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Is there anything more comforting and satisfying than homemade Navy Bean Soup? This easy stovetop recipe combines soaked dried navy beans with smoked ham hocks, vegetables, broth, seasonings, and a secret ingredient at the end.

ladle of homemade navy bean soup with ham.
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The result is an incredibly satisfying meal that tastes even better the next day! This recipe can easily be adapted to the slow cooker or Instant Pot and I explain how to do that below.

Why I love this recipe

  • Each bite has a little bit of everything – tender beans that are full of protein and fiber, flavorful vegetables, tasty little bits of ham, and a savory broth
  • Freezes well – This is one of those soups that can easily be frozen and reheated for a future meal.
  • Easy to make – No cooking experience is needed with this easy-to-follow recipe
  • Versatile – Many of the ingredients can easily be swapped out with something else and even the cooking method is easily modified.

Ingredients needed to make navy bean soup

Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here’s what you’ll need to put on your shopping list.

  • dried navy beans
  • onion 
  • carrots
  • celery
  • garlic
  • smoked ham hocks
  • chicken broth
  • dried oregano and ground nutmeg
  • bay leaves
  • apple cider vinegar (the secret ingredient)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper 
ingredients needed to make navy bean soup.

How to make homemade navy bean soup

Soak beans:

  • Soak: Rinse and sort the navy beans. Discard any that don’t look right. Soak the dry beans overnight in cold water; about 8 cups of water should be enough. Alternatively, do a quick-soak by covering them with about 2-inches of water in a large pot, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, let them soak, covered, for an hour.
  • Drain and rinse: Drain the navy beans and discard the soaking liquid.

Cook Soup:

  • Sauté veggies: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stove top, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in butter. Stir only occasionally to prevent burning. Allow them to cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Combine ingredients: Add rinsed soaked beans to the pot. Use a sharp knife to make cuts in the ham hock and place it in the pot. Add the liquid (chicken stock, water, vegetable broth – whatever combination you choose) and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen anything that may have stuck. Then, add the oregano, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Do not add the apple cider vinegar yet.
  • Simmer: Bring soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Do not cover. As the soup cooks and the liquid evaporates, heat may need to be reduced to maintain a gentle simmer. After about an hour of cooking, remove the ham hock and transfer it to a cutting board (look ahead to the next step). Cook until beans are tender, about 90 minutes to two hours. It may take less time depending on how soft the beans got after your soak.
  • Cut ham: As soon as the ham hock is cool enough to handle, cut any meat into small pieces and return to soup. Discard any skin, fat, and bones.
  • Add the secret ingredient: When the beans are completely soft and the soup is ready to eat, stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste, and add salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve

Remove the bay leaf and enjoy with cornbread.v

How to make navy bean soup in the slow cooker

This is a great dump-and-cook crock pot recipe. Soak the beans first. No need to sauté vegetables. Cook in the crockpot on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours.

Slow cooker navy bean soup might just be the best thing to come home to on a cold winter day.

How to make navy bean soup in the Instant Pot

Here’s the best part about making this soup in the electric pressure cooker – you don’t need to soak the beans. Instead, you can place the dried navy beans in the pressure cooker with the chicken broth and the ham hocks. Cook on high pressure for 90 minutes.

Then, you can either transfer that mixture to another vessel while you saute the vegetables in the Instant Pot, or you can just add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking the soup on high pressure for another 10 minutes or so.

bowl of homemade navy bean soup with cornbread.

Substitutions

  • Ham bones with some meat can be used instead if the ham hocks, if desired. This is a great option if you have leftover holiday ham from Christmas or Easter.
  • You need a total of 12 cups of liquid. I found equal parts of chicken broth and water worked perfectly, but you can also use vegetable broth in addition or in lieu of either the water or chicken broth. Any combination will work as long as the total volume is 12 cups. 
  • I used only navy beans, but you can easily swap with a mixture of beans or pre-made mixes that can usually be found in the bulk aisle at the grocery store.

Storage and Reheating recommendations

Any leftover soup should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed within 3-5 days. This navy bean soup recipe freezes well if you’re into meal planning.
To reheat, thaw completely if it was frozen first. Then gently warm over low heat in a pot on the stove or reheat in the microwave in one minute increments while stirring frequently.

FAQs

Do you have to soak navy beans for soup?

ou don’t have to, but soaking them reduces their cooking time. Soaking them first will allow the beans to cook at the same rate as everything else in the soup. To soak, dry navy beans must be submerged in water overnight. You can also do a quick soak by covering the dried beans with boiling water for an hour.

Are navy beans the same as Great Northern Beans?

No. Navy beans, Great Northern beans, and cannellini beans are all varieties of white beans, but they are different. That being said, you can make this soup with any variety of bean or a combination of beans.

What can you substitute for the ham hocks?

If you don’t want to use ham hocks or can’t find them at your local butcher, you can definitely use leftover ham or a ham steak. The soup will have the most rich flavor if you use a leftover ham bone. This method is a great way to use up your leftovers from your Easter or Christmas ham dinner.

How healthy is navy bean soup?

This soup has everything you want in a healthy hearty meal. It is a great source of protein and fiber and will leave you feeling full.

How can you thicken navy bean soup?

To thicken bean and ham soup, you can process about 2 cups of the soup in the blender and mix it back in or use an immersion blender to partially blend.

spoonful of homemade navy bean soup with ham.

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Prep10 minutes
Cook2 hours 10 minutes
soak time1 hour
Total3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings
This easy stovetop recipe combines soaked dried navy beans with smoked ham hocks, vegetables, broth, seasonings, and a secret ingredient at the end.

