I don’t know about you, but I love meals in a jar! As a busy homeschooling mama, I love being able to grab a jar from my can shelf, add a simple side dish, and call it a day! This hearty ham and bean soup is not only convenient, it is also delicious and protein rich.

2 canning jars with beans and vegetables inside

Open up a jar of this ham and bean soup for a quick lunch, or pair it with some cornbread for a filling and satisfying dinner that the whole family will love!

Leave a jar of this ham and bean soup with a newly postpartum mama for a quick and easy meal, or, can a few extra jars to put on your can shelves to make your own postpartum experience easier and more enjoyable.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert at canning, you’ll love this easy recipe! You only need a few simple ingredients and some canning supplies to get started.

Here is a list of the supplies that you’ll need:

Pressure canner. Make sure you read the Owners Manual for your Pressure canner and fully understand how to safely use it.
Canning jars.
Lids and rings.
Jar grabber

Chopped celery, carrots, onions, ham, dried beans, broth and bay leaves in bowls sitting on a brown table.

Ingredients:

Great Northern Beans. You could also use Navy or Cannellini beans.

Ham. I used a bone-in ham shank for this recipe.

Onion. White or yellow onions pair are the best options for ham and bean soup.

Carrots.

Celery.

Bay leaves.

Jars with layers of beans, ham, and vegetables

This recipe uses a dry pack method of canning, so there’s no need to soak or cook the beans beforehand.

Make sure to sort through the beans and remove any small rocks, then thoroughly rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the jars.

Layer in the beans and veggies. You can get creative with this part and measure with your heart! Just don’t fill the jars too full so that the beans have plenty of room to expand.

3 jars sitting on a table with bay leave inside and a carrot and bay leaves laying on the table

Add in your preferred seasonings on top of the veggies.

jars with beans ham and veggies with broth pouring into the jars through a funnel

Fill the jars with broth. Chicken broth is a popular choice, or you could make your own broth by simmering a Ham Hock or Shank bone in water for 6-8 hours.

Jars filled with ham, beans, vegetables and broth

De-bubble the jars with a butter knife or a metal chopstick. You want to get all the air bubbles out to ensure a good seal.

Jars of ham and bean soup sitting in a table with canning lids beside them

Wipe the rims of the jars to remove any residual food bits. This step is crucial to getting a good seal on your jars. Top with your favorite canning lids and screw the rings on to finger tight. To do this, place one finger on the lid while you screw on the ring. Once the jar starts to turn on your work surface, you’ll know that it’s tight enough. The rings might be looser when they come out of the canner and that’s normal. Don’t tighten them more or it might cause the seal to break.