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This easy Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup recipe is an ultra-comforting and healthy dinner idea. Bonus: There’s no need to soak the beans in advance for this slow cooker soup!
There are many reasons to buy fully-cooked bone-in hams. It’s far more flavorful once roasted, for one, and the prospect of a delicious Ham and Bean Soup the next day is a close runner-up.
Put the ham bone, and any leftover ham, to work in this easy slow cooker soup recipe. It’s one of my family’s favorite comfort food recipes and is a tradition in our home after Easter and Christmas.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken broth: Store-bought or homemade chicken broth; either works well.
- Navy beans or pinto beans: To soak beans overnight, add 4 quarts water to a large bowl and add 1 pound of rinsed beans. Soak at least 8 hours. To quick-soak beans, add 1 pound of rinsed beans to a large saucepan and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. (See “Recipe FAQs” for more bean-soaking tips.) To substitute canned beans, use 3 to 4 cans of navy, pinto, kidney, cannelini, or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained.
- Ham bone and ham hocks: This infuses the broth with so much rich pork flavor. A meatier ham bone will produce a meatier soup.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté carrots, celery, and onion until softened and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in broth, water, beans, ham bone, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Pour into slow cooker. Heat on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or until beans are tender.
- Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Chop ham from bone and return to slow cooker. Add additional leftover ham, if using, and cover until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes satisfying 12 servings. Pair with your favorite salad recipe and some crusty bread for dunking for a cozy and complete meal.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The soup can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: To freeze ham and bean soup, place it in a shallow dish in the refrigerator to chill. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 2 months.
- Sauté then slow cook: I know it can feel tempting to just toss everything into the pot for a “dump dinner” in the slow cooker, but for the best flavor, it’s crucial to sauté the vegetables first. Add the beans and broth, bring everything to a boil, then add this all to your slow cooker. It takes just one additional pan and a few extra minutes, and the results are so worth that investment.
- Try it with turkey: If you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, you could certainly adjust this soup to feature that instead. Bonus points if you can set aside a few portions of the bones to infuse the slow cooker soup broth.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I recommend pouring the soaking water down the drain. Some people say it’s a waste of water to throw away the soaking water. Others say if you keep the soaking water, it adds a sour taste. I agree with the latter and recommend tossing the soaking water, but it’s up to you.
Yes, salt the beans before cooking them. You may have heard somewhere that the universe will implode if you add salt to beans before they are completely cooked. However, if you read Kenji López-Alt’s information in his book, The Food Lab, he did some side-by-side testing and determined that salting beans before they are cooked is fine. In fact, doing so helps prevent the beans from exploding (see page 256 in his book).
Kidney beans contain phytohemagglutinin, a type of lectin that is very toxic at high levels. You MUST pre-soak dried kidney beans and hold them at boiling point (212 degrees Fahrenheit) for at LEAST 10 minutes. This means you should never cook kidney beans in a slow cooker. You won’t know for sure if the slow cooker reached boiling temps and held it for 10 minutes. Better to be safe than sorry!
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Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup carrots sliced (3-4 carrots)
- 1 cup celery sliced (3-4 ribs)
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth (see note 1)
- 4 cups water
- 1 pound dried navy beans or pinto beans, rinsed and picked over (see note 2)
- 1 meaty ham bone or ham hocks (see note 3)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- additional cooked ham chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté carrots, celery, and onion until softened and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in broth, water, beans, ham bone, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Pour into slow cooker. Heat on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or until beans are tender.
- Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Chop ham from bone and return to slow cooker. Add additional leftover ham, if using, and cover until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chicken broth: Store-bought or homemade chicken broth; either works well.
- Navy beans or pinto beans: To soak beans overnight, add 4 quarts water to a large bowl and add 1 pound of rinsed beans. Soak at least 8 hours. To quick-soak beans, add 1 pound of rinsed beans to a large saucepan and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. (See “Recipe FAQs” for more bean-soaking tips.) To substitute canned beans, use 3 to 4 cans of navy, pinto, kidney, cannelini, or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained.
