Slow Cooker Ham And Bean Soup Recipe

I turned leftover holiday ham into a Slow Cooker Ham And Bean Soup that relies on a pantry trick many cooks overlook.

I always hate the week after a big dinner, leftover ham staring at me, so I started experimenting with a meaty ham bone and great northern beans to see what they’d become. This Slow Cooker Ham And Bean Soup surprised me, smoky and thick in the best way, not fancy but somehow more interesting than the original roast.

If you like rough, honest bowls like Bean Soup With Ham Bone Crockpot you’ll get that deep ham flavor that keeps pulling you back for one more bowl. I mess around, make mistakes, but this one keeps showing up on my meal plan.

Ingredients

• Great northern beans add protein fiber and creamy body to soup very filling
• Meaty ham bone gives deep savory salty flavor and adds collagen and protein
• Yellow onion adds sweet savory base and helps mellow the broth
• Carrots bring subtle sweetness vitamin A color and a bit of texture
• Garlic boosts aroma and flavor may support immunity when eaten often
• Low sodium broth keeps soup savory without too much salt adds liquid
• Smoked paprika adds warm smoky note small amounts give big flavor
• Celery adds subtle savory crunch folate and minerals nice balance to beans
• Fresh parsley brightens flavor and adds vitamin K use as finishing touch

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 pound dried great northern or navy beans
• 1 meaty ham bone about 2 to 3 pounds or 2 to 3 cups diced cooked ham
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

How to Make this

1. Sort and rinse the beans, pick out any stones, then either soak them overnight covered with plenty of water, or quick soak them: put beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour, then drain.

2. If using the olive oil, heat 1 tablespoon in a skillet over medium, sauté the chopped onion, carrots and celery until softened about 5 to 7 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds more; transfer the veggies to the slow cooker (you can skip sautéing and dump them in raw if you want).

3. Add the drained beans to the slow cooker, then the ham bone (or 2 to 3 cups diced cooked ham), 8 cups low sodium chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika if using, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

4. Cover and cook: on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beans are tender and creamy. If you soaked the beans, plan for about 6 to 7 hours low or 3 to 4 hours high.

5. Remove the ham bone and the bay leaves. Pick any meat off the bone, chop it up and stir it back into the soup. Discard the bay leaves and the bare bone.

6. For a thicker, creamier texture mash a cup or so of beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, or pulse a little with an immersion blender, then stir everything together.

7. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt only if needed because the ham and broth can be salty. If the soup is too salty dilute with a cup or two of water or unsalted broth, or simmer with a peeled potato to absorb extra salt.

8. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley, ladle into bowls and serve warm. Leftovers get better the next day; refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.

Equipment Needed

1. Slow cooker, 6 to 8 quart, big enough for the beans and ham bone
2. Large pot, for sorting, rinsing and quick-soaking the beans
3. Skillet or sauté pan, if you want to brown the onion, carrot and celery first
4. Colander or fine-mesh strainer, to drain the beans after soaking
5. Cutting board and chef’s knife, for chopping veg and cutting ham off the bone
6. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, spices and herbs
7. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for stirring and mashing a cup of beans
8. Ladle, for serving the soup into bowls
9. Immersion blender or potato masher, optional for a creamier texture

FAQ

Slow Cooker Ham And Bean Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Beans: swap the 1 lb dried for about 6 cups cooked beans (roughly 3 15-oz cans, drained). Add them in the last hour so they don’t turn to mush.
• Ham bone / diced ham: use a smoked turkey leg or 2 cups diced smoked turkey for a similar smoky, meaty note; or go vegetarian by skipping the meat and boosting umami with sautéed mushrooms and 1 tsp smoked paprika.
• Chicken broth: replace with vegetable broth, low-sodium turkey broth, or plain water plus 1 bouillon cube or 1 tsp concentrated stock if thats what you got.
• Smoked paprika: if you dont have it, mix 1/4 tsp liquid smoke with 1 tsp sweet paprika, or use 1/2 tsp chipotle powder for smoky heat.

Pro Tips

1) Soak trick: if you forget the overnight soak, the quick soak works fine, but the beans may still take longer to get really creamy. A tiny pinch of baking soda in the soaking water speeds softening, but dont add too much or it can give a soapy taste, rinse well afterwards.

2) Boost the flavor by browning stuff first. Sear the ham bone or brown some diced ham and the veggies in a hot pan so you get those browned bits, then add them to the cooker later, it makes the whole soup deeper and less flat.

3) Salt and texture hacks: wait to add most salt until the end since the ham and broth already bring salt. For a creamier bowl mash a cup of beans or pulse briefly with an immersion blender, its faster than waiting forever for the beans to break down on their own.

4) Finish and storage: brighten each bowl with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice right before serving and toss in fresh parsley. Soup thickens as it cools so thin leftovers with a little unsalted broth or water when reheating; freeze in portion size containers so you only thaw what you need.