Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

This easy recipe for Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is an ultra-comforting and healthy dinner idea. Bonus: There's no need to soak the beans in advance for this slow cooker soup!

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 4 20

Total Time 4 40

Servings servings

Calories 158kcal

Author Meggan Hill

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

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