This Black Bean Soup With Ham is a simple, hearty soup with a distinctive twist: dry sherry. The sherry adds a noticeable depth of flavor to the savory broth, complementing the black beans, tender ham and vegetables. Made with canned beans and ready in about 45 minutes, it’s an easy way to make a satisfying homemade soup without a long simmer.
I consider soups and stews to be my specialty. Take a look at this full-flavored Bean and Beef Soup. It feeds an army with delicious pizzaz.
Quick Look: Black Bean Soup with Ham
- 🧁 Serves: 4
- ⭐ Features: Distinctive ✓ Hearty ✓ Effortless ✓
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍪 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🕑 Total Time: 45 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Beginner
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? Easy to make, with a brothy, savory flavor and a splash of sherry that adds a distinctive depth you won’t find in most recipes.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Distinctive flavor: Dry sherry gives this black bean soup a sophisticated flavor that sets it apart from more traditional ham and bean soups.
- Weeknight friendly: Canned black beans and fully cooked ham make this a practical soup to prepare in about 45 minutes.
- Light and brothy: Unlike thick, pureed black bean soups, this version has a savory broth with whole beans and tender vegetables.
- Simple ingredients: It’s made with familiar ingredients, with sherry providing the unexpected flavor that makes the soup memorable.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Black Bean Soup with Ham
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Why I Use Sherry In Black Bean Soup
- How To Make Black Bean Soup With Ham
- Chef Lea Ann’s Tips For Success
- Substitutions and Variations
- Storage and Leftovers
- What To Serve It With
- Black Bean Soup With Ham FAQ’s
- Explore More Bean Soups
- Black Bean Soup With Ham (Easy Sherried Recipe)
Key Ingredients
- Black Beans: Canned black beans make this soup convenient, eliminating the need to soak and cook dried beans. They also allow the other ingredients to develop their flavor without a lengthy cooking time.
- Ham Steak: Fully cooked ham adds savory flavor and satisfying bites of meat. Ham steak is convenient because it doesn’t require the long cooking time needed to tenderize a ham hock or ham bone.
- Dry Sherry: Dry sherry is the ingredient that makes this soup distinctive. It contributes a noticeable, complex flavor that complements the beans and ham, adding depth to the broth without requiring hours of simmering.
- Carrots and Onion: Carrots bring a mild sweetness and tender texture, while onion provides a savory foundation for the broth.
- Peas: Added toward the end of cooking, frozen peas contribute a little sweetness, color and texture to the finished soup.
- Spices: Cumin, Oregano, Bay Leaf, Garlic: These seasonings complement the black beans and ham, rounding out the savory flavor of the soup.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream provides a creamy, tangy contrast to the brothy soup when used as a garnish or as directed in your recipe.
Why I Use Sherry In Black Bean Soup
My appreciation for cooking with sherry began in culinary school, where I learned how much character it can bring to a dish. I also developed an appreciation for sherry vinegar and the complex flavor it can also contribute to vinaigrettes, like my recipe for Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette Dressing.
In this black bean soup, sherry isn’t just a background ingredient. Its flavor is noticeable, adding a sophisticated depth to the broth that complements the ham and black beans. It’s a simple addition that gives an everyday soup a more distinctive character.
How To Make Black Bean Soup With Ham
- Step 1: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
- Step 2: Add cumin and oregano. Stir and cook for a few seconds or until spices are fragrant.
- Step 3: Add canned black beans, water, cooked ham steak, sherry, chopped red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Step 4: Serve: Spoon a few thawed peas on the bottom of each soup bowl. Ladle in the soup and top with a dollop of sour cream.
Chef Lea Ann’s Tips For Success
- Use dry sherry: The recipe is designed around dry sherry, whose distinctive flavor is an important part of the finished soup.
- Keep the broth brothy: This is a light, broth-based soup rather than a thick, pureed black bean soup. The whole beans and vegetables provide the texture.
