Out of Ham, one case

Ham substitute for bean soup

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Smoked turkey leg or wing

Same amount by weight as the ham

In bean soup, a smoked turkey leg or wing is the closest swap for ham or a ham hock: use the same weight, simmer it with the beans and shred the meat back in. Bacon works at about two thirds of the weight, cooked first so the onions fry in its fat. For a meatless pot, 1 to 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika gives the smoke, and the soup needs extra salt because nothing else is bringing it.

Verdict —: Works
The tweak —: Simmer the whole piece with the beans for 1 ½ to 2 hours, lift it out, shred the meat off the bone and stir it back in.
Best for —: ham and bean soup and 15 bean soup

One casethe full ham card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Ham substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of ham	Verdict
1	Smoked turkey leg or wingham and bean soup and 15 bean soup	Same amount by weightWorks	Works
2	Baconquick soups from canned beans	2/3:1 by weightTweak it	Tweak it
3	Smoked sausagequick weeknight bean soup	Same amount by weightTweak it	Tweak it
4	Ham base or ham bouillonreplacing a lost or used-up seasoning packet	1 tsp per cup of waterYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	Smoked paprikavegetarian and vegan bean soup	1 to 2 tsp per potYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Smoked turkey leg or wing

smoky and salty, slightly leaner and less sweet than ham

Cured and smoked like ham, with bone, skin and connective tissue that give the broth body the way a ham hock does. The meat shreds into the soup.

Best for: ham and bean soup and 15 bean soup, split pea soup, replacing a ham hock or ham bone, pots for people who do not eat pork
Prep: Simmer the whole piece with the beans for 1 ½ to 2 hours, lift it out, shred the meat off the bone and stir it back in.
Where it fails: A quick soup from canned beans: there is not enough simmering time to pull flavor from the bone. Use diced smoked turkey or sausage there.

It is already cooked and salted. Hold the salt until the end and taste first.

Bacon

smokier and fattier; the pieces are small and soft, not meaty cubes

Smoked and cured like ham but much fattier and saltier, so less of it goes further. It flavors the whole pot through its rendered fat.

Best for: quick soups from canned beans, navy bean and white bean soup, when smoke matters more than chunks of meat
Prep: Chop it, cook it in the soup pot until the fat renders, and cook the onion, carrot and celery in that fat. Pour off some fat if there is more than 2 tbsp.
Where it fails: It gives no gelatin, so the broth is thinner than one made with a hock. Bacon left to simmer for hours turns limp; save some crisp pieces for the top.

Smoked sausage

garlicky and smoky; andouille adds heat

Kielbasa, andouille or any fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced into coins. It brings smoke, salt and meaty pieces, plus garlic and spice of its own.

Best for: quick weeknight bean soup, white bean and kale soup, red beans and Cajun-style pots
Prep: Brown the slices first for flavor, then add them for the last 20 to 30 minutes so they stay firm.
Where it fails: A plain, old-fashioned ham and bean soup: the sausage seasoning changes the character of the pot.

Ham base or ham bouillon

salty and ham-like, with less smoke than a hock

A concentrated paste or powder that gives the broth its ham flavor without any meat. It also stands in for the ham-flavor seasoning packet sold with bagged bean soup mixes.

Best for: replacing a lost or used-up seasoning packet, boosting a soup made with a small amount of meat, ham flavor with no ham on hand
Prep: Stir it into the cooking liquid and leave out other salt until you have tasted the finished soup.
Where it fails: It adds no meat and no body. It is not vegetarian: most ham bases contain pork.

Strength varies by brand, so follow the jar's own amount per cup if it differs.

Smoked paprika

smoky and savory, without the cured pork flavor

The meatless route. Smoked paprika supplies the smoke, olive oil supplies some of the richness, and salt has to be added on purpose.

Best for: vegetarian and vegan bean soup, kosher and halal kitchens, when there is no smoked meat in the house
Prep: For a pot made from 1 lb of dried beans, cook 1 to 2 tsp smoked paprika with the onions in 2 tbsp olive oil. For more smoke, add liquid smoke ¼ tsp at a time. Salt to taste at the end.
Suits: vegan, vegetarian
Where it fails: It gives no meat to chew and no gelatin. Mash a cup of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.

A tablespoon of soy sauce or miso stirred in at the end adds the savory depth the meat would have given.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeHam

Ham does three things in bean soup: it salts the pot, it adds smoke, and when it goes in as a hock or bone it releases gelatin that gives the broth body. Cubes of ham also give something to chew. No single substitute covers all of that, so choose by what the pot most needs: a smoked bone-in cut for body, bacon or sausage for a quick soup, and spices when the soup has to be meatless.

Tips for substituting ham

5 tips

Every smoked meat here is salty. Leave salt out until the beans are tender, then taste and adjust.
For a pot from 1 lb of dried beans, one smoked turkey leg or two wings, about 1 to 1 ½ lb, replaces one ham hock or a meaty ham bone.
Add liquid smoke by the ¼ tsp and taste between additions. It is strong, and too much tastes harsh and bitter.
If the soup has no bone in it, mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans and stir them back in for body.
A splash of cider vinegar, about 1 tsp per pot, at the end sharpens a soup that tastes flat without the ham.

Questions

5 questions

What can I use in place of a ham hock in bean soup?

A smoked turkey leg, wing or neck, in the same weight, simmered with the beans for 1 ½ to 2 hours. It gives smoke, salt and body the same way. Without smoked meat, cook bacon in the pot first, or use 1 to 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.

What can I use if I lost the seasoning packet from 15 bean soup?

The packet is a salty, ham-flavored seasoning. Replace it with ham base or bouillon at about 1 teaspoon per cup of water, or with chicken bouillon plus 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, a little garlic powder and onion powder. Taste before adding any other salt.

How do I make ham and bean soup vegetarian?

Leave out the ham and build the flavor in three parts: 1 to 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika cooked with the onions, 2 tablespoons of olive oil for richness, and salt plus a tablespoon of soy sauce or miso at the end. Use vegetable broth, and check that any bean-mix seasoning packet is meat-free.

Can I use bacon in place of ham in bean soup?

Yes. Use about two thirds of the weight of ham the recipe calls for, since bacon is fattier and saltier. Render it in the pot first, cook the vegetables in the fat, and hold back on salt until the end.

What beans can I use if I do not have the ones in the recipe?

White beans swap for each other in equal amounts: navy, great northern and cannellini all work in ham and bean soup. Smaller beans cook faster and break down more, which makes a thicker soup. Pinto beans also work, with a darker broth.