- Ham bone and ham hocks: This infuses the broth with so much rich pork flavor. A meatier ham bone will produce a meatier soup.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
This is the best ham and beans I have made. A huge hit at my house.
Hi Suzanne! Glad it was a hit! Take care! – Meggan
I followed this receipe step by step and not only was it the best soup I ever made but the best I ever had.thx so much for your receipe .
You’re so welcome, Terry! So glad you loved it! Take care! – Meggan
Making this for dinner tonight! So excited!
Hope you love it, Melody! Please write back and let me know how it turns out! – Meggan
Best ham and bean recipe I’ve had. Used beef stock as that’s what I had on hand. The veggies were good in it.
Thank you so much Debbie! I’m so glad you loved it. And beef stock works just fine here, I’ve made that substitution too. I always make this after I have backed hams. It’s my fave. Thanks again! -Meggan
Just made this and it is FANTASTIC. I used one pound of dried 15 beans soup mixture and left out the packaged seasoning. I picked through, washed, and soaked overnight. While I was sauteing the veggies, I drained and rinsed the beans. I followed the seasoning recipe given here, but didn’t add any extra salt because the ham butt portion was salty enough. This is definitely a “Keeper” recipe. Thank you!
Hi Cynthia! I’m so happy to hear that you loved this! Such a lovely idea to substitute with the 15 bean soup mixture! I’ll have to try it myself! Take care! – Meggan
Really hit the spot on this rainy, dreary day in Oregon. Loved the spice profile. There’s nothing on your site I haven’t loved
So good! The cumin in there is genius!
I used dry Great Northern Beans instead of Navy beans, and it came out great.
I don’t know why the recipe has multiple notes about soaking the beans, when the first paragraph says you don’t need to soak them. BTW, with the slow cooker set to High, the liquid boiled plenty…
Thanks Dale! In the past I’ve gotten quite a few questions about bean soaking for those who prefer that method so I updated the recipe to include those instructions. Sorry for the confusion! – Meggan
I’m confused—do the navy beans need to be soaked or not?
Hi Chelsea, you can if you want to, but it’s not required to soak them. The information is there for anyone who would like to know how to soak the beans. Sorry for the confusion! – Meggan
In any recipe I’ve ever tried when it comes to dry bag of beans I’ve always had to soak them for at least 2 days especially baked beans.
I made this in my slow cooker tonight. I used canned beans ( 1 pinto, 1 great northern, 1 kidney) because I didn’t have dried.
My husband and I LOVED this soup. The flavor of the broth was delicious. The spices gave it such a nice warm flavor without being overpowering.
Looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Sounds great Lisa, thanks for the comment! – Meggan
Hi! Can I use use dried split peas? Do I still soak them overnight?
Hi Kathleen, I don’t see why not! I’ve made my Split Pea Soup in the slow cooker just fine. You don’t need to soak them overnight, just make sure to rinse and pick through them to remove any small rocks or debris. I would monitor it, but I believe it would be done in about 4-6 hours on low. Enjoy! – Meggan
Love this so much! I’ve been cooking since I was about 10 (I’m now 70). I often make my own dishes but I still like good recipes. This is wonderful soup, I didn’t change a thing. Seriously make this, my husband loves it too.
Hi Paula, so glad you and your husband love this! – Meggan
In your first paragraph you say: “Bonus: There’s no need to soak the beans in advance for this slow cooker soup!”. However you have a lot of information on how to soak the beans overnight (8 hours). You also respond to a question about using the water from the bean soaking (don’t do it). Was that “Bonus” related to cooking the beans instead, as you mention as an alternative to soaking.
Do you have to use cooked ham or could you chop up an uncooked ham and toss in the ham and ham bone.
I also find that ham can be quite salty. At least that is what ends up in a roasting pan when I cook a ham.
Does it matter if the Ham has been frozen?
