15 Bean Soup: This easy 15 bean soup mix recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner idea. Make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker and serve it with cornbread for a comfort food dinner everyone will enjoy!
Soup recipes are the kind of dishes that can be made ahead of time and that are perfect for the cooler months. This bean soup recipe is no different!
We love rotating this easy chili recipe and this white chicken chili recipe through the winter months too, and it makes dinner time a breeze!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This 15 bean soup recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover ham, ham hocks, and ham bones (waste not, want not) like we use in our ham and beans soup! It’s full of flavor, nutritious, and delicious making it the perfect meal to serve after the holidays when everyone needs a bit of a break from all the sweets and rich foods.
You can make this as an easy stove top recipe, or in the slow cooker, the best of both worlds!
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Ingredient Notes
This soup is made with ingredients you likely have on hand already! This is perfect to make with leftover ham, so it’s the perfect soup to have with holiday leftovers.
- Chicken Broth – using reduced-sodium chicken broth is preferred, as the seasoning packet that comes with the beans can be salty. Or you can make your own homemade chicken broth and cut back on the salt.
- Ham – You don’t have to use leftover ham but it’s a great way to use it up. You can of course by ham to use in this recipe too! If you have a lot of leftover ham though, you may also want to make this ham casserole that’s perfect for it!
Substitutions
Soup recipes are very forgiving and have plenty of room for substitutions, and this one is no exception. Here are a few suggestions…
- Meat – leftover ham bone, leftover ham, ham steak, chicken (especially this crockpot shredded chicken), and andouille sausage all work well in this recipe.
- Thyme – if you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme instead.
- Vegetarian – if you’d prefer to, you can omit the ham altogether and use vegetable broth instead of chicken to make this soup vegetarian-friendly.
- Veggies – carrots and celery are delicious in this recipe because they don’t become soggy, but you can easily swap them for your favorite veggies!
- Spice – if you like things spicy, try using a spicy andouille sausage instead of ham and adding a dash of cayenne pepper and red chili flakes!
- Toppings – you can choose to top your 15 bean soup with chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, or whatever tasty toppings sound good to you!
Instructions
See the printable recipe card farther down in this blog post for quantities and step-by-step instructions.
Instructions
- Remove the cajun seasoning packet from the Hurst’s HamBeens package and set it aside. Add the beans to a large bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- When you’re ready to make the soup, drain the beans and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Saute the 1 diced white/yellow onion, 3 diced carrots, and 3 diced celery stalks for 6-8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the 6 cups chicken broth, 1.5 – 2 cups of leftover ham, 1 teaspoon black pepper, drained beans, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 dry bay leaves, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, cajun seasoning packet, and 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours, or until the beans are soft.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the soup.
- Serve with cornbread, this Italian bread recipe, or this easy focaccia bread.
What to serve with this soup
Looking for a delicious side to serve alongside this soup? These garlic drop biscuits are full of flavor and go really well with this recipe!
Crock pot / Slow Cooker Instructions
Soak the bean mix overnight per the instruction above. Once you’re ready to make the soup, add all of the ingredients to your crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours. You’ll also love these other easy slow cooker recipes too!
Storage
Store any leftover 15 bean soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
This soup freezes beautifully. Once the soup is at room temperature, pour it into a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to eat it, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a saucepan on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave until hot.
Top tip
If you find that your ham is very salty, omit the soy sauce to prevent your soup from becoming too salty!
FAQ
According to the Hurst Beans website, the package contains 15 of these bean varieties: northern beans, pinto beans, large lima beans, yelloweye beans, garbanzo beans, baby lima beans, green split peas, kidney beans, cranberry beans, small white beans, pink beans, small red beans, yellow split peas, lentils, navy beans, white kidney beans, and black beans.
It’s optional, but it will speed up the cooking time and break down some of the complex sugars in the beans. If you decide to make this in the crockpot instead of on the stove, you can skip the soaking process and add the dry beans right into the crock pot as they’ll cook for 8 hours in there.
This soup freezes beautifully. Once the soup is at room temperature, pour it into a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to eat it, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a saucepan on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave until hot.
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for other delicious comfort food soups, you have to try this Cowboy Stew, this Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe (it’s ready in under 30 minutes and it’s always a hit) and this Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe that’s a copycat of Panera Bread’s famous soup!
Or, if hearty dishes are your go-to, you’ll also love this dutch oven stew recipe.
Recipe
15 Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 package Hurst HamBeens Cajun 15 Bean Soup Blend + cajun seasoning packet
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced/sliced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ – 2 cups leftover ham cubed or shredded
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Remove the cajun seasoning packet from the HamBeens package and set it aside. Add the beans to a large bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- When you’re ready to make the soup, drain the beans and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Saute the 1 diced white/yellow onion, 3 diced carrots, and 3 diced celery stalks for 6-8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the 6 cups chicken broth, 1.5 – 2 cups of leftover ham, 1 teaspoon black pepper, drained beans, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 dry bay leaves, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, cajun seasoning packet, and 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours, or until the beans are soft.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the soup.
- Serve with cornbread or crusty bread and butter.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Fran V says
This is exactly what I was looking for- easy to make, healthy and delicious! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
Allyson Reed Zea says
As a vegetarian I love being soup so much! This flavor was spot on!
Jessica says
Yes! You can totally leave the ham out or a vegetarian soup!
Abby says
Seriously so delicious, hearty, and comforting! Loved the flavor and my whole family enjoyed it.