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The Best Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

April 3, 2018 By Rachel 32 Comments

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The Best Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup – This reboot of an old Pennsylvania Dutch standard will make you a believer – and hungry for a second bowl…

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

I know it’s a little audacious of me to suggest that my recipe for Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup is the best. In fact, I think this is the first time I’ve ever made such a blanket-statement claim on this blog, but I really believe that I took this humble recipe and turned it into something awesome!

How to Make Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

My husband, being raised in Amish Country, scoffed when I told him that I was making this soup. He seriously questioned my culinary judgement when I then told him that I was making it for the blog. He was raised on this stuff and recalls being forced to eat flavorless watery bowls filled with leftover Easter ham, mushy potatoes, and canned green beans.

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

I reassured him that my version of this soup would be neither watery, flavorless, nor mushy. Honestly, this soup is super simple and easy to make. All it took was a few additions to the traditional recipe to tie this soup together and make it something you’ll actually want a second bowl of.

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

The first change was starting with a flavorful base by softening onions and garlic in bacon grease and swapping the water with chicken broth. The second change that obviously had to happen was substituting canned green beans with frozen. Fresh would be even better, but I always end up making this soup with leftover Christmas or Easter ham, when green beans aren’t in season.

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

The final addition is bowtie noodles (a.k.a. farfalle pasta). This is the change Mr. Simple Seasonal really questioned. I guess in all his years growing up in Dutch Country he had never encountered noodles in his ham soup. Once he tasted the soup he was easily sold on the addition because the starch from the pasta thickens the broth, and the pasta itself added another great texture to the soup.

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

So if you’ve got some leftover ham on your hands I know you’re going to love this hearty and flavorful version of Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup. It really is the best (and second-bowl worthy)!

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

 

The Best Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
This reboot of an old Pennsylvania Dutch standard will make you a believer - and hungry for a second bowl...
Author: Rachel Hanawalt
Recipe type: Soups
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp reserved bacon grease
  • 1 C chopped sweet onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 C chopped ham
  • 2 C frozen green beans
  • 2 C chopped red potatoes
  • 2 C bow tie Pasta (a.k.a. farfalle)
  • 7 C chicken broth
Instructions
  1. In a large pot or a dutch oven, sauté the sweet onion in the reserved bacon grease for 3 minutes. If you plan ahead you can freeze leftover bacon grease from another meal to use in this soup.
  2. Once the onions are softened add the 3 cloves of minced garlic to the pot and cook an additional minute.
  3. Next, dump the remainder of the ingredients into the pot and cook over high heat until the soup comes to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to achieve a gentle boil. Simmer for 17-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
3.5.3236

More Leftover Ham Recipes…

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Hearty Split Pea and Ham Soup

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Loaded Baked Denver Omelet Casserole

Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup

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Filed Under: 30-Minute Meal, Bacon, Christmas, Dairy-Free, Dietary Needs, Easter, Easy, Green Beans, Holidays, Meal Types, Meat, Eggs, and Dairy, One Pot, Pennsylvania Dutch, Pork, Potatoes, Recipes, Seasons, Soups, Specific Audiences, Spring, Vegetables, Winter Tagged With: 30 minute meal, bacon, bow tie pasta, farfalle, Green Beans, ham, leftover ham, Pennsylvania Dutch, red potatoes, soup

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Comments

  1. Michelle Barsness says

    April 4, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    Mmmmn this looks tasty! No watery flavorless soup there! A great way to use up any leftover ham. I love green beans and potatoes. They go perfectly with the ham in a warm hearty soup.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      April 4, 2018 at 1:12 pm

      Thanks Michelle!

      Reply
  2. Dominique | Perchance to Cook says

    April 5, 2018 at 11:44 am

    So many yummy flavors in this soup! I love a comforting flavorful soup and this one fits the bill. I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  3. Kat says

    April 6, 2018 at 10:41 am

    I’m a southern girl at heart so you had my attention with green beans and ham. I never thought of making it into a soup. I have to try this!!

    Reply
  4. Leslie says

    April 6, 2018 at 2:02 pm

    I love your take on this! A flavorful broth base makes all the difference in the world. And I love the addition of bowtie pasta!

    Reply
  5. dixya @food, pleasure, and health says

    April 6, 2018 at 3:53 pm

    this is such a good idea to use up all the leftovers and great for weeknight.

    Reply
  6. Patti @Patty Cake's Pantry says

    April 7, 2018 at 2:23 pm

    I am so happy to have found this recipe. I literally had everything on hand to use to make this. Simple, delicious, and it used up my leftover ham from Easter. This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time, and it tastes amazing.

    Reply
  7. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    April 7, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    Yum!! Looks and sounds delicious! It’s all in the seasonings, isn’t it? Soup does not have to be flavorless but some people just don’t know how to use simple herbs and seasonings. And bacon? Heavens that would make anything taste better. I bet Hubby said the recipe is a keeper.

    Reply
  8. Anne says

    April 8, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    You know – classics became classics in the first place because they were good. Not the recipes fault if it gets watered down in the hands of people who don’t cook well, until even those who do only know the degraded version… This sounds fundamentally excellent, as long as it’s made with good ingredients – as you demonstrate!

    Reply
  9. Amanda says

    April 8, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    This looks like such a warm and comforting bowl of soup, and I love that you used farfalle! Using reserved bacon fat must give it such a great depth of flavor. What a great reinvention of the recipe, and a fantastic way to cook with leftover Easter ham!

