Cozy Ham and Bean Soup with Dumplings

I didn’t grow up eating ham and bean soup, but when I married into a Midwest family, it became a January tradition I actually look forward to. My mother-in-law makes this every year after Christmas with the leftover ham bone, and it’s the kind of meal that fills up your kitchen with steam and makes everyone hang around asking when dinner will be ready.

The secret to making this soup feel special is the dumplings. Without them, you’ve got a solid, stick-to-your-ribs soup. With them, you’ve got something that feels like a warm hug in a bowl. The dumplings soak up all that ham-flavored broth and turn soft and pillowy. I started adding sourdough discard to mine because I always have some sitting in the fridge, and it gives them a little extra flavor.

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What Kind of Ham Should I Use?

For this soup, you have a few good options when it comes to ham. Leftover ham from a holiday dinner works great and is actually one of the best uses for it – just cube it up into bite-sized pieces. If you don’t have leftovers, you can grab a ham steak from the deli section and cut it into chunks, or even use diced deli ham in a pinch. Smoked ham adds a nice depth of flavor to the broth, but regular cooked ham will work just fine too. Just avoid using raw ham since it needs different cooking times and temperatures than this recipe calls for.

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Options for Substitutions

This comforting soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Great Northern Beans: You can easily swap these with navy beans, cannellini beans, or even pinto beans. They all have similar cooking times and textures, so no adjustments needed to the recipe.
• Ham: Leftover ham works great here, but you can also use a ham hock or ham bone for flavor (just remove the meat and shred it before serving). In a pinch, diced bacon or smoked turkey can work too.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth or even water will work if that’s what you have. Just keep in mind you might need to add a bit more salt to make up for the missing flavor.
• Sourdough discard: Don’t have sourdough discard? No worries – just use an additional 120 grams of milk instead. Your dumplings will still turn out fluffy and tasty.
• Carrots: Celery, parsnips, or even diced sweet potato can stand in for carrots if you need to use what you have on hand.
• Baking powder: This is essential for fluffy dumplings, so don’t skip it. If you’re out, you can make your own by mixing 1 part baking soda with 2 parts cream of tartar.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making dumplings is lifting the lid while they cook, which releases the steam they need to become light and fluffy – resist the temptation to peek for the full 15 minutes.

Overworking your dumpling dough will result in tough, dense dumplings instead of tender ones, so mix just until the ingredients come together and don’t worry if it looks a bit lumpy.

Make sure your soup is at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, before dropping in the dumplings, as too much heat can cause them to fall apart or cook unevenly.

If your dumplings sink to the bottom and stick, it means your soup is too thick – add a bit more broth to thin it out before cooking the dumplings, and space them out so they have room to expand.

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What to Serve With Ham and Bean Soup?

This soup is already pretty hearty with the dumplings on top, so you don’t need much to make it a complete meal. A simple side salad with a tangy vinaigrette helps cut through the richness of the soup and adds a fresh crunch. If you want something extra on the side, cornbread or dinner rolls are perfect for soaking up the broth, though honestly the dumplings do most of that work for you. For a lighter option, some pickled vegetables or a quick cucumber salad adds a nice contrast to the warm, comforting flavors of the ham and beans.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your leftover ham and bean soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The dumplings will soak up some of the broth as they sit, so you might want to add a splash of chicken broth when reheating to loosen things up a bit.

Freeze: This soup freezes great for up to 3 months, though I recommend freezing it without the dumplings if possible since they can get a little mushy. If you’ve already added the dumplings, it’ll still taste good, just with a softer texture.

Reheat: Warm the soup gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring in between. Add a little extra broth or water if it’s gotten too thick.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3550-3800
• Protein: 180-200 g
• Fat: 110-125 g
• Carbohydrates: 420-450 g

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 5 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1 cup onion
• 1 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 5 garlic cloves
• 8 cups chicken broth (I use Swanson Less Sodium broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.3 lb ham (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 lb northern beans
• salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp dried parsley

For the dumplings:

• 1 1/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter (cut into small pea-sized bits)
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard
• 1/2 cup milk

For the garnish (optional):

• fresh parsley

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Make Dumpling Dough

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.3 lb ham, cubed

While you’re gathering ingredients, go ahead and make the dumpling dough since it needs time to rest slightly before cooking.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the cold butter pieces and use your fingertips to work the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this keeps the dumplings light and fluffy.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard and milk, then fold this wet mixture into the flour mixture until just combined into a shaggy dough.

