Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe (2024)

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Published: Nov 10, 2022 by Andrea + Stef ·

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Amazingly flavorful soup loaded with chopped ham, white beans and vegetables. It's an ultimate comfort food that the whole family will love.

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In case you are a big fan of soups, then this easy and delicious crockpot ham and bean soup recipe is perfect for you. It comes together in only 5 minutes and cooks to perfection all by itself in the slow cooker. This flavorful soup is packed with ham, white beans, carrots and celery is one of the best homemade soups you will ever eat. Additionally, this ham and beans recipe is the perfect way to put leftover holiday ham or turkey to good use. This soup is a real family favorite in our house and best served with crusty white bread or cornbread.

Table of Contents

What is Slow Cooker Ham and Beans?

This delicious crockpot ham and bean soup recipe combines chicken broth with beans, carrots, celery and diced ham for a flavorful soup that everyone loves. The addition of rosemary, thyme and a hint of garlic make this ham and bean recipe especially irresistible.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: flavorful soup full of tender ham, beans and vegetables that makes a perfect weeknight dinner
Main Ingredients: chicken broth, Great Northern beans, carrots, celery, yellow onion, garlic, ham and spices
Cooking Method: Crockpot
Nutrients: low in carbohydrates, high in fiber and protein
Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time, 6 hours cooking time
Pairs well with: crusty bread, cornbread, garlic bread
Diets: gluten free, dairy free
Special Equipment Needed: slow cooker, knife and cutting board, ladle

Stef says….

This delicious one-pot soup is perfect for busy weeknight dinner time. Set it in the morning and come home to an amazing home cooked meal.

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this crockpot ham and bean soup recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this slow cooker ham and beans you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
1 pound dried Great Northern beans (rinsed)
3 large carrots (diced)
3 celery stalks (diced)
1 small yellow onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced, 4 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 large meaty ham bone (3-5 lbs.)

Optional Garnish

Fresh parsley

Variations and Substitutions

Ham: Instead of ham bone you can also use ham hock, ham shank, leftover holiday ham or diced ham steaks.

Beans: Instead of Great Northern beans you can substitute navy beans, cannellini beans, pinto beans or bean mix such as Hurts’s hambeens, for example.

Potatoes: If you like you can add diced potatoes or sweet potatoes to this hearty soup.

Bacon: For some extra flavor add some cooked bacon to this slow cooker soup.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook ham and beans soup in the slow cooker, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, in a large crockpot, layer broth, white beans, diced carrots, diced celery, chopped onions, minced garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Then, stir to combine. Afterwards submerge the ham bone in the broth and beans.

COOK: Then, cover and cook on high until the beans are tender, about 6-8 hours.

FINISH: Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf. Afterward let the ham bone cool for a moment. Once cool enough to handle, dice any ham meat and stir it into the bean soup.

SERVE: Finally, season soup with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Then ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love scrumptious meat and bean dinners then you’ll love our Frito Pie With Ground Beef. This yummy, quick and easy comfort food combines perfectly seasoned beef and beans with melty cheese and crispy Frito chips.

Make Ahead

You can in fact make this soup up to 3 days ahead of time. This will give the flavors time to develop and blend even better so the soup might actually taste better the next day. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best crockpot ham and bean soup recipe.

Tip: Use dried beans, not canned beans, because they give the broth much more depth of flavor that cannot be achieved with canned beans.
Tip: Cut all the vegetables into approximately the same size so they are cooked through at the same time.
Tip: Use a ham bone if possible, since it enriches the soup with a ton of flavor.

What To Serve With Slow Cooker Ham and Beans Soup

We love to eat crockpot ham and beans all by themselves. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Bread: Serve easy crockpot ham and beans with Garlic French Breadmade with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought French bread. If you have extra time makePizza Dough Garlic Knots, or homemade Cornbread Muffins.Additionally, Andrea’sCopycat Lion House Rollsalso go perfectly with this dish.

Salad: Pair white bean soup with a fresh salad. A green salad like our fabulousItalian SaladorStrawberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing. Or even aCaprese Saladwith tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Low carb: This bean and ham soup would also taste great with Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks in case you want to keep it low in carbohydrates.

Cornbread Muffins
Garlic French Bread
Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing
Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

More Soup Recipes

Especially during the colder months there is nothing better than a steaming bowl of delicious soup. Try one of our other amazing soup recipes that work great for lunch or dinner:

How To Store

Refrigerate: Let soup cool completely. Then store leftover ham and beans in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Store ham and bean soup leftovers in an airtight, freezer safe container. If you’re storing in a zip top plastic bag, try to get as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: A great way to defrost your crockpot ham and beansoupis in the refrigerator overnight.

How To Reheat

You can reheat this delicious soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Andrea says….

For best results, use dry beans and ham bone. They add incredible flavor to this great recipe.

Common Questions

Can I make this soup with leftover ham?

Of course, this easy ham and bean soup works perfectly with any kind of leftover holiday hams, such as bone-in ham for example. Moreover, instead of juicy ham, you can also try this soup with leftover thanksgiving turkey.

Is it possible to make this soup on the stove top?

Yes! You can combine the ingredients for this easy soup in a dutch oven or large soup pot and simmer on the stovetop over medium low heat. However, the cooking process will still take at least 3-4 hours.

How do I give this easy slow cooker ham and bean soup a bit of spicy kick?

In case you like your soup a bit more on the spicy side, add some red pepper flakes or chili powder to this easy recipe. Additionally you can add some of your favorite hot sauce to adjust the spiciness.

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