Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Hearty, flavorful Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is the best comfort meal, made easy in your Crockpot. Full of tender beans, smoky ham, and savory herbs. Perfect for using leftover ham!

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time8 15

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beans in crockpot, crock pot ham and neans, crockpot ham and bean soup, ham recipes, leftover ham

Servings:

Author: Sandy Clifton

Equipment

6-quart or larger Slow Cooker

Ingredients

1 pound Navy Beans (or Great Northern Beans), unsoaked
2-3 Ham Hocks (or a Meaty Ham Bone/Shank)
2 Bay Leaves
3 Carrots, chopped
1 large Yellow Onion, diced
3 ribs Celery, diced
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1-2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Rosemary
3-4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
7 cups Chicken Broth (see Note 1)

To Finish

2 cups Diced Cooked Ham

Optional

½ teaspoon Salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Prep

Pick through the beans and discard any debris. Rinse and drain the beans.

Make the Soup

Add the beans to a large (6- to 8-quart) slow cooker (Beans don't need soaking when using a slow cooker).
Nestle the ham bone/ham hock in with the beans and add the bay leaves carrots, onion, celery, garlic, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
(See Note 1) Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker. Stir.

Slow Cook

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or High for 4-6 hours, or until the beans and vegetables are tender.
Take the ham bone out and place it on a plate. Use forks to remove any meat from the bone and shred it. Set aside (discard the bone, fat, etc.).
Discard the bay leaves.

Adjust Consistency (optional)

If you want your soup thicker or thinner, see the Notes below before you add the meat back into the soup (see Note 2).

Finish

Add the shredded meat from the ham bone back into the soup, along with the diced ham. Allow to cook for a few more minutes until heated through.
Taste and add salt if you think it needs it.
Serve with some crusty bread or rolls.

Notes

Consistency

Broth/Liquid
• Use chicken broth, water, beef broth, or vegetable broth. If you have already soaked the beans, you can reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1 cup.
Thickness
• For a thicker soup, remove 1 cup of the cooked beans, mash or blend them, and stir back into the soup.
• For a soupier consistency, add 1 extra cup of broth.

Storage

Refrigerate: Up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: Up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition