaspoon dried thyme and cook 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant.

5. Add the drained beans, the ham hock, 6 cups low sodium chicken broth or water, and the optional bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat to a simmer.

6. Simmer uncovered 30 to 45 minutes until the ham hock is very tender and the flavors meld. If it starts to foam or looks greasy skim a bit of the surface.

7. Remove the ham hock to a cutting board, let cool a few minutes, shred the meat off the bone and discard the bone and any excess skin; return the shredded ham to the pot along with the reserved crispy bacon.

8. For texture, mash about one third to one half of the beans right in the pot with a potato masher or use an immersion blender for a few quick pulses to thicken the soup but still leave some whole beans.

9. Season with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, taste and adjust (remember the ham and bacon add salt so go easy). Stir in chopped parsley if using, remove the bay leaf, and serve hot.

Equipment Needed

1. Large soup pot (6 to 8 qt) for simmering the beans and ham hock
2. Chef knife for chopping onion carrots celery and parsley
3. Cutting board
4. Slotted spoon to lift out bacon and the ham hock without the liquid
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for sautéing the veggies
6. Colander or fine mesh strainer to drain and rinse the canned beans
7. Potato masher or immersion blender to mash some beans for body
8. Measuring spoons and a liquid measuring cup for broth herbs and seasoning
9. Ladle for serving and a small bowl to hold the crispy bacon pieces

FAQ

Easy Navy Bean Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Navy beans: swap for cannellini or great northern beans (same creamy texture), or use about 3 cups cooked dried navy beans if you want less sodium but they’ll need soaking and cooking.
• Smoked ham hock: use a smoked turkey leg or wings for similar smokiness but leaner, or cut up kielbasa or smoked sausage; or sub 4–6 slices bacon plus 1 tsp smoked paprika for that smoky kick.
• Chicken broth or water: use low-sodium vegetable broth if making it vegetarian (omit the ham hock), or beef broth for a richer flavor, or plain water plus 1–2 tsp chicken bouillon or stock concentrate.
• Bacon: swap with pancetta, turkey bacon for lower fat, or skip it and sauté the veggies in 1 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp smoked paprika to mimic the smoky depth.

Pro Tips

1) Slow and gentle bacon render, dont rush it — let the fat melt out low and steady so it flavors the veg, then crisp the bacon separately so it stays crunchy when added back. If you dont have enough fat add a little olive oil but dont overdo it or the soup will feel greasy.

2) Brown the onion and carrots good, not just soft, cause that caramelization gives way more depth. Stir often so nothing sticks, and if things start to catch turn the heat down and scrape the browned bits into the pot with a splash of broth.

3) For texture mash some of the beans but dont overblend, you want creaminess with whole beans left. An immersion blender for a few quick pulses works great, or scoop out a cup, mash it in a bowl, then stir it back so you control how thick it gets.

4) Always taste at the end, ham and bacon add salt, so go easy. If it ends up too salty add a peeled raw potato to simmer for 10 minutes to absorb some salt, or a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon to brighten and balance the flavors.