Mom’s Navy Beans Recipe
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This navy beans recipe of my mom’s makes a simple comfort food classic. Tender, seasoned white beans and veggies in a flavorful broth. Be sure to watch the how-to video located in the recipe card.
My mom taught me many things, but cooking and sharing our love for good food was something we both loved to do together. When she passed away, my Dad asked if I wanted anything of hers. My request was to go through her cookbooks and personal recipes. I love that I’m able to pass on my favorites and keep my memories of her alive.
Here is her simple, yet satisfying white beans recipe, which I’ve always loved. It’s a flavorful white bean soup. You can add sliced franks or shredded meat to stretch the meal, and it’s a perfect way to use fresh vegetables and pantry staples you already have on hand!
Navy beans
Navy beans, also known as pea beans (named for their tiny round size), are one of a few different varieties of white beans. Other common white beans are Great Northern, cannellini, fagioli, and lima.
Although they grow differently, and vary in size and shape, all white beans are interchangeable in most recipes. They all have a white casing and starchy, creamy center.
This is a navy beans recipe, but you’re welcome to use any type of white bean that you like or already have on hand.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Nothing complicated about the ingredients in this white beans recipe. It calls for staple soup ingredients; onion, carrots and celery. To help flavor the broth, there’s a bit of crushed garlic and thyme.
For a heartier meal, you can add any type of cooked protein. Oftentimes, I like to add shredded chicken, leftover holiday ham or boneless turkey breast.
If you use fagioli beans and add cooked pasta and Italian sausage, it could a homemade version of Olive Garden’s pasta fagioli!
Video: Making Mom’s white beans recipe
The meal comes together really quickly after soaking the beans in water overnight.
Watch the video in the recipe card below to see me make the navy white bean soup from start to finish.
Did you forget to soak your white beans?
If you forget or don’t have time to soak beans overnight, it’s okay. Just use my method to quick soak beans and an hour later, you’ll be ready to make this navy beans recipe.
Serving suggestions
This recipe makes the perfect comfort food lunch or dinner; great at taking the winter chill off your bones. Serve with a salad and loaf of crusty french bread or my gramma’s potato rolls. It’s a wonderful, cozy and comforting navy white bean soup.
Enjoy!
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This post, first published on Kevin Is Cooking Jan. 10, 2014, was last updated with new content and video on Dec. 9, 2021.
Mom’s Navy Beans Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried navy beans or other white beans
- 1 large yellow onion chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 large carrots chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 stalks celery chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 sprigs thyme tied, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add dried white beans to large pot, then enough water to cover beans by 1 inch. Allow beans to soak for 8 hours. To save time, feel free to quick soak beans.
- Heat olive oil in large soup or stock pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.Â
- Use a colander to drain and rinse soaked beans. Add beans to the stock pot of sautéed vegetables and stir to incorporate. Add bundle of thyme sprigs (or dried thyme), garlic and fresh water to cover beans by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover pot and lower heat to simmer; Cook for 4 hours or until beans are soft, but not mushy (See Note 1). To make this navy beans recipe in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, see Note 2.
- Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.
Video
Notes
- At this stage it can be seasoned to reflect whatever type of soup you want, be it French with thyme and tarragon, Mexican with cumin, Italian with Italian herbs, etc.
You can also add fresh franks from the butcher and cook for an additional 20 minutes, but sometimes I like to add chicken. - If using a slow cooker cook on high for 4 hours. If using an Instant Pot, use manual setting to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then perform a Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes.
- Per Nutrition Facts on 16 ounces dried beans: Serving Size 1/4 cup dried, Servings per container about 12. Beans double in volume when cooked, so this would be a 1/2 cup serving, not counting other ingredients.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Looks delicious … one of the few soups my husband will eat since he is NOT a lover of veggies!! The comment below about the fried potatoes added to the soup sounds yummy and reminded me of the basic Basque style Vegetable Soup with all the “fixins” I grew up eating in Bakersfield at any one of the MANY basque restaurants. I miss that living in Phoenix now… If I can put in a vote for an International soup for you to make a video of, that would be it! Can’t wait to try this during the cold month LOL…
Thank you Kevin … love your videos ♥
You’re the best Marcy, it’s on the list!
The thing about soup is you can make it using up leftovers. We eat white beans and fried potatoes. I use my left over beans and turn it into soup. You can add what ever you like. I add cut up potatoes, celery, onions. If I have leftover ham, I add that. Corn is such an amazing addition to soup.
Couldn’t agree more Candy! 🙂
This is a great simple recipe for me to try since I’m trying to broaden my cooking horizons! I used about half organic vegetable stock and added cooked bacon and put it in the crock pot. So we’ll see what happens!
Super easy, super basic and delivers on a great comfort food dinner Molly!
This has got to be my all time favourite! My dad made this and added, I think, some kind of stewing beef. I asked for this on my birthday when I was a kid.
Excellent Susan. Thanks for taking the tie to come back to let me know!
My mother made the best navy bean soup too! Yay for our moms! This looks totally yummy. One of the coziest and heartiest winter soups!
Agreed Mary Ann. Stay warm out there! 🙂
What is it about Navy Bean soup? My mom made a delicious one as I recall, too! It’s been a long time since I’ve had it! Thank you for sharing this recipe and dear story!
Thank YOU Annie! Mom recipes are the best! 🙂
Hey Kevin! This is my kind of comfort food! I love beans and a big bowl of this would make me very happy. I love that you are sharing family recipes, they bring families and friends closer together and warm memories! Great job my friend!
Awwww – so sweet, Kevin! Love recipes like that!! I really enjoy using beans and lentils and I actually have a white bean recipe coming up shortly. They’re just so comforting this time of year. Love to have a big bowl of this right now with a hunk of break for dunkin’!
I so agree Dawn, thanks! 🙂
Delicious recipe, Kevin! The second time I made it, I substituted chicken stock for the water and added a ham hock as well. In fact, my third try is cooking right now. Can’t wait till they’re done!!
Excellent Miles! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know. Cheers!
I love the backstory on this recipe, and I LOVE that this is low-fat! I’ve got navy beans soaking now so that I can make this tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your expertise!
So happy you found my site and are giving these a go Joanne! Enjoy. 🙂