Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is the perfect comfort food for a cold day. Richly flavored with a ham bone and beans, this soup makes for an easy dinner that takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time.
You can’t go wrong with a slow cooker soup on a frosty winter day. Just pop everything in the Crockpot and walk away… and get ready for some amazing smells to fill the house! Whether you’re making Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Chipotle, Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup, Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup, or this new Ham and Bean soup, you won’t regret it.
For my fellow ham-lovers, this recipe is steeped with sweet, smoky flavor straight from the ham bone. The meat gets perfectly tender as it cooks so you have succulent pieces of ham in every bite.
This soup is also surprisingly healthy, with bits of carrots, celery, onion, and beans. It’s such a hearty and filling soup, perfect with a slice of crusty bread to finish off the meal.
Ingredients you will need:
- Bone broth (made in the slow cooker) or low-sodium chicken broth
- Dried Great Northern beans, rinsed
- Carrots
- Celery stalks
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Bay leaf
- Meaty ham bone
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley
How do you make Ham and Bean Soup in the slow cooker?
This soup is ultra-simple to make! You will be done in no time.
- Put everything in the Crockpot. Add broth, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf to a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add the ham bone and submerge in broth.
- Cook. Cover and cook on HIGH until beans are tender, 6-8 hours.
- Finish the soup. Discard bay leaf. Remove ham bone and let sit until cool enough to handle. Once cool, dice any ham meat and stir it back into the soup.
- Season and serve. Season soup with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Recipe variations:
- Use leftover ham: If you have leftover ham hanging around in the fridge, you can chop it and cook it in the soup instead of using a ham bone. To get the extra ham flavor, you can cook the soup with a ham hock instead of a ham bone.
- Use canned beans: If you don’t have dried beans, you can use canned beans instead.
- Add kale or spinach: If you would like, add kale or spinach 20-30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
- Make your soup creamier: At the end of the cooking time, you can smash some of the beans against the side of the slow cooker insert to create a creamier soup.
How long is ham and bean soup good in the fridge?
- You can store the leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
What should I serve with ham and bean soup?
- This soup is hearty and filling all on its own, but you can serve it with a simple green salad and bread for a full meal. This Easy Guinness Bread would be great.
Wine pairings for ham and bean soup:
- A Chardonnay or Riesling would compliment the sweet and salty flavors of the ham.
- For red wine, a Zinfandel or Pinot Noir would make great pairings for this recipe.
If you loved this Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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More slow cooker recipes:
- Slow Cooker Osso Bucco Recipe
- Perfect Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
- Slow Cooker Kung Pau Chicken
- Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter
More soup recipes:
- Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale
- Creamy Quinoa Soup
- Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pesto
- The Best Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound dried Great Northern beans (rinsed)
- 3 large carrots (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
- 2 celery stalks (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
- 1 small yellow onion (minced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large (meaty ham bone (about 4 lb.))
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Fresh parsley (minced to garnish)
Instructions
- Add broth, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf to a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add the ham bone and submerge in broth. Cover and cook on HIGH until beans are tender, 6-8 hours.
- Discard bay leaf. Remove ham bone and let sit until cool enough to handle. Once cool, dice any ham meat and stir it back into the soup.
- Season soup with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Add kale or spinach: If you would like, add kale or spinach 20-30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.Â
- For creamier soup: At the end of the cooking time, you can smash some of the beans against the side of the slow cooker insert to create a creamier soup.Â
Hey Erin,
For the last few years, my husband and I have really enjoyed your recipes and are always looking forward to your next posting.
For this soup, I’m not sure I can find a ‘meaty ham bone” at the moment. What would you recommend as a substitute?
Thanks and keep well.
Hi Barbara – you could also try using a ham shank, ham hock, or a few strips of bacon to add that yummy flavor!