Sorry for all of the questions.
I cut as much meat as I can off the bone. When the soup is almost finished, I take the bone out and add the cut up han meat. I don’t like it when the meat gets overcooked and sometimes stringy.
I use ham/bone that has been frozen almost every time, no problem.
You can soak the beans if you want to but you don’t need to, I never soak mine.
Hope this helps!
I think the total time should include the time required to soak the beans.
This is a great recipes! In case someone else makes the same mistake…accidentally left the slow cooker on high 7+ hours. I just added 4 more cups of chicken broth and it was still delicious.
This is amazing!! Love that I could do it so easily in the crockpot! I did presoak my beans overnight. When I cooked it, I omitted the 4 cups of water. I also used a frozen mix of vegetables. This time I used 3 smoked hocks bc that was all I could find at the grocery. There wasn’t a lot of meat on them, so next time I’ll probably buy some ham cubes and throw them in for the last 30 minutes. Served with toasty baguette and it’s perfect!!
That sounds great Tory, so glad you loved it! – Meggan
Great recipe. On this site for the first time and am looking forward to exploring. My family and I are soup and stew fanatics in the winter, (the season’s only redeeming quality in my opinion). I cook a lot of Asian and Asian inspired foods. I know most folks aren’t going to have an extensive Asian pantry however I urge everyone to push their boundaries a bit. Amazon has become a game changer for those that do not have local Asian markets. Umami is a real thing and should become more a part of mainstream cookery. For this recipe I added 1 Tbsp white miso paste, 1 tsp clear fish sauce, 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp worchestershire and 1/2 tsp ssamjang. In place of the water I started out with a home made dashi broth. The finished product was rich and the Asian flavors did not carry through. The idea was to not have any of the flavors on the forefront but to have the Umami reaction of, “I can’t put my finger on it but this is amazing”.
Just had to share my thoughts and inspirations on this fabulous recipe and what possibilities are out there for those willing to go for it.
Thanks Daniel, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and playing around with it. Your variation definitely sounds amazing! – Meggan
First time EVER making ham and bean soup, no changes, absolutely LOVED it.
Thanks Lulu, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
I made mine stovetop. Delicious! First time making this kind of soup. Husband loved it too!
Hi Misty, so glad you both enjoyed! Thank you! -Meggan
I wish people understood that, for those of us living in high elevations, we HAVE TO soak our beans. It’s not a preference, it’s a rule.
Hi Michelle, that’s really interesting. At what height of elevation is that required? The place I always go to in Mexico (a small town outside Aguascalientes) is about 6,500 feet above sea level, and they never soak their beans there. So I honestly had no idea this was a thing. I need to make the beans posts on the site more consistent anyway, so I will definitely look into this elevation thing regarding soaking beans. Thank you! -Meggan
I’ve always boiled the bone and used the water instead of other broth. What is your opinion? Going to try the slow cooker method. Thank you.
Hi Barbara, adding chicken broth adds more flavor to the soup than just the ham bone alone would give. I hope you enjoy it! – Meggan
Before serving try adding shaved smoked gouda to the top of each serving. It adds a extra creaminess to it. I have made this multiple times and have been serving it in bread bowls with smoked gouda. It is such a family favorite that they requested it for easter dinner this year.
Hi Nick, that sounds delicious! – Meggan
Made this today. So easy (thank you for your excellent instructions, tips, and extra info) and it turned out amazing. My husband really loves a good bean soup I’ve tried a few recipes and they were okay, but this one was a touchdown. I used a smoked ham hock and also purchased some packaged, already diced, smoked ham pieces at Meijer to add in at the end. I also used an immersion blender (before adding the meat back in) because we like our bean soup nice and thick. Again, thanks for a great recipe.
I made this. I was skeptical of the combination of spices, but I followed the recipe. This was this BEST ham and bean soup I have ever tasted. EXCELLENT!