Set aside.

Meanwhile, dice the onion and carrots into roughly ½-inch pieces, chop the celery, mince the garlic cloves, and cube the ham into ½-inch pieces.

Having everything prepped and ready will let you focus on building the soup’s flavor.

Step 2: Build the Soup Base with Aromatics

• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5–7 minutes until they begin to soften and the onions become translucent—this releases their natural sweetness and builds the soup’s foundation.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

The aromatics create depth of flavor that makes this soup taste like it’s been simmering all day.

Step 3: Add Broth and Bring Soup to a Boil

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves

Pour the chicken broth into the pot with the sautéed vegetables and add the bay leaves.

Increase the heat to bring the broth to a rolling boil—this creates the flavorful base for your soup and ensures the beans will cook evenly.

Step 4: Add Ham, Beans, and Seasonings

• 1.3 lb ham, cubed
• 2 lb northern beans
• salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp dried parsley

Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cubed ham, northern beans, salt, black pepper, and dried parsley.

I like to taste the soup at this point and adjust salt as needed, since the ham adds its own saltiness and broth varies by brand.

Let the soup simmer gently for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors before adding the dumplings.

Step 5: Drop Dumplings and Finish Cooking

• dumpling dough from Step 1

Using a spoon (I use a soup spoon or small cookie scoop for evenly-sized dumplings), drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough from Step 1 directly into the simmering soup.

They’ll sink at first and then float to the surface as they cook.

Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid—this allows steam to cook the dumplings through and keep them tender rather than dense.

Step 6: Remove Bay Leaves, Garnish, and Serve

• fresh parsley

After 15 minutes, carefully remove the bay leaves from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley for a bright, herbaceous finish that contrasts beautifully with the hearty dumplings and ham.

Cozy Ham and Bean Soup with Dumplings

Delicious Cozy Ham and Bean Soup with Dumplings recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 3675 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the soup

• 5 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 1 cup onion
• 1 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 5 garlic cloves
• 8 cups chicken broth (I use Swanson Less Sodium broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.3 lb ham (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 lb northern beans
• salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp dried parsley

For the dumplings

• 1 1/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter (cut into small pea-sized bits)
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard
• 1/2 cup milk

For the garnish (optional)

• fresh parsley

Instructions

 

• While you're gathering ingredients, go ahead and make the dumpling dough since it needs time to rest slightly before cooking. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter pieces and use your fingertips to work the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this keeps the dumplings light and fluffy. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard and milk, then fold this wet mixture into the flour mixture until just combined into a shaggy dough. Set aside. Meanwhile, dice the onion and carrots into roughly ½-inch pieces, chop the celery, mince the garlic cloves, and cube the ham into ½-inch pieces. Having everything prepped and ready will let you focus on building the soup's flavor.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5–7 minutes until they begin to soften and the onions become translucent—this releases their natural sweetness and builds the soup's foundation. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant. The aromatics create depth of flavor that makes this soup taste like it's been simmering all day.
• Pour the chicken broth into the pot with the sautéed vegetables and add the bay leaves. Increase the heat to bring the broth to a rolling boil—this creates the flavorful base for your soup and ensures the beans will cook evenly.
• Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cubed ham, northern beans, salt, black pepper, and dried parsley. I like to taste the soup at this point and adjust salt as needed, since the ham adds its own saltiness and broth varies by brand. Let the soup simmer gently for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors before adding the dumplings.
• Using a spoon (I use a soup spoon or small cookie scoop for evenly-sized dumplings), drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough from Step 1 directly into the simmering soup. They'll sink at first and then float to the surface as they cook. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid—this allows steam to cook the dumplings through and keep them tender rather than dense.
• After 15 minutes, carefully remove the bay leaves from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley for a bright, herbaceous finish that contrasts beautifully with the hearty dumplings and ham.