15 Bean Soup

A bowl of creamy vegetable and bean soup topped with fresh herbs.

5 from 1 vote

🫘🍅🥕 A hearty soup with 15 types of beans along with onion, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, and optional ham or ham hock for rich and savory soup that'll keep you full and satisfied! This easy soup recipe is healthy, packed with fiber, and has so much FLAVOR! If you have leftover holiday ham, this is a great soup to use it up.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Soaking Time8

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Soup

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: 15 bean soup, bean soup with ham, easy ham and bean soup, fifteen bean soup

Servings:

Calories: 140cal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion finely diced (yellow onion may be substituted)
2 large carrots peeled and diced small
1 red bell pepper seed and diced small (any color bell pepper may be used)
15 ounce bag 15 bean soup mix beans soaked overnight
14.5- ounce can petite diced tomatoes do not drain
1 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste (add more for an extra kick)
2 sprigs fresh thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups reduced sodium beef broth, or as needed (use vegetable broth to keep this soup vegan if desired)
1 ham hock OR 1 pound cubed ham optional
Salt at the end and to taste
Freshly ground black pepper at the end and to taset
Fresh parsley optional for garnishing

Instructions

Beans: Rinse beans in a colander with running water washing over them in the sink for a minute or two. Pick, sort, and remove any debris.
Discard the seasoning packet that came with the beans if there was one (or save it for another use). I use Hurst's HamBeens 15 Bean Soup Mix. Goya's 16 Bean Soup Mix is also good.
Soak: To a large pot (the same one you'll be using for the soup is fine) or large bowl, add the beans, and cover with at least 2-3 inches of water over the top. Soak for at least 8-12 hours, or overnight.
Tip - You have to soak dried beans overnight so that they cook through in the couple hours of simmering on the stovetop.
When you're ready to make the soup, discard the soaking water, and I like to rinse the beans one final time under running water in a colander.
Vegetables: To a large Dutch oven or stock pot, add the olive oil, onion, carrots, bell pepper, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened; stir very frequently.
Combine: Add the soaked beans, canned tomatoes with juice (do not drain), garlic powder, chili powder, thyme, broth, and stir to combine.
Ham or ham hock, optional: If you're adding a ham hock or cubed ham, add it now too.
Boil, Then Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1.5 to 2.5 hours*, or until the beans reach your desired level of tenderness. DO NOT go by time on the clock when judging doneness; go by if the beans are fully cooked through and tender.
Tips - Try a few beans, not just one or two, to be absolutely sure they're done.
*Note that it may take up to 5 hours for the beans to fully soften, depending on the hardness of the beans (old beans are harder), how fast or high your simmer was, how many times you lifted the lid, the air temperature in your kitchen, etc.
Broth Level: Intermittently, while the soup is simmering, check the broth level. Add more broth or water if needed to keep the beans submerged and for the overall broth level to be as you desire it.
Remove: When the beans are tender, remove the ham hock if you used one, and the thyme sprigs if you used fresh thyme.
If using a ham hock, shred the meat from the bone and add the shredded ham into the soup.
Seasoning: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as desired by adding salt and pepper, to taste.
Flavoring Tips - If the soup tastes at all flat or boring, it likely needs more salt, so don't be afraid to add it, sometimes more generously than you'd think. If you're using ham, you'll likely need less salt (since ham is already salty) than if you were to make this soup without the ham. The brand of broth used, how long you simmered and therefore how much broth evaporated causing the remaining broth to become more concentrated and salty - it all affects the amount of salt (and pepper) needed.
Garnishing: Optionally garnish with fresh parsley, as desired.
Serving: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh parsley, if desired. Optionally, add freshly shaved or grated Parmesan cheese, hot pepper flakes if you like some heat, as well as cornbread or dinner rolls.

Notes

Storage: Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave, as needed.

Nutrition