- Add the peas at the end: This is part of the recipe’s intended cooking method. The hot soup will warm the delicate peas.
- Watch the salt: Ham can contribute a considerable amount of salt. Taste the broth before adding any additional salt, especially if your ham is particularly salty.
Substitutions and Variations
- Can I use leftover ham? Yes. Fully cooked leftover ham can be used in place of ham steak. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and follow the recipe’s instructions for adding the ham.
- Can I use dried black beans? This recipe is written for canned black beans. Dried beans require additional preparation and cooking, so they aren’t a direct substitution in this 45-minute recipe.
If you have a leftover ham bone rather than a ham steak, try my Slow Cooker Ham and Beans with a leftover ham bone . It’s a traditional, hands-off meal made with creamy white beans and smoky ham.”
Storage and Leftovers
- Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- This black bean and ham soup will also freeze well. Place soup in a freezer safe container and store for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Re-heat either stove-top or microwave.
What To Serve It With
This brothy black bean soup makes a satisfying lunch or light dinner. Serve it with my recipe for Cheesy Cornbread, crusty bread or a simple green salad dressed with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing for a more substantial meal.
Black Bean Soup With Ham FAQ’s
IMPORTANT: Please be aware that some ham steaks are not cooked when purchased. They must be cooked before eating and USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees. If the package indicates that the ham steak is fully cooked, just add the ham when the recipe indicates. If the ham steak is not cooked, fry it in a pan with a little oil before starting this recipe.
Explore More Bean Soups
One of the most popular bean soups on my site is this one for Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup With Ham Recipe. And here’s some more you might enjoy.
And if you’re soup lovers like us, don’t miss my soup category. I consider Soups and Stews to be my specialty. If you enjoy brothy bean soups, my Great Northern bean soup with smoky bacon offers another comforting option. And for a heartier Southwestern meal with black beans, try my Bison Chili with Black Beans and Lime Crema.
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Black Bean Soup With Ham (Easy Sherried Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 large Carrots cleaned and thin sliced
- ½ large Sweet onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- 2 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 4 Cups Water
- 2 15-ounce canned black beans drained and rinsed well
- 8 ounces ham steak fully cooked and chopped
- ¼ cup Dry Sherry
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ Cup Frozen peas thawed
- Sour Cream for garnish
Instructions
- Measure out frozen peas to thaw while you cook.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add carrots and onions. Cook for about 3 minutes until onions are tender and carrots are starting to cook. Add garlic and cook until tender.
- Stir in cumin and oregano and cook about 30 seconds or until herbs are fragrant.
- Stir in water, beans, ham, sherry, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard bay leaf. To serve, sprinkle a few thawed peas on the bottom of the bowl, spoon the soup and a dollop of sour cream. The heat from the soup will heat the delicate peas.
Notes
- Use dry sherry: The recipe is designed around dry sherry, whose distinctive flavor is an important part of the finished soup.
- Keep the broth brothy: This is a light, broth-based soup rather than a thick, pureed black bean soup. The whole beans and vegetables provide the texture.
- Add the peas at the end: This is part of the recipe’s intended cooking method.
- Watch the salt: Ham can contribute a considerable amount of salt. Taste the broth before adding any additional salt, especially if your ham is particularly salty.
Nutrition
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Looks wonderful, Lea Ann! And I was just looking through my pantry and noticed I have four cans of black beans that need to be used soon. Perfect!
First snow! That definitely makes it soup season. Sherry in black bean soup is so good. This is a great way to begin the season!
Thanks Lisa. We’re back in the 70’s for now, but that soup sure tasted good during the cold weather. Thanks so much for stopping by and the comment.
I did a black bean soup for Souper Sundays too!
I saw that Pam, looked good.
No snow here yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
The soup looks like exactly the kind of comforting supper I crave during the winter…
I’m surprised you’ve not had snow yet. Guess we got picked on.
