Where to Find Ham Bones for Soup Without Buying a Whole Ham

Making soup from scratch can be a delicious and rewarding experience. There’s something so comforting about a hearty bowl of homemade soup simmering on the stove. However, many soup recipes call for ingredients that may seem unusual or hard to find at your average grocery store. One such example is soup recipes that use ham bones to add rich smoky flavor. If you don’t want to buy an entire ham just to use the bone where can you find ham bones for soup?

Ask Your Local Butcher

The first place to check is your local butcher or the butcher counter at your grocery store Tell them you are looking to buy ham bones to make soup. They may have some ham bones available for purchase since they butcher whole hams regularly Depending on the store, you may be able to specifically request smoked or unsmoked ham bones. Buying ham bones directly from the butcher allows you to get just what you need for your soup without wasting money on a whole ham.

Check the Frozen Section

Another place to look is in the frozen meat section of your grocery store. Some stores sell packages of frozen smoked ham bones intended for soups and beans. These are usually pre-cut ham bones, around 1 pound in size. While not exactly the same as fresh ham bones from the butcher, frozen ham bones can still impart plenty of smoky ham flavor to soups and beans. Thaw them in the refrigerator before adding to your soup pot.

Use Ham Hocks Instead

If you can’t find ham bones, smoked ham hocks make an excellent substitute. Ham hocks are the ankles of the pig and contain both bone and meat. The bone adds flavor while the meat provides texture and flavor to the soup. Look for ham hocks near the bacon or in the frozen section. Soak ham hocks in water before cooking to reduce saltiness. After cooking, remove any remaining meat from the bones and add it back to the soup.

Use Deli Ham

You can mimic the flavor of ham bones by using deli ham. Ask for a 1/4 to 1/2 pound chunk of boneless ham sliced fresh from the deli counter. Dice or cube the ham and add it to beans or soup for a boost of smoky flavor. While it won’t impart quite as much richness as an actual ham bone, it’s readily available at most grocery store deli counters.

Order Online

If you’re striking out finding ham bones locally, there are some options for ordering them online. Search for “smoked ham bones” or “ham bones for soup” online. Some specialty meat purveyors sell ham soup bones for delivery. This option tends to be more expensive but allows you to get just the high-quality ham bones you need. Check the delivery date to ensure freshness.

Use Bacon Instead

In a pinch, bacon can provide a similar smoky, salty flavor as ham bones. Chop or dice a few slices of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, then add them back later for flavor and texture. You won’t get quite the same rich bone broth but it imparts that smoky essence.

Check Local Farmers Markets

Visit local farmers markets and ask vendors if they have ham bones for sale. Some small-scale pig farmers may bring ham bones to the market if customers request them. Building relationships with vendors means you can ask them to set some ham bones aside for you each week.

Save Bones from Your Holiday Ham

Around the holidays, you may be able to source ham bones by saving them from your holiday ham. Choose a bone-in spiral sliced ham or a half ham. After carving, wrap the bone and freeze it. Use this ham bone to make bean, pea or lentil soups in the months following the holidays.

Use a Whole Ham Bone

Rather than small ham bone pieces, some recipes call for a whole ham bone. You can sometimes find these uncooked at butcher shops or you may be able to request the bone when you buy a whole or half ham. Using the whole bone in the cooking liquid extracts maximum flavor. Remove the bone before serving.

Roast a Fresh Ham

If you don’t mind putting in some extra work, you can actually roast a fresh uncured ham at home. Unlike a cured smoked ham, a fresh ham is raw pork leg. Roast the fresh ham in the oven until the meat registers 145°F. After carving off servings, you can use the bone and some of the meat scraps to make soup stock. This method allows you to get ham bone flavor from a fresh uncured ham.

Check Asian Markets

Asian and Chinese markets sometimes have pork bones for sale that can be used similarly to ham bones. Names to look for include pork leg bone, pork knuckle bones or pork hock bones. These bones tend to be less processed than cured ham bones but can still impart pork flavor to soups when simmered for an extended time.

Use a Different Pork Bone

While they won’t provide exactly the same flavor as ham, other pork bones can be used. Pork neck bones, pork trotters, pork knuckles or pork feet all contain collagen and marrow that enriches soup. Braise the bones before adding to the soup pot to draw out their flavor. These bones tend to be inexpensive and can usually be found fresh or frozen.

Consider Making Your Own Bone Broth

For the most control over flavor, consider saving bones from previous meals to make your own personalized bone broth. Whenever you cook bone-in pork chops, ham, ribs or roasts, stash the bones in freezer bags. Roast the bones at 400°F for 45 minutes then simmer in water for 8+ hours to extract their flavor and collagen into homemade bone broth. This allows you to create customized broth with the flavor profile you want.

While it does require some searching, finding ham bones for homemade soup is very doable. With so many options available, from asking your butcher to buying ham hocks or deli ham, you should be able to locate ham bones for your next pot of soup. Getting your hands on some ham bones is a great way to bring rich, porky flavor into bean dishes, lentil soups and more without having to buy a whole ham. So search both in stores and online until you secure just the right ham bones for soup or stew.