Wintry Gluten-free White Bean and Ham Soup
Warm up with a hearty bowl of soup this winter. Or a few. Who’s counting?
When the weather gets chilly, it's time to dust off the soup recipes. I love soup on a chilly fall day, and it's even better on a dark, frigid winter night. This White Bean and Ham Soup recipe usually makes an appearance after any holiday gathering where I served my honey-glazed ham (you can get my Honey Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe here). I’m not about to waste that ham bone! In fact, that was a trick my mom taught me when I was growing up. She was a great cook—she mad
I love using herbs and vegetables to flavor my soups.
This hearty soup is so delicious that even my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel gets excited when I make it. Yep, I got the greenlight from the vet to slip her a carrot or two. Aside from carrots, the soup pot will be filled with savory herbs, fresh veggies, and creamy cannellini beans, which are native to Italy! I also love cannellini beans when I make my pasta fagioli—future post, I promise! Special shout out to coriander in this one: it has an earthy, tart, sweet, and slightly floral aroma when toasted. Yum.
Save that ham bone to add flavor to your soups!
If you ever make my honey-baked ham recipe, make sure to wrap up the leftover bone, along with any ham remnants, and pop them in the freezer for when you make this soup.
Add creaminess to your gluten-free soup—without the dairy.
Here’s how: Purée it. I like my soup a little chunky, so I only purée about half the batch. This way, I get a creamy soup with some nice vegetables and beans to bite into.
Add croutons to your soup for added flavor.
For a beautiful garnish that’s also completely delectable, toast up a few homemade croutons flavored with a dash of smoked paprika.
I think that's everything you need to know to make an irresistible pot of soup. Now, let’s dive in!
Gluten-free White Bean and Ham Soup Recipe with Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup finely chopped onion
- ¾ cup diced carrot
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 5 to 6 cups chicken stock, as needed
- 3 cans (15-ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ham bone, optional
- 1 pound of smoked ham, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups cubed (1-inch pieces) French bread
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- A pinch of salt
- A grind of fresh black pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the fresh rosemary sprigs, coriander, beans, 5 cups of stock, and ham bone, if using. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer on medium low for 20 minutes.
- Remove the ham bone and rosemary sprigs from the soup. Cut off any pieces of ham that could be added to the soup. Set aside.
- Puree half of the soup in a food processor or blender. You may need to do this in batches. Add the pureed soup back into the pot with the soup that has not been pureed.
- Add the diced ham along with any ham that you removed from the ham bone. If the soup is too thick, add some or all of the additional cup of stock.
- When you’re ready to serve, prepare the crouton garnish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet pan with foil. In a mixing bowl, toss the French bread cubes with olive oil, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper. Transfer the bread cubes to the sheet pan. Bake in the oven until the bread cubes turn a light golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the homemade croutons and enjoy!
