This Collard Green Soup with Ham and Beans is hearty, smoky, and full of flavor. It’s a comforting Southern-style soup perfect for chilly days or using up leftovers.
I just love a big, comforting bowl of soup. I’m not sure what it is about it, but sometimes nothing warms your soul and fills your belly quite like it. If you’re looking for a bowl of comfort, this Collard Green Soup with Ham and Beans is it. It’s hearty, flavorful, and simmered in a rich, savory broth. It’s the kind of simple, satisfying meal that warms you up from the inside out.
This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover ham from the holidays or a Sunday supper. The slow simmer helps the flavors meld together, creating a soup that’s rich without being too heavy. Serve it with a slice of skillet cornbread, and you’ve got a wholesome, Southern meal that tastes like home.
Do you have to use frozen collards?
To make this soup quick and easy, I opted to use frozen chopped collards from the freezer section. That said, you could use about 2 pounds of fresh, washed, and chopped collard greens. You’d just want to allow those to cook pretty much completely before you add in the tomatoes and beans, which will take a bit longer than the frozen variety. You could also use other greens like kale or turnip.
What kind of ham and beans should I use?
I like to grab those handy little packages of chopped ham right in the meat case of the grocery store to make it even easier on myself. That said, 3 cups of any diced leftover ham work, too. You’ll probably want something a little more hefty than the thinly sliced deli sandwich-style ham. And, I always go for the smoked flavor.
For the beans, I went with the mild-flavored navy bean, but you could use pretty much any canned bean – cannellini, great northern, even black-eyed peas would work.
What does “salt and pepper to taste” mean?
I know some of y’all hate the vagueness of the phrase “add salt and pepper to taste.” I know it can be confusing, and I know some of you hate it because you let me know. Haha! But the honest truth is that it’s really important here. The level of salt in the other ingredients will vary, especially in the ham and potentially the broth. So the amount of salt you’ll need to make the soup taste right will vary from batch to batch.
Add a sprinkle and taste it. If it needs more, add another sprinkle. Just remember, you can always add more, but it’s pretty hard to take it away.
Recipe Card
Collard Green Soup with Ham and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 to 3 cups chopped, smoked ham
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
- 2 (16-ounce) bags frozen chopped collard greens
- 2 (15.5-ounce) can navy beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven of medium-high heat. Add the onion and ham and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the broth and collard greens, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the beans and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the collards are cooked to your desired tenderness. Serve with piping hot cornbread.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Anderson
The ad for Fox Nation at the bottom of the screen is pretty off-putting, and it won’t go away. You want me to watch Fox Nation? I’m having second thoughts about continuing any further.
Hi Anderson! So, I actually don’t control what types of ads display. Most of them are generated by user behavior, so no… I’m not suggesting you watch anything.
B. O’Neill
I live in the PNW where the best I can do is canned collards. Has anyone made this with canned collards? I am thinking if I drain the liquid and just add at the very end, it might work and they won’t get too mushy.
Canned collards will work just fine! You can simply reduce the cook time since they’re already cooked. Enjoy!
Ilona Branaman
The collard green ham and bean soup was delicious. I had some the next day and the flavor was even better. I will definitely make again. YUM!!!
So glad you enjoyed it! I agree, this soup (and so many other things) is better the next day.
Anita Reid
I do this with a ham bone and all other ingredients except tomatoes. Will add those next time! Ty, Stacey!! Great recipe!
Thanks, Anita!
Marty
Used smoked sausage instead of ham and totally forgot to add the tomatoes. The soup still tasted fantastic!
Glad it turned out great for you!
Shannon
Thanks for sharing! Had some leftover tomatoes and collards from the garden, chopped them up, used dried black eyed peas, added 4 celery stalks, 1 red pepper, ghee for oil and 1 tsp liquid crab boil and creole seasonings and threw it in the instant pot for 30 min. Absolutely delicious and hearty soup for dinner.
Sounds amazing!
Cindy
Has anyone tried this with Country Ham?
Sharon. Doan
This soup is excellent! I made it using canned black eyed peas in a old South tradition of pairing collards and peas. Everyone with whom I shared my soup was impressed by it’s delicious flavor.
I’m so glad everyone liked it!
Keith
This soup was absolutely delicious. I used Garbanzo beans instead of Navy beans. I shared some with colleagues at the office and they loved it! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Awesome! Glad to hear everyone enjoyed it.
Debi
You can’t see me, but I am doing my happy dance! LOVE collards (must have been from the south in a past life… I can’t wait to make this, but we got 24 inches of snow yesterday so it will have to wait, still diggin’ out. Thank you!
Oh no! Hope y’all thaw out soon!
Brenda Be
Is there any substitute for the tomatoes? I love tomatoes but can’t have them (night shade foods).
I suppose the best option would be to simply leave them out altogether. The soup should be fine without having to substitute something.
Gayle
What can I use besides bone broth?
Any stock or broth, should work. You might just have to adjust the seasoning a bit.
Vikki Montgomery
This soup is so good! Thank you for sharing it, I can always count on your recipes. Have you ever tried canned black eyed peas in it? Would they hold up or be mushy?
Thanks so much, Vikki! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Yes, you can certainly use canned black eyed peas! I might wait and add them when the collards are about halfway done since they are a bit smaller than the navy beans. They’d probably be ok anyway, but this will make sure of it!
WinnieMom
This sounds comforting but will have to sub the collards for Turnips. My hubby doesn’t care for collards. I even use the Glory Brand of Turnips which he really loves. So far I’ve not been able to find Zoup brand of broth but I have some homemade in the freezer so that should work too. Only needs a little hot pepper in the soup and some jalapeno corn bread to go with it. Can’t wait to make it.
Sounds delish! Enjoy!!
Lynne
Oh my! You had me at collard greens! I’ll be making it this weekend! YUMM!
Sure hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!