Grandma Mollie's Ham & Bean Soup
by Kelsey Merritt
Mollie. Weyerbacher family archives.
Serves: 10-12
Time: 6 hours total (1-hour active)
The women in my family have a long history of hands that smell faintly of onion and garlic. I was raised in an apron, learning how to cook cherry pie filling thickly and to peel a potato skin paper-thin. I’m proud to come from a long line of strong women and incredible cooks— including my Great-Grandmother, Amalia (Mollie).
Born in Eureka, South Dakota in 1902, Mollie was a single-mother of six children. To support her family, she worked as a cook for many years in Miles City, Montana’s Ten Spot Café, Log Cabin Café, and The Supper Club at the Rendezvous. Her recipe has been passed down through the generations, though we never hesitate to call our Grandma Twila (Mollie’s daughter) with questions.
This is a hearty soup built to withstand cold days and feed your family well—it can even be frozen to enjoy another day too! The original recipe was verbal, and the handwritten version I received included no quantities. In order to make the recipe accessible to Montana Woman readers, I’ve measured out the ingredients and clarified the instructions so that you, too, can enjoy this delicious Ham & Bean Soup.
It is a profound pleasure to share this family recipe with you, as I share it with my son too. May it bring you a full belly, a happy family around the table, and the resiliency of Grandma Mollie.
Ingredients
For the beans
24 oz. Great Northern Navy Beans
8 cups water
For the soup
1 ½ gallons water
2 smoked ham hocks
1 medium onion, chopped
6 allspice balls
4 bay leaves
4 large carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 ½ tsp. ham base
Salt
Pepper
Thyme (optional)
For the roux
8 slices of bacon, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Mollie in the Kitchen. Weyerbacher family archives.
Instructions
1. The night before you cook the soup, thoroughly rinse the beans in cold water. Bring the Great Northern Navy Beans just to a boil in 8 cups water. Remove from heat. Allow to cool before covering and placing in fridge overnight.
2. 4 hours before you intend to serve the soup, bring the 1 ½ gallons of water and smoked ham hocks to a boil. While the water boils, remove the beans from fridge. Drain, rinse again, and refill with 8 cups water. Bring to a soft boil alongside the soup. You may need to add water while beans cook to keep them covered in water.
*Note: Some people add salt to cooking beans, but Grandma Mollie said not to, claiming it took longer for the beans to cook.
3. Once ham hocks boil, add onion, allspice, and bay leaves. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
4. After that time, drain beans and add to soup pot. Add carrots. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Add ketchup and ham base, stirring well.
6. Cook bacon on medium heat. Once cooked, remove bacon from grease and place on paper towels to drain. Add flour to bacon grease and brown on medium-low heat while stirring continuously with a whisk. It is easy to burn the roux, so be cautious of the browning process. If unsure, err on the side of less browned. Add ½ - 1 cup of roux to the soup, stirring in well. Add cooked bacon to soup if desired.
*Note: Butter can be used in place of bacon grease to make roux, but the flavor is not nearly as rich. Grandma Mollie always used bacon grease! I changed the recipe to include the cooked bacon, because let’s be real: everything is better with bacon.
7. Allow soup to simmer until serving time, adding salt and pepper to taste. Be wary of over-salting, as the smoked ham hocks and ham base are also salty. Thyme can also be added for an herbal flavor to the soup.
8. For best results, serve soup with warm bread and enjoy!
Kelsey’s son, Connor, helping out
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