Ham Bone Soup


Last Updated: Feb, 17, 2026 by Mimi Council | This post may contain affiliate links.

This Ham Bone Soup is a delicious and cozy recipe for leftover ham! Reduce waste and use up that leftover ham bone in this hearty soup recipe. 

If you’re looking for more cozy soup recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like 5 Ingredient Bone Broth Vegetable Soup, Healthy Beef Soup with Leeks, How to Make Turkey Carcass Soup With Bone Broth, or Meyer Lemon Chicken & Wild Rice Soup.

ham bone soup in a bowl with a slice of toast on the side on a white marble countertop.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

  • Recipe Name: Ham Bone Soup
  • Ready In: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Makes: 4 servings
  • Main Ingredients: ham bone, potatoes, green beans, carrots
  • Flavor Profile: cozy, comforting
  • Dietary Info: gluten free, no seed oils, eggless, dairy free
  • Difficulty: Easy!
  • Why You’ll Love It: reduce food waste and turn your ham bone into soup

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • 15 Minutes: This leftover ham recipe takes 15 minutes to prep!
  • Easy: This leftover ham recipe is so easy! You can make this in your slow cooker or in your Dutch oven, either works. 
  • Healthy: This Ham Bone Soup is a healthy soup recipe with protein, carbs, and veggies. This soup is a complete meal, but you can also serve it with bread or toast. 
  • Uses Leftovers: I hate food waste, so I love that this recipe uses the ham bone as well as leftover ham! This leftover ham recipe gives you another totally different meal out of that ham! 
Jump to:

Ingredients

individual ingredients for ham bone soup laid out against a white background.
  • Ham Bone: I use the leftover ham bone from my Savory Mustard Herb Ham to create a pork broth for this soup.
  • Ham: This leftover ham recipe uses chopped pieces of ham for protein in this soup.
  • Potatoes: I use organic Russet potatoes here, but you can use any kind you like.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Tips for Ham Bone Soup

  • I made this recipe with leftover ham and bone from my Savory Mustard Herb Ham. Any savory ham recipe leftovers will work for this soup. 
  • If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, you can skip that step and just sue any kind of broth you like (vegetable, chicken, or beef all work). 
  • You can use different veggies if you want to use up veggies in your fridge. Other veggies that would be delicious would be onion, bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower. 

How to Make Ham Bone Soup

ham bone in water in a dutch oven on a stovetop.
  1. Add the ham bone and 6 cups of water to a 4-quart Dutch oven. Put over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and put the lid on. Simmer for 4 hours.
chopped carrots and celery in a bowl on a marble countertop.
  1. Slice the celery and carrots.
chopped green beans on a wood cutting board on a marble countertop.
  1. Trim off the ends of the green beans and cut into bite sized pieces.
chopped potatoes on a wood cutting board on a marble countertop.
  1. Cut the potatoes into 1 to 2-inch cubes.
diced ham in a bowl on a marble countertop.
  1. Chop leftover ham into small cubes.
ham bone soup simmering in a dutch oven on a stovetop.
  1. After the ham bone has simmered for 3 hours, remove it from the Dutch oven. Add the veggies, potatoes, and ham into the broth and stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.
ham bone soup simmering in a dutch oven on a stovetop.
  1. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve this soup with bread, toast, or just on its own. 

Make Ahead & Freezing Tips

Make Ahead: You can make this a couple days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Just reheat on the stovetop (or even the microwave is fine).

Freezing: You can also freeze this leftover ham bone soup in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then heat in a pot on the stovetop until warm.

Recipe FAQ’s

What if I don’t have a ham bone?

If you didn't save your ham bone or don’t have a ham bone, you can skip the bone part of the recipe and just add all the veggies and ham into a vegetable broth or even chicken or beef broth. 

How should I store leftover Ham Bone Soup?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

ham bone soup in a bowl with a small plate and toast on the side on a marble countertop.

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ham bone soup in a bowl with a slice of toast on the side on a white marble countertop.

Ham Bone Soup

Mimi Council
Turn your leftover ham bone into a flavorful and satisfying soup with this easy Ham Bone Soup recipe. This recipe for leftover ham is simple, easy, and incredibly flavorful!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Makes 4 servings
Calories 298 kcal

Equipment

  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • 4-Quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ham bone
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 cup green beans
  • 3 small Russet potatoes
  • 2 cups chopped ham

Instructions
 

  • Add the ham bone and 6 cups of water to a 4-quart Dutch oven. Put over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and put the lid on. Simmer for 3 hours.
  • Slice the celery and carrots. Trim off the ends of the green beans and cut into bite sized pieces. Cut the potatoes into 1 to 2-inch cubes. Chop leftover ham into small cubes.
  • After the ham bone has simmered for 3 hours, remove it from the Dutch oven.
  • Add the veggies, potatoes, and ham into the broth and stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve this soup with bread, toast, or just on its own.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Tips
  • I made this recipe with leftover ham and bone from my Savory Mustard Herb Ham. Any savory ham recipe leftovers will work for this soup.
  • If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, you can skip that step and just sue any kind of broth you like (vegetable, chicken, or beef all work).
  • You can use different veggies if you want to use up veggies in your fridge. Other veggies that would be delicious would be onion, bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower. 
High Altitude — Follow the recipe as noted.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 19gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 906mgPotassium: 983mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 6340IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
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2 responses to “Ham Bone Soup”

  1. Mimi Council says:

    5 stars
    Love this soup as it uses the whole ham, which reduces waste and creates a delicious dinner!

  2. Delaney says:

    5 stars
    Nothing better than creative ways to use leftovers!

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