Wishing a speedy recovery for your camera…do they have get well cards for cameras? They should. Regardless of the blinding white spot 😉 the soup looks amazing!
Thanks Rhonda, and I agree, they should have get well cards for our cameras. Mine seems like a member of my family 🙂
My DSLR has been needing to go back to the shop (light meter is slightly off and dust on sensor) for months on months. But I just can’t bear to do without it for this exact reason.
How does the sour cream turn out so white yet the white bowl isn’t? Amazing isn’t it? Damn point and shoots!
That’s a very good question about the white bowl. That point and shoot is obviously in charge … rather than the operator. 🙂
It’s hard to believe you had snow when we are still in the 90’s down here just to the south of you 🙂 The soup is definitely in order though for you.. nothing like a good bowl of soup to warm and comfort you!
We really had a very cold weekend. I never could warm up. Believe me, I was wishing I was in Arizona.
So sad about your camera! I hope it gets better soon! But this soup still looks delicious and oh so hearty!
Me too Joanne.
Hi Lea Ann
Sam , of the My Carolina Kitchen blog, alerted me to your blog as I will be moving to the Denver area this winte ror spring. My children moved to Colorado over the past 8 years and my husband and I are following so we can be closer to them and our grandchildren. I look forward to reading your blog and getting restaurant recommendations for the area. 🙂 This soup looks delicious!
Pat
Thanks so much for the comment. What part of town are you moving to Pat?
Lea Ann- this recipe sounds simply wonderful. I really love black beans and had no idea they paired well with Sherry. And of course anything with ham added is a plus! 🙂
Thanks Robyn. I agree about that Ham “thing”. 🙂
That’s the fun thing about the weather in the Denver area at this time of year. It can be 70 one day, snow the next, and get back to 70 again.
Delicious soup and great use of Larry and Bev’s ham steak!
I hate when my camera has to go to the hospital. I hope it’s nothing too serious.
Susan, just a cracked door that hold the card into place. Such a simple injury and so complicated to fix.
My photos are never as creative as yours, even with a broken camera!
The soup looks wonderful, thick and healthy.
I disagree Barbara. Your photos are always good. Thanks for the comment, I know how busy you are.
wow sounds so good! Hope you (and the pups!) are staying warm 🙂
We did not stay warm. For some reason I couldn’t warm up all weekend. Cold and blustery.
That soup looks beautiful and sounds delicious! I’ve never cooked with sherry but am intrigued now – especially if it is perfect with black beans. Isn’t it exciting how the weather can turn on a dime this time of year? We got snow in the mountains, but none in the valley. And your photo is beautiful. What happened to the DSLR? :-/
Just a broken door that closed and held the card into place. Such a simple injury that has turned into a pain in the ass. Should be getting it back any day now. And the funny thing is, I used to take pretty good photos with that point and shoot.
What is it about Sherry that give black bean soup its oomph? This soup sounds like a winner. If you are not rushed have you tried using dried black beans?
Dried black beans make this even better! I’ll go back and add that to the post. Thanks for the comment Chilib
So you’ve discovered Bentons. Larry introduced us to Bentons too. What a fabulous place. But you can keep the snow. No, no snow for me. I lead a flip-flop life….
Black beans and sherry are a classic combination that I love and are perfect for cold days. I’m prfeparing something similar today. Great minds, huh.
Sam
Well Sam, you could wear those flip flops in the snow. 😉 As always thanks for stopping by and the comment.
I’m so sorry to hear about your camera! Hopefully it is a minor illness and you’ll soon be back to normal. Your soup looks so good. I’ll have to try it. I love the addition of the sherry.
Let me know how you like it Karen.
I like soup with a lot of ingredients in it. Seems good 😉
We may get our first freeze tonight 🙁 Herbs and flowers cut and brought indoors. I made chili. Your black bean soup sounds perfect for this weather, Lea Ann!
Great use of the ham LA and the soup looks delicious. Do you realize you made two posts in the same day? 🙂