When the weather turns cold, and all you want to do is stay cozy and warm, the best thing to do is to make a big pot of hearty soup. On days like these, nothing is more comforting than this ham and white bean soup. (Well, maybe some fuzzy woolen slippers, but you can’t eat those!)

Why is it that some stews and soups improve the next day? I think it’s because the flavors from the beans, ham, and vegetables have time to blend. The starch from the beans settles more into the broth making the soup thicker and more stew-like too.

This recipe uses smoked ham shanks or ham hocks to create the rich broth for the soup. Ham shanks tend to have more meat on them (the photos of the soup show meat from a ham shank).

Think of the hock as the pig’s “ankle”, right above the feet. The shanks are below the shoulder (front) or the ham (rear leg).

I recommend using shanks for this recipe if you have a choice. If you use ham hocks and you would like a meaty soup, you may want to add some chopped ham steak to the soup.

how to make:

add chicken stock and make it with the 15 dried bean mix. Gives this soup a great texture since some of the beans from the mix naturally blend and thicken the soup. Tastes even better as leftovers,You really MUST use Cannellini or Great Northern beans. They create more of a starchy thickness that you don’t get with the little white beans.

always look over the dry beans a little at a time, and remove any that’s damaged or discolored along with rocks that might be with the beans. After looking and sorting through the beans put them in a colander and run warm water over them and gently rub the beans between your fingers to wash any dirt or impurities from them, then add them to the crockpot.

first boil a giant turkey leg in 3 cartons of chicken broth and 3 cups of water. Boiled for 2 hours on medium. Then pull the turkey bone out, remove all meat and toss back in the pan. After 2 hours  then add 1 box of Zatarain’s yellow rice. Then cook for an additional 25 min.

How to Store and Freeze This Soup

This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and the flavor even improves! You can also freeze it in individual containers for up to three months. Thaw overnight and reheat, or reheat straight from the freezer over low heat.