I made this and it came out delicious with the northern beans. Omg! I had like 3 bowls, awesome! Its a keeper! Thanks!
The family loved it! I made it on the stove, presoaked my beans, and followed the directions. My 5 year-old also enjoyed this soup and gave me a thumbs up:)
Sista – OMGG – this was the BOMB:) On a scale of 1-10 – this was an ELEVEN:) We enjoyed tonight w/ CornBread Muffins. Pretty much followed recipe w/ these tweaks: Overnighted approx. 2 cups of Pinto Beans and then rinsed in a.m. before adding to crock pot. Boiled my Hambone separately in water for couple of hours, shredded the good meat, took out the fat pieces – and then chilled the remaining Broth to skim FAT off the top. Then this was added to the already cooking Crock Pot ingredients of : beans, chicken broth, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, spices -less a little on cumin and definitely on salt. (FYI – did not pre saute anything) WOW – cooked on HIGH for approx 6-7 hours and it was delicious :) I feel so fine :) Thank you again!
I was excited to find this recipe that cooks on high for 4 hours instead of on low for 8+ hours, because I wanted to make it for lunch for guests I had coming over. I had everything in the crock pot and cooking on high by 8:30 am, but at 1 pm the beans were still crunchy. I had soaked them overnight and followed all the steps exactly, so it was disappointing that it wasn’t done when I needed it to be. My guests went by McDonald’s and brought hamburgers for lunch since I didn’t have anything for lunch since this wouldn’t be done in time. The flavor is good, but definitely plan on longer than 4 hours!
Hi Bailey, I am really sorry you had issues with this recipe. The recipe clearly states “Heat on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or until beans are tender.” There is a range because it is nearly impossible to pin down an exact time for when beans might be finished cooking. The cook time always depends on the age of the beans, and in the case of a slow cooker, the power of your slow cooker. I should make this more clear in the post and encourage people who are a tight timeline to cook the soup on the stove. There are instructions in the post for cooking the soup on the stove with the intention that your soup would be ready in under 2 hours. Sorry again for the disappointment. I will fix up the post and make all timelines more clear.
BEST SOUP RECIPE I’VE TASTED. I MAKE THIS AFTER EVERY THANKSGIVING!
Made this over the weekend and it’s delicious! To save time, I used the Instant Pot to cook the beans and some Cure 81 ham chopped into small cubes (love that smokey-flavored stuff). If using cured ham, do not add additional salt until you taste. Using salt in the cook water for the beans makes them creamy as butter. I doubled the vegetables and used extra stock (I prefer a little thinner consistency). The combination of seasonings really punches out a great flavor – I went a little light on the cumin because it’s very powerful – more can always be added later.
Overall – an easy customizable 5-star recipe.
This looks fantastic! Any chance you have a version for the Instant Pot? I’ve made many beans in there and they turn out great. That said, I’ve always followed recipes and not confident in adapting this quite yet. My fingers are crossed!
I followed this recipe exactly as directed. It was delicious! Great soup to make with leftover ham. I used a soup combination of beans. Will freeze some for another time !
Does this soup freeze well? Thanks!
Hi! Yes, I have frozen this many times and I think it does great!
I made this recipe yesterday using Great Northern beans and it was DELICIOUS. I did soak my beans and discard the soaking water. I also just threw everything in the crock pot instead of sauteing and bringing it all to a boil, this is mostly because I am lazy. :-) I cooked it on high in the crock pot for approximately 4 hours and then on low for another 4. At then end I mashed up two cans of Great Northern beans and added it to the pot to make it more creamy. This recipe is FABULOUS!! Thank you for sharing it!!!
Could this recipe be altered for Instant Pot?
Hi Shauna, I am sure it could be. I haven’t made this exact recipe, but I did it with my Ham and Lentil Soup recipe. Here is the recipe for that, updated for beans. I looked at some other sites and I think beans would be done in 35 minutes too (I thought it might be a lot longer than lentils, but the sites I found show dried beans, unsoaked, being ready in 35 minutes or less, depending on the bean).
