Frugal Hearty Ham Bone Soups

Use the meatiest part of the ham for a main meal. Then, dice any bigger leftover sections of ham to use within three days or freeze. These pieces are wonderful for casseroles.

The remaining bone will have a lot of flavor and a lot of meat closer to the bone, perfect for hearty bean soups. As with the meat, if you can’t use the bone within three days, freeze it in a freezer bag and use it in the recipes below. There is no need to thaw it beforehand. Just toss it in the soup pan.

Black-Eyed Peas and Ham

1 pound dried black-eyed peas
2 ham hocks or a ham bone with ham left on it
Pepper to taste
Onions, sliced
Hot sauce

Place the ham bones or hocks in a slow cooker, add the peas after rinsing (but don’t soak them), and cover completely with water. Cook all day on low or four to five hours on high. Slow cookers vary, so keep checking. You may need to add more water. Stir a couple of times each time you check. Some people like them almost mushy, but I don’t like them quite that soft. Season with pepper if you wish.

Serve with slices of onion and hot sauce (a smooth cayenne variety).

Related: Simple Slow Cooker Recipes Using Cheap Meats

Bean Soup With Ham

1 ham bone with some meat left on
2 cups Navy, Northern beans or mixed beans
8 cups water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash the beans and add to a medium to large pan on the stove. Cover with water, boil and turn off the heat. Let these sit for about a 1/2 hour. Drain the beans and place all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for about four hours, then switch to low and continue to cook. You want the beans to be done but not mushy. Add more water if needed to make it a soup consistency as it cooks. Cut the meat off the bone and add it to the beans. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Black Bean Soup

2 cups dried black beans
1 ham bone with meat still on
6 cups water
4 cups vegetable or ham broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
1 tomato diced (or about a half can — drained well)
1 cup chopped ham (optional)
1 tablespoon vinegar

You can soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator, covered with water, but I usually place the dried beans in a pan, cover them with water, and bring them to a boil.

Turn off the heat and allow them to sit for one hour. Drain and rinse with either method, then add them to a large pot with the water, broth and the ham bone. You can add salt if you wish, but most hams are pretty salty. Simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours until the beans are tender. Remove the bone and take off any meat. Add this meat back to the pot. Sauté the onion, tomato and any diced ham you may have until the onion is soft. Stir in the vinegar to this mixture and add all to the soup. Simmer for 20 more minutes and serve.

You can offer hot sauce and chopped onion as toppings for each person’s bowl of soup.

Split Pea Soup

1 ham bone with remaining meat
1 cup minced onions
2 tsp. black pepper
1 pound dried split peas, green or yellow
1 cup chopped carrot

Place the ham bone and other ingredients in a slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the ingredients and cook on low all day or high for 4–6 hours. I cook my peas until they are fairly mushy, but you can cook them less if you like them less done. We always eat big bowls of this soup with bread and butter. Very simple! If the meat isn’t falling off the ham bone, remove and use a fork to remove it and place the meat into the soup. Discard the bone. Season with salt if desired.

Related:

• Inexpensive Tasty Ways To Use Up Holiday Ham
• The Lost Art of Making Stock From Recycled Bones
• The Best Cuts of Meat for Slow Cooker Meals

Reviewed November 2024