Pinto Bean and Ham Soup. The right way!

Pinto bean and ham soup done "the right way!" is probably one of my all-time favorite soups. Nothing can be more frustrating after Christmas than being left with an enormous amount of ham leftovers and nothing to do with them. 

This is where Pinto and ham soup comes in! All the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store and most times you already have them in your cupboards and fridge. 

I will also show you a couple other ways I like to use my leftover ham! So let's get started! 

To make this recipe I used Kroger Brand Pinto Beans. The package looks like the picture below. 

Empty and rinse beans in a colander. Make sure to remove any floating or weird misformed beans. They are no good. 

Transfer beans to a large bowl with a lid. Add enough water to generously cover beans, they will soak up most of this water overnight. 

Let beans sit overnight covered or about 6-8 hours.  The next morning, I rinse the beans again and sort them. I'm looking for any beans that float or look deformed. I discard all beans that are wrong and set the rest aside. 

For a quick soak, method brings 8 cups of water to a boil. Empty 1lb or 2 cups clean rinsed beans into the pot and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand one hour. 

Ingredients you'll need:

1 package of 1lb Pinto Beans 

Half an Onion

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 1/2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

12 Cups of Water

Directions:

After your beans have soaked with whatever method you prefer, I set those aside. 

I take a large cooking pot with a lid. Fill it with 12 cups of water and get that starting to warm on the stove over medium-high heat. 

Next, I added my chicken bouillon. I used one full cube and a half of another. This is how I make homemade chicken broth. It works really great for me but can leave your dishes a tad bit salty, so be careful to avoid adding more salt than what is needed. 

After the bouillon has had a chance to warm in the water and begin to break up, I'll start cutting my onion and garlic. Using three cloves and chopped finely, add that to the water. Cut up half an onion and add as well. 

Finely chop garlic and add to water. 

Once the garlic, onion, and bouillon have had a chance to warm I'll start cutting up my leftover ham. 

I used quite a bit of ham but I like to have the correct bean to ham ratio. This is important in making the perfect Pinto Bean and Ham soup! 

Now, what makes this soup the "right way" and others not so much? Well, for me I don't like anything added. Sure carrots, maybe a few potatoes would be good but I just don't prefer it that way. Yes, I'm well aware that Campbell's soup has tiny slivers of carrots. Which is fine. However, when making my own soup I just prefer some things done the right way. Ha ha ha!! I'm sorry, I can't help it! 

Ham was cut into small bite size pieces and adding to the boiling water. After all, ingredients have been added. I'll add a few shakes of pepper, turn down the heat to medium. Cover with a lid slightly, letting one end have a slight opening. Cook for 2 hours or until beans is tender. 

Good bean and ham ratio!! 

Want another fun idea for leftover ham?

I have a couple you should try! Serve with your favorite Corelle dinner setting, I get all my table setting from here! 

Homemade Pizza with ham and Jalapenos!

Homemade pizza is super easy to make and can be better than most delivery joints you order from now. Plus it is fun to add your own toppings and spices. Oregano is a must when making a pizza at home. Top with 2 tsp of Oregano finely ground all over the pizza. This really brings out the Italian taste! 

Breakfast Ham with Silver Dollar Pancakes! 

Take thin slices of ham, and brown over medium heat. Remove. 

Make silver dollar pancakes, serve ham wrapped around pancakes. Top with whipped butter and yummy syrup! 

Check back often for family friendly recipes and yummy desserts! 

Take Care,

Jenny