What Is Ham bone and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with ham bone? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it — with 35 recipes to put it to work.

Recipes using ham bone

There are 35 recipes that contain this ingredient.

German Potato Soup

Creamy German potato soup with leeks, ham bone, and pureed potatoes finished with cream. Rich, comforting soup ready in 45 minutes with croutons.

5 Bean Soup

5 bean soup simmers pinto, navy, red, great northern, and black-eyed peas with a smoky ham bone, tomatoes, and chili powder. Hearty, high-fiber, freezer-friendly bowl.

Flournoy Red Beans & Rice

Louisiana red beans and rice simmered with a meaty ham bone, smoked sausage, the holy trinity, and hot sauce. Soaked overnight, slow-cooked, and served over fluffy rice with scallions.

Boiled String Beans with Ham

Southern-style green beans simmered low and slow with a smoky ham bone until fork-tender. Just 5 ingredients and the kind of home cooking that feeds the soul.

Bean Soup Ii

Lima bean soup simmered low and slow with smoky ham hocks, ham bone, celery, and green onions. Classic Southern bean soup served with Mexican cornbread.

Linda Williams' Many Bean Soup

Linda Williams' many bean soup with mixed dried beans, a ham bone, tomatoes, carrots, and chili powder. A slow-simmered Southern bean soup built to feed a crowd.

Caldo Gallego

Caldo Gallego: hearty Galician white bean stew with salt pork, ham bone, chorizo, potatoes, and collard greens. A slow-simmered Spanish comfort stew that warms you to the bone.

Apple-Cheese Soup

Apple-cheese soup blends tart Granny Smith apples, sharp aged cheddar, and a splash of port into a silky strained bowl finished with crisp bacon. A savory-sweet starter with real depth.

Bean Okra Tomato Soup

Bean, okra, and tomato soup simmered with a ham bone for deep smoky flavor. A Southern classic that turns leftover ham into a hearty, satisfying soup.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Slow cooker split pea and ham soup made with a meaty ham bone, green split peas, and aromatic herbs like marjoram, thyme, and celery seed. Just load the pot and let it go for 10 hours.

New Year's Day Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Black-eyed pea soup slow-simmered with a ham bone for New Year's Day good luck. Creamy, smoky, and served over white rice in the Southern tradition.

Favorite Navy Bean Soup

Navy bean soup with a meaty ham bone, slow-simmered with onion and celery into a hearty, smoky bowl. A gluten-free, high-fiber classic that turns leftover ham into a freezer-stocking meal.

Split Pea Soup with Potato & Sausage

Split pea soup with potato and sausage, a hearty slow cooker soup simmered with a meaty ham bone, smoked sausage, and vegetables until thick and creamy. A cozy, set-it-and-forget-it cold-weather meal.

Black Beancassoulet Soup

Massive pot of black bean cassoulet soup with garlic sausage, Italian sausage, bratwurst, and a meaty ham bone. Simmered for 5 hours with sherry, brown sugar, and lemon. Feeds 16.

Shiney Green Beans

Nothing says comfort food like grandma's cookin'. I have simplified the process with canned beans but feel free to use a comparable amount of fresh. I also replaced the lard in Grandma's recipe with (marginally more healthy) butter.

Auntie Ruth's Wash Day Beans

This old-timey Southern bean recipe simmers all day with a ham bone, canned tomatoes, and garlic until thick and soul-warming. Serve over cornbread with chopped onions for a cheap, filling weeknight supper.

Traditional Stovetop Split Pea Soup with Butter Roux

Traditional stovetop split pea soup thickened with a classic butter-flour roux for hearty, stick-to-your-ribs comfort. Old-fashioned technique delivers rich flavor.

Black Bean Cassoulet Soup

Hearty black bean cassoulet soup loaded with three kinds of sausage, a meaty ham bone, cumin, oregano, and a splash of dry sherry. Feeds a crowd of 16 with a sour cream finish.

Country Bean Soup

Old-fashioned navy bean soup simmered low and slow with a meaty ham bone, onions, and bay leaf. Just 7 ingredients, feeds a crowd of 15, and freezes like a dream.

Creole Gumbo

Creole gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, oysters, chicken wings, veal, ham bone, and okra, thickened with file powder. A true New Orleans-style gumbo served over rice.

Crockpot Split Pea Soup with Egg Yolk Finish

Set-it-and-forget-it crockpot split pea soup enriched with a silky egg yolk finish for velvety texture. Perfect for busy weeknights with minimal hands-on time.

Easy Ham, Bean, & Vegetable Soup

Slow cooker ham and bean soup with diced ham, a leftover ham bone, dried beans, and chopped vegetables seasoned with onion soup mix and Italian herbs. Set it and forget it for 7 hours.

Pease Porridge

Pease porridge is a traditional British split pea soup simmered with a ham bone, turnip, potato, celery, and fresh herb sprigs. A thick, hearty potage that's been warming kitchens for centuries.

Jim's Yellow Split Pea Soup

Yellow split pea soup simmered with a ham bone, carrots, celery, and thyme for 3 hours until thick and smoky. A hearty, old-fashioned soup that turns a leftover ham bone into a full meal.

Escudella De Pages (Country Stew)

Escudella de pages, a traditional Catalan country stew with veal, chicken, salt pork, cabbage, beans, rice, and pasta in a saffron-scented bone broth. Old-world Spanish peasant food that eats like a meal in a bowl.

All 35 recipes