1. Using the sauté function on your Instant Pot, heat olive oil until shimmering. Sauté carrots, celery, and onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Next, stir in broth, water, beans, ham bone, spices, and bay leaf.
3. Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.
4. Allow the pressure to release naturally (at least 20 minutes). Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Chop ham from bone and return to Instant Pot, along with any extra ham you might be using.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley if desired.
If you have any other questions, just let me know! Thanks! -Meggan
I usually make Split Pea soup but this was amazing. It was fresh and hearty and great on a cold winter’s night.
I want to make this soup but the only dried beans that I have are baby Lima beans. Would that work for this! I have left over ham & ham bone.
Please help!!
Hi Jennifer, thanks for the question! I think this will definitely work out well to use lima beans! The only thing that will change is that it will have a slightly different taste. Stick with the same cook time listed in the recipe (unless of course the beans aren’t done, then cook them longer). I have never made it with lima beans, so please feel free to report back if you would like to, I would love to know how it turns out! -Meggan
This soup is delicious!! I added around 8 pieces of bacon towards the end of the cook time and it added great flavor. My boyfriend told me it was his favorite meal I’ve ever made haha. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing !!
I’m making your soup now. We have a noreaster storm here in the north. I am using northern beans, hopefully they work. I did everything else exactly as you described. It smells wonderful on this blizzard of a day!
Making this right now I used a chicken broth, that had garlic, in it and it smells amazing. I used about 9slices of smoked ham, will leave the salt out until closer to dinner, I used canned beans, and carrots, did use fresh onions, and everything else was dry herb. I will make home made rolls.
This is such a wonderful soup. I have been making it for years. The only thing I do different is….. I soak the beans in the crock over night, then throw everything in it. No sauting, or anything. Everything right into the crock. I do add a smoked ham hock to it too, which gives it a very nice subtle smoky flavor. Sever with some homemade dinner rolls, and everybody is happy! It is the only way I can get my boys to eat ham and bean soup!
What do you soak them in and do you throw out liquid and start with fresh
Hi CLZ yes I throw out the soaking water. I’ve heard mixed opinions on that but I’ve noticed sometimes if you make beans and use their soaking water, the soaking water gives a sour taste. I don’t know if that is affected by the type of bean or age of the beans or what. Sometimes it’s not a problem, but I feel like it’s better to be safe than sorry. So yes toss the soaking liquid and use fresh in the recipe. Thanks! -Meggan
Very good taste like moms use too.
Thank yoU Mary, there is no higher compliment! :D -Meggan
Ham and bean soup without bone came out GREAT! Used only ham, navy beans, chic broth a and basil. son ate 2 bowls and took some home “go with it” is great advice!!!!
This is so great!!! Obviously you are a talented cook and you get all the credit. I will add some notes to the recipe so everyone else can benefit from your wisdom. So glad it worked out, you made my day! Take care.
Thanks for quick reply….am gonna ‘go with it’. Let you know. Never had with the veggies—mom just used bone, water, and beans.
I DO NOT have a ham bone!!! Have large piece of ham for soup…need recipe!! Asap
Just go with it! Use your ham and the recipe as-is. Bones provide a more gelatinous texture and a richer flavor, but you’ll be fine without. I wouldn’t change anything. Just roll with it! Feel free to report back and let me know how it goes! Good luck!
This looks wonderful! Ham bone soup is one of my favorites, especially on cold days. Love the classic flavors you’ve used!
Thank you so much Kathleen! It’s finally cold and rainy in SoCal so I’ve got this soup on repeat. :D
l love meaty ham bones! My mom makes a very similar soup to this with green lentils instead.
Yes, green lentils (or split peas) are so tasty in this soup!
I love making soup with ham. I usually make it with split peas, but I love the use of pinto or navy beans making it so hearty.
I love a good split pea soup myself. Sometimes I add them in here, too, or use lentils. Because more soup. :D