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–+ servings
Bowl of ham and bean soup with a spoon in it.
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Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Easy Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is a hearty and flavorful recipe. It's comfort food in a bowl that takes 10 minutes to prepare (no need to soak the beans).
Course dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 281kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried Great Northern Beans rinsed and picked through
  • 1 large smoked ham bone, ham hock, or ham shank It's great to use a leftover ham bone for this recipe
  • 2 cups carrots diced or julienned
  • 1 cup onion about ½ of a medium onion diced
  • 2 medium celery stalks sliced or diced
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
  • 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • several dashes of hot pepper sauce we use Tabasco
  • 1-2 cups additional diced ham optional, but gives the soup a rich, chunky texture
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse, drain, and pick out any damaged beans or debris from the dry beans and place them in the bottom of your 6-quart slow cooker.
    Great northern beans in a colander.
  • Place the ham bone/hock/shank on top of the beans and add the carrots, chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients, and then add the bay leaf, parsley, celery salt, mustard powder, black pepper, and hot sauce.
    Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 - 9 hours or until beans are tender.
    Step to make ham and bean soup in the crockpot.
  • Remove the ham bone/hock/shank from the crock pot. Remove any ham meat from the bone, chop or shred it and then set it aside. Discard the bay leaf and any fat or cartilage left behind.
    Ham chopped into cubes.
  • Use an immersion blender to puree a little of the soup to give it a creamy texture while leaving most of the beans whole. Add the chopped ham (and any other leftover shredded ham) back into the crockpot and give it a stir.
    Allow it to cook for a few more minutes until heated through. 
    Ham and bean soup in a slow cooker with a ladle in it.

Notes

    • Hambone, ham hock, or ham shank - It's great to use a leftover ham bone for this recipe. However, you can also ask your local butcher or deli at the grocery store for either ham bones or ham hocks if you need to. Ideally, you'd like a bit of meat on the bone to add to your soup.
    • STORAGE: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
    • FREEZING: This ham and bean soup freezes so well. Cool it completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container, label & date, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • COOK TIME: The cooking time can vary depending on your model crock pot. That's why the cooking time is set between 7-9 hours. Cooking it on high may not soften the beans all the way, so we don't recommend it.
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 612mg | Potassium: 1112mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5357IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg