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.
I’ve never been a big fan of white beans in general but this soup looks and sounds perfect for dinner tonight. Been shoveling piles of snow off the driveway all day. Thanks, Kevin!
I love navy bean soup. I have memories of eating this often after moving from Iowa to Florida. Mom made it often and cornbread on the side, although a fresh crusty bread sounds fantastic. Need to make this soon.
The beans are simmering on the stove now and the whole house smells wonderful. Will substitute ham for some chicken stock. May add some summer squash towards the end of the cooking time.
One of my all-time favorites! Enjoy Jayne. 🙂
I made this recipe yesterday. I made it exactly as written except I didn’t have any celery and instead of water I used chicken stock. It was delicious. My family and I really enjoyed it. Will definitely be making it again.
So glad you and the family enjoyed this one Kay. Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know!
I am from New Orleans. Seems like dad made this couple times a month. We like to use a Spanish mirepoix… (saute onion, bell pepper and celery) with salt pork, tasso or bacon. add 2 bay leaves, about 1 T smoked paprika, 1/2 t cayenne, 1/2 t thyme, 2-3 cloves minced garlic at the end of the saute. We used ham or chicken stock. After adding this mixture to your pot add a ham hock and 1-2 T liquid smoke. And always served over white rice (Jasmin) is my preference.
LONG LIVE THE CAJUNS! 🙂
Sounds delicious to me!
Great meal! Followed recipe close, similar to my Moms old school. My parents age most peoples grandparents . I added smoked sausage & a 1/2 tsp liquid smoke. Smells great. I’ve always uses smoked hammocks before, thought I’d try sausage. Price & time. Thanks
I do love the simplicity of how the recipe is written and the flavors, but the smoked ham-hocks sound so good Marlene!
This soup is so delicious and healthy. I added smoked paprika for a little smokiness like a bean with bacon soup without the bacon. With the instant pot are you doing a natural release or just a few minutes?
That sounds great! I am glad you tried it!
Have you made it with dried thyme? How much would you recommend using?
I would use 1/2 teaspoon Shelia.
Thanks – will try that
Have you ever made this with squash? I have summer squash in my garden. Wondering how it might turn out.
If you try it let me know! I would love to hear!
Hi Kevin! Do you think shiitake mushrooms would make this even better? We are cooking this now, it smells amazing I cannot wait!!
If you add them in let me know! I would love to hear how the addition was!
Just put a pot of these on now. The smell of just the veggies sauteing is amazing. Will set aside after they’re done and have them tomorrow evening with a pan of Jiffy cornbread. Soups and beans are usually even better the day after. Great recipe, thanks.
I love the smell of this recipe cooking as well! Thank you for sharing!