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound dried navy beans
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 large carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks okay if larger, score with sharp knife
  • 6 cups chicken broth see note below
  • 6 cups water see note below
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to be stirred in at the end
  • kosher salt Taste before adding salt. Depending on the saltiness of the ham, you might not even need any, but if you do add salt, start with a small amount and adjust after tasting.
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Instructions 

Soak beans:

  • Soak: Rinse and sort the navy beans. Discard any that don't look right. Soak overnight in cold water. Alternatively, do a quick-soak by covering them with about 2-inches of water in a large pot, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, let them soak, covered, for an hour.
  • Drain and rinse: Drain the navy beans and discard the soaking liquid.

Cook Soup:

  • Sauté veggies: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in butter. Stir only occasionally to prevent burning. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes.
    sauteed carrots, onion and celery in pot.
  • Combine ingredients: Add rinsed soaked beans to the pot. Use a sharp knife to make cuts in the ham hock and place it in the pot. Add the liquid (chicken broth, water, vegetable broth – whatever combination you choose), oregano, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Do not add the apple cider vinegar.
    process photo of making navy bean soup.
  • Simmer: Bring soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Do not cover. As the soup cooks and the liquid evaporates, heat may need to be reduced to maintain a gentle simmer. After about an hour of cooking, remove the ham hock and transfer it to a cutting board (look ahead to next step). Cook until beans are tender, about 90 minutes to two hours. It may take less time depending on how soft the beans got after your soak.
    cooked navy bean soup with ham hocks.
  • Cut ham: As soon as the ham hock is cool enough to handle, cut any meat into small pieces and return to soup. Discard any skin, fat, and bones.
    diced ham from ham hocks for soup recipe.
  • Add the secret ingredient: When the beans are completely soft and the soup is ready to eat, stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste, and add salt and pepper, as desired. To thicken, you can process about 2 cups of the soup in the blender and mix it back in.
    adding apple cider vinegar to navy bean soup.
  • To serve: Remove bay leaves and enjoy with cornbread.

Notes

Substitutions:
  • Ham bones with some meat can be used instead if the ham hocks, if desired. This is a great option if you have leftover holiday ham from Christmas or Easter.
  • You need a total of 12 cups of liquid. I found equal parts of chicken broth and water worked perfectly, but you can also use vegetable broth in addition or in lieu of either the water or chicken broth. Any combination will work as long as the total volume is 12 cups. 
  • I used only navy beans, but you can easily swap with a mixture of beans or pre-made mixes that can usually be found in the bulk aisle at the grocery store.
Slow cooker modification: Soak the beans first. No need to sauté vegetables. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours.
Recipe Tips:
  • Soaking the beans: You do not have to soak the beans, however, it is highly recommended because it shortens the amount of time they need to cook. You can soften them overnight in cold water or do a quick soak by bringing them to a boil, removing them from heat, and letting them sit, covered, for an hour. Always discard the soaking water and rinse the beans before adding them to the soup.
  • Canned beans are an option if they are drained and rinsed, however, they are not preferred because of how soft they are. 
  • To thicken: Run about 2 cups of the cooked bean soup through the blender and stir into the soup.
  • Optional – add tomatoes: Some people like to add a can of tomatoes to their navy bean soup. If you do, you must add them after the beans have cooked. If tomatoes are added early in the recipe, the acidity in the tomatoes may result in crunchy beans, no matter how long you cook them. Additional salt will also be needed.
  • Use less liquid: If you would prefer the consistency to be closer to chili or baked beans, reduce the total amount of liquid from 12 cups down to 8 cups.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 1034mg, Potassium: 1274mg, Fiber: 20g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 6144IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

Hi! I’m Krissy.

I love to create the BEST versions of your favorite recipes. If you love to cook, love to eat, or just have a deep appreciation for good food, you're in the right place! Stick around... I have hundreds of recipes for you to make.

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious! Used frozen ham bone, leftover ham, and juices from cooking the ham, so I cut down on the amount of liquid, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It’s probably the best pot of navy beans I’ve ever made. 😋

  2. 5 stars
    Absolutely Wonderful… the way Bean Soup should taste either using ham hocks or left over bone in ham…usually from a recent holiday…. I cut back a little on the amount of water only by 2 cups but after all was said & done it was perfect… the secret ingredient stemmed to bring all the seasoning together! 👍👏💃🏻 I’m now a # 1 fan & I’m sharing to friends! ❤️

  3. 5 stars
    I made this exactly as instructed and it is delicious! Delicious!!! I serve with a bit of raw onion and a drizzle of olive oil because we like that on our bean soup. This recipe is a keeper for sure. Thank you for a great recipe!

  4. Just making this today in slow cooker using left over NYE honey-baked ham. I am hesitating over the 12 cups of liquid requirement, I am using combo of chicken and vegetable stock. Have stopped at 9 cups …don’t want it to be too liquidly …why does recipe call for so much? I don’t cook very much so may be a logical explanation and I would like to understand. Thanks ….

    1. You can always vary the mount of broth in a soup based on preference. Over the years, I have found that I prefer more broth and have adjusted my recipes to reflect that. Plus, any kind of soup that uses dried beans requires a lot of broth because they expand so much. And… I love to freeze leftover soup.

  5. Outstanding recipe!!! Delish and awesome , mad it and love the secret ingredient APPLE CIDER 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    Thanks for sharing this recipe. Was looking for a way to make the ham hock and bean soup I grew up with. Not sure how my mom made hers, but this was AS GOOD, if not BETTER! The whole family loved it!

  7. 5 stars
    Delicious! I did not have any cider vinegar on hand but recipe was delicious without it. I used the quick soak method with dried navy beans and simmered soup for 4+ hours on until beans were tender. Used an emulsion hand blender to thicken before serving. Husband love it!

  8. 5 stars
    I loved this soup! I did soak the beans and they were perfect. I only wish I doubled the recipe so I could have leftovers!