Recipe Background
Grandma's Ham & Bean Soup is a cozy mix of simplicity and tradition, perfect for solo moves.
The first time I ever made Grandma's Ham & Bean Soup was right after I moved into my own apartment. It was my first venture solo and I had just unpacked the last boxes filled with random kitchen gadgets gifted by well-meaning friends. The fridge was sparse, but my pantry was stocked with essentials, including a few cans of white beans and a packet of dried thyme. Grandma would have been proud of my preparedness—even from miles away, her little culinary habits stuck with me. I rifled through the freezer and found some leftover cooked ham, cubed neatly, connecting me back to the family gatherings where this dish had been the star. In the quiet of my new kitchen, hunting for a comforting taste of home, I melted butter in a pot, letting the scent wrap around me as I added aromatic onions, carrots, and celery.
As the vegetables softened, the simplicity of this recipe reminded me of grandma’s wisdom—that good cooking doesn’t need to be complicated. A touch of minced garlic, and I could almost hear her voice telling me to always add it for that extra zing. Don't rush the flour, she would say, so I let it blend in slowly, whisking away that raw smell. Pouring in chicken broth and beans, I savored the moment, feeling a strange convergence of past and future in a simmering pot of soup. My tip for you from this delicious memory is to let the soup rest briefly before serving. It allows for better melding of flavors, providing a rich, comforting bowl that’s worth the wait. Each spoonful tasted like a welcome hug in my new home, whispers of familiar flavors proving that sometimes, the best recipes come with a side of nostalgia.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onions diced
- 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 (15-ounce) cans white beans such as great northern beans or cannellini, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups ham cooked and cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
- fresh thyme optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onions, the carrots, and the celery to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the vegetable mixture and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, while stirring, until the raw flour smell disappears, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, the white beans, the ham, the bay leaf, the dried thyme, and the black pepper to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup mixture to a low boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the soup mixture, while stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld together, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Taste the soup for seasoning and add the salt, as needed.
- Serve garnished with the fresh thyme.
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