    Reply
  10. Jessica says

    April 8, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    Any recipe that has bacon grease listed as the first ingredient sounds like a winner to me 😀 This dish has all of my wife’s favorites, I may just have to make it for her!

    Reply
  11. Sara says

    April 8, 2018 at 10:58 pm

    This looks really yummy! I can’t wait to try your recipe!

    Reply
  12. Tatiana says

    April 9, 2018 at 12:48 am

    I have never being to Pennsylvania,but if all the food there is as good as this Ham, Green Bean and Potato Soup, oh my! I will come visit!

    Reply
  13. Eileen Kelly says

    April 9, 2018 at 1:12 am

    I just got home from Pennsylvania and had some pretty amazing Dutch country food. I am stoked to make your soup, especially that your hubs grew up in the area. I am quite familiar with the regional food and I can say, I am excited to make your soup, adding the bacon flavor is an awesome addition and does make this the Best Pennsylvania Dutch Ham, Green Bean Soup

    Reply
  14. Steven says

    September 23, 2018 at 7:54 am

    The PA Dutch don’t put pot pie bows in our ham and green beans. Where are you from? Please Stop.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 23, 2018 at 11:33 am

      Hey Steven- You should check out the blog post above. This recipe is intended to be a remake of the traditional recipe. Growing up in Pennsylvania, my whole life I’ve thought that traditional PA Dutch Ham and Green Beans is just kind of “meh.” In addition to bow tie noodles I make a couple other minor changes to make the soup more flavorful and fuller bodied. Feel free to hate it because it’s different, but if you give it a try it might surprise you!

      Reply
  15. Chrissy says

    January 24, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    Have you ever made this with ham broth from the bone? Was wondering if it may be too strong. Thank you,

    Reply
    • Christina Whalen says

      February 26, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      I made it with stock made from the ham bon it was amazing.

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        June 16, 2019 at 4:47 pm

        Thanks Christina! It would be amazing with the ham bone!

        Reply
  16. Pete says

    March 5, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    I been making recipe this way for 20+years found it in a Pa Dutch cook book found at a flea market.Steven don”t
    know what he’s talking about. Flavor is great recipe had bow tie noodles in it.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 16, 2019 at 4:11 pm

      Haha! Thanks Pete!

      Reply
  17. Beth says

    June 14, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    We lived in north central PA for several years. I know one thing they had on hand was something called ham base (like a ham bouillon idea.) I make ham broth from my ham and freeze it with leftover meat. I was thinking the same thing, how to make it less watery, and chicken bouillon was my idea as well. I love the thought of the onions and pasta; going to try adding those to ours. Thank you for tweaking this classic great recipe!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 16, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      Hey Beth! Thanks for commenting! I’ve never made it with ham base before, but it sounds really flavorful. I have been know to throw a ham bone in the pot… Normally how it plays out in my kitchen is a make a ham and I have so many leftovers that I first make Split Pea Soup with my ham bone, but I still end up with leftover ham. With the leftover leftover ham I make this soup! You’ll have to come back and let me know how you like the addition of the onions and pasta!

      Reply
    • Tina says

      July 29, 2019 at 10:05 am

      Goya makes a ham bouillon and its great !!!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        August 19, 2019 at 5:28 pm

        Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check it out!

        Reply
  18. Tim says

    November 10, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    I’m making this for tonight’s dinner. I grew up in Amish country too. Have lived this soup all my life. I used to eat the sloppy, mushy soup too, but loved it! I wish my mom were here to make it for me. By the way. Thanks for the memory!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      November 12, 2019 at 2:14 pm

      Hi Tim! I’m so happy this is the recipe you were looking for. I hope you enjoy it along with lot of happy memories of you Mom!

      Reply
  19. Kate says

    May 30, 2021 at 9:54 pm

    I made this for dinner tonight per your recipe and it was delicious and brought back memories of my childhood at my German grandmother’s table! My small changes included adding 1 1/2 tsp. of Summer Savory and 1/4 tsp. of black pepper, as my grandmother always did (no salt, the ham has enough). Although she would not have, I was intrigued by the pasta, but not having bow ties, used about 3/4 C of Fusilli pasta. I found the pasta to be a wonderful addition to the soup! Thank you Rachel for sharing this delightful, simple recipe.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 8, 2021 at 11:46 pm

      Kate- Thank you so much for sharing about how your grandmother used to make this recipe. ❤️ I’m happy to hear you liked the addition of pasta. I think the pasta transforms the soup from a side dish to a complete and satisfying meal. Your grandmother’s use of summer savory is a good idea. I’ll have to give it a try!

      Reply
  20. Joel Honse says

    April 27, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Instead of farfalle I mark Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie noodles to drop in mine… sorta like dumpings….

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to use frozen fruits and vegetables (recipes galore!) – Cooking 1 Handed says:
    August 14, 2018 at 2:14 pm

    […] green beans get all dressed up with a little bacon grease and ham in this Pennsylvania Dutch Ham and Green Bean Soup from Simple […]

    Reply
  2. Ham, Green Bean, and Potato Soup | Patty Cake's Pantry says:
    January 12, 2020 at 11:14 pm

    […] some bean soup using ham broth, but then, I remembered that last year, I made this soup for the Best Pennsylvania Dutch, Ham, Green Bean, and Potato Soup.   It was delicious, and at the time, I had everything I needed to make it, but today, I […]

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


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