Southern Ham and White Beans
A traditional Southern dish, white beans are cooked with a leftover hambone. This will make enough beans to feed you all week. Serve with homemade cornbread and a green salad for a complete meal!
Prep
120
min
Cook
120
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 12🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 3 cloves garlic
- onion quartered
- water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- Ham Bone
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 2 cups dried beans about 1/2 pound
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- bay leaf
- fresh thyme sprigs
- salt and pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
103
Protein
8g
Carbs
13g
Fat
2g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
First, soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight in water. Alternatively, place beans in a dutch oven, cover with water and bring to boil. Boil for a few minutes then remove from heat and place lid on top. Let sit for 2 hours.
- 2
Next, place beans in a large dutch oven along with the rest of the ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Cook for at least 2 hours.
- 3
Serve with cornbread and a green salad.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use the quick-soak method (boil 2 minutes, rest 2 hours) instead of overnight soaking to reduce cooking time by 30-40 minutes while achieving identical texture, because the thermal shock disrupts the seed coat more efficiently than passive hydration.timing2 minutes boil + 2 hours rest
- ✓Add salt only in the final 30 minutes of cooking, not at the start, because sodium ions compete with calcium for pectin crosslinks in the bean skin, preventing softening until starches have already gelatinized.techniqueFinal 30 minutes only
- ✓Maintain a gentle simmer at 190-205°F rather than a rolling boil, which causes bean skins to burst and creates a cloudy, starchy broth; gentle heat keeps beans intact while collagen from the ham bone converts to gelatin at the optimal rate.technique190-205°F
- ✓Add the ham bone after the quick-soak rest period, not during soaking, because ham's salt content (8-12% by weight) will temporarily halt bean hydration by increasing osmotic pressure and drawing water out of the beans.techniquePost-soak addition
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid before serving; the starch concentration (3-4% by weight) will thicken the dish by 15-20% as it cools due to retrogradation, so the extra liquid prevents it from becoming gluey.ingredient1 cup reserved liquid | 3-4% starch
Share this recipe
Prep
120
min
Cook
120
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Southern Ham and White Beans
A traditional Southern dish, white beans are cooked with a leftover hambone. This will make enough beans to feed you all week. Serve with homemade cornbread and a green salad for a complete meal!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 12🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 3 cloves garlic
- onion quartered
- water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- Ham Bone
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 2 cups dried beans about 1/2 pound
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- bay leaf
- fresh thyme sprigs
- salt and pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
103
Protein
8g
Carbs
13g
Fat
2g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
First, soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight in water. Alternatively, place beans in a dutch oven, cover with water and bring to boil. Boil for a few minutes then remove from heat and place lid on top. Let sit for 2 hours.
- 2
Next, place beans in a large dutch oven along with the rest of the ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Cook for at least 2 hours.
- 3
Serve with cornbread and a green salad.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use the quick-soak method (boil 2 minutes, rest 2 hours) instead of overnight soaking to reduce cooking time by 30-40 minutes while achieving identical texture, because the thermal shock disrupts the seed coat more efficiently than passive hydration.timing2 minutes boil + 2 hours rest
- ✓Add salt only in the final 30 minutes of cooking, not at the start, because sodium ions compete with calcium for pectin crosslinks in the bean skin, preventing softening until starches have already gelatinized.techniqueFinal 30 minutes only
- ✓Maintain a gentle simmer at 190-205°F rather than a rolling boil, which causes bean skins to burst and creates a cloudy, starchy broth; gentle heat keeps beans intact while collagen from the ham bone converts to gelatin at the optimal rate.technique190-205°F
- ✓Add the ham bone after the quick-soak rest period, not during soaking, because ham's salt content (8-12% by weight) will temporarily halt bean hydration by increasing osmotic pressure and drawing water out of the beans.techniquePost-soak addition
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid before serving; the starch concentration (3-4% by weight) will thicken the dish by 15-20% as it cools due to retrogradation, so the extra liquid prevents it from becoming gluey.ingredient1 cup reserved liquid | 3-4% starch