Cajun Ten Bean and Ham Soup is bursting with colorful flavor and hearty nutrition! Turn leftover ham into a meal everyone loves!

I don’t know about eating beans for good luck and all, but this soup will definitely help you polish off the last of the holiday ham. And if by chance eating beans on New Years Day does bring luck, this soup should set you up well for 2013.
Grab a bag of mixed beans, or clear out your cabinet and make your own blend. I’m using Great Northern, pinto, kidney, black, Lima, navy, split peas, black eye and field beans. The beans will cook at different rates, so some of them will melt right into the stock, while the larger varieties will remain intact. The ham bone gives the broth incredible richness, if you don’t have one leftover from the holidays, ask the butcher at your local grocery store.
The Cajun flavors make this soup a little different than the ordinary, and a little spicier, too. Cajun spice mixes can vary, but I’ve used garlic powder, salt, pepper, both sweet and hot smoked paprika, cayenne, thyme and oregano, about 1/2 tsp of everything.
Tips
- I like to add the colorful vegetables like the chopped carrot and peppers at the very end of cooking so they remain colorful and firm. Personally I feel that they get ‘cooked’ enough just by sitting in the soup as it cools down, and then again when the soup reheats before serving. This way you get color, texture and flavor from veggies that normally cook down to mush in most soups.
more cozy soups
- Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
- Split Pea Soup with Ham
- Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo
- Smoky Sweet Potato Soup
- Spaghetti and Meatball Soup
- Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Cajun Ten Bean and Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mixed dried beans
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp each: salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, sweet paprika, hot smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic powder
- 1 ham bone plus 2 cups chopped ham, if you don’t have a bone, ask your butcher for one
- 8 cups water
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 cup mixed bell peppers, diced
- handful of chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed soup pot and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add in the herbs and spices, ham bone and 8 cups water. Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for an hour.
- Add the beans and bring the soup back up to a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender. Add in the carrots and peppers.
- If you like a thicker soup, mash some of the beans withthe back of your spoon until you get it as thick as you want it. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- At this point I like to let the soup cool and then refrigerate until ready to eat. This gives the soup time to develop some extra flavor.
- Reheat the soup add the parsley right before serving.
Notes
- For a different take on ham and beans, try my Creamy Ham and Bean Broth.
Hi Sue! I love your site. I’m thinking about making this for a party. I know it’s been a while, but do you have any idea how many this might serve? Thanks!
My hambone has just found its destiny! Gorgeous and delicious – perfect way to ring in the New Year of “normal eating.” Happy 2013!
Isn’t hambone a funny word? Thanks, Claudia, Happy New Year!
Sue, I just made a white bean soup but I love the kaleidoscope of colors and flavors in your soup. It sounds and looks delicious, love the Cajun twist.
The little bit of heat from the Cajun spices was unexpected and really nice. Doing the photos for the blog has made me hyper aware of color and texture in things like soups and stews, and I think it’s made me a better cook!
We are on the same wave length. I just made bean soup with a ham bone I had in the frezzer. I used a package of Bob’s Red Mill 13 bean soup. So many delicious beans. Your bean soup looks delicious. Happy New Year Sue!
Oh my gosh, 13? I don’t think I can even name 13 kinds of beans, sounds great. ๐ Happy New Year!
This is a beautiful soup. After the gluttony of the holidays a good bean soup can start things off right.
I have a ham bone in the freezer and plenty of beans in the pantry. This soup is on my list.
Happy New Year to you!
Velva
I like the idea of keeping a soup bone in the freezer. To be honest I don’t usually go to the trouble to cook soups with bones and all, but it really did make a difference in the rich flavor of this one. Happy New Year Velva!
I love bean soups and made with ham – even better! The flavors sound so delicious in this – especially since it’s so cold here tonight ๐
I’m finally all done with my holiday ham, and it will probably be another year before we see another one. But that’s ok, I think of ham as one of those holiday foods like cranberries and gingerbread…I only cook it once a year and appreciate it all the more.
What a pretty looking soup and a great way to use the ham! Happy New Year!
Mary x
Thanks Mary, Happy New Year!
This looks delicious! And I have a ham bone just begging to be used asap. Thanks, Sue!
So many people have hambones lying around…!
Wow, I am not normally drawn to bean and ham soups but this looks so colorful and tempting, I may just go out and find a ham bone to cook it up! Thanks for sharing!
The colors really do make a difference…try the idea of throwing in the pretty vegetables after the cooking—it really works!
The overhead shot of those uncooked beans is just gorgeous! They are just calling my name – saying make something healthy with me ๐
I know, the beans were prettier before they got all cooked up!