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Home ยป Recipe Index ยป Soup Recipes

Ham and Bean Soup (Crock Pot)

Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight Jessica Randhawa
October 27, 2022
4.80 from 113 votes


Last Updated October 27, 2022 | 17 Comments

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This Ham and Bean Soup Recipe is hearty, delicious, and so easy to make! Filled with your favorite types of beans, healthy vegetables, and tender leftover ham, this delicious slow cooker soup is cozy, flavorful, and loved by the whole family.

Two white bowls filled with ham and bean soup.

Easy Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

The holidays have come and gone. And, if you’re extra lucky, that means that you got stuck with all the leftovers. Hopefully, piled somewhere in that leftover mess is a meaty ham bone because today, I’m talking all about this super easy, super delicious ham and bean soup.

Just like my split pea soup (another hearty, family favorite soup recipe), this crock pot ham and bean soup is cooked low and slow until all of the leftover meaty bits left on the ham bone dissolve into the delicious veggie and bean-filled broth.

It’s comforting, filling, and stretches those holiday leftovers just a little further…my favorite kind of cooking.

What is 15 Bean Soup Mix?

If you’ve never heard of 15 bean soup mix, it’s widely available at many grocery stores and online – I used this brand. It contains 15 different types of beans – great northern beans, pinto beans, large lima, yelloweye, garbanzo, baby lima, green split, kidney, cranberry, small white, pink, small red, yellow split, lentil, navy beans, white kidney, black bean. It also comes with a spice packet, however, I chose not to include the spice packet in this recipe.

15 bean soup mix beans in a wire mesh strainer.

Ham Bone Substitutions

There are several great alternatives to ham bone for this soup.

  • Ham hock: A large smoked ham hock (not raw) is a great way to sneak in that delicious smoked flavor without having to cook an entire ham first.
  • Diced ham: Cooked ham leftover from Christmas or Easter dinner (not sliced lunch meat) or chopped-up ham from a ham steak which is available year-round.
  • Sausage: Sausage is available everywhere for a reason- it adds flavor to everything! Smoked pork or chicken sausage would make a great addition!
  • Ground pork: Fry some ground pork in a skillet with all your favorite spices and make a truly unique pot of ham and bean soup!
  • Mix and match! Add a little bit of everything. And let’s not forget that there’s always bacon!
15 bean soup mix, leftover ham bone, canned tomatoes, cumin, salt, celery, carrots, onion, and red chili flakes in a large slow cooker.

How to Make Ham and Bean Soup

  1. Thoroughly rinse the beans in clean, cold water. Discard the seasoning packet.
  2. Next, transfer the mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery), garlic, rinsed beans, ham bone, dried herbs and seasoning, and canned tomatoes to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the chicken broth (or water) and bay leaves. Mix again.
  4. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
  5. Remove any meat from the baked ham bone and return it to the pot.

Cooking with Dry Beans

It is not necessary to soak the beans before cooking. This is true even if you only plan on using just one type of dried bean.

Cooked Ham and Bean Soup in a large Slow Cooker.

How to Thicken Ham and Bean Soup

This ham and bean soup recipe will naturally thicken over time. Not as much as lentil soups, but it will thicken as it cools and rests overnight in the refrigerator. That said, as written, this is not a blended bean soup.

For a more pureed, less brothy soup, I recommend adding 1-2 cups of cooked soup to a blender and pureeing until blended. Return the blended soup to your pot and mix well to combine.

On the other hand, if you prefer a brothier ham and bean soup, simply add 1-2 cups of additional water or broth and season with additional salt and spices to taste.

Storing Leftovers

This soup tastes even better the next day (or two days later). Keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, reheating it on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

To freeze Ham and Bean Soup:

  • Allow the soup to cool completely before dividing or transferring it to freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags. I recommend refrigerating overnight, if possible.
  • Place the soup-filled bags on a baking sheet or on a flat surface in the freezer to freeze, always making sure to leave a small amount of room in each bag for expansion during freezing.
  • Freeze completely and stack each on top of the other or side-by-side for easy storage.
Ham and Bean Soup with carrots and garnished with rosemary in a large white serving bowl.

What to Serve with Ham and Bean Soup

  • Cornbread
  • Crusty bread
  • Buttermilk biscuits
  • Leftover dinner rolls

Try These Next

  • Creamy Potato Soup Recipe
  • Pho Recipe; How to Make Vietnamese Noodle Soup
  • Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
  • Bone Broth Recipe (How to Make Bone Broth)
  • Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe (Stovetop + Slow Cooker)
  • Ham and Potato Soup Recipe

If you try making this Ham and Bean Soup Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.

Hand taking a white bowl filled with Ham and Bean Soup.

RECIPE CARD

bowls of Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Bean Soup Recipe (Crock Pot)

4.80 from 113 votes
AuthorAuthor: Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa
This Ham and Bean Soup Recipe is hearty, delicious, and so easy to make! Filled with your favorite types of beans, healthy vegetables, and tender leftover ham, this delicious slow cooker soup is cozy, flavorful, and loved by the whole family.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 6 hours hrs
Total Time 6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 311 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 (1 pound) package 15 bean soup mix - seasoning packet discarded (see notes)
  • 1 leftover ham bone with meat - (or ham hocks, diced ham, ground pork, or pork sausage)
  • 1 large yellow onion - diced
  • 6 large carrots - chopped
  • 4 ribs celery - chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic - minced
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
  • 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 10 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Fresh thyme and rosemary - to garnish
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Instructions
 

  • Thoroughly rinse the dry beans in clean, cold water.
  • Transfer the beans, ham bone, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, black pepper, dried Italian seasoning, cumin, crushed red pepper, and canned tomatoes to a large slow cooker.
  • Stir in the chicken broth and bay leaves, mixing well to combine.
  • Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
  • Once the beans are tender, remove the ham bone from the pot and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing any meat from the bone. Add the meat back to the soup and discard the ham bone.
  • Cook for an additional 30 minutes before serving.

Jessica’s Notes

  • If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, substitute with a 1 1/2- 2 pound smoked ham hock, 3 cups of diced ham (or more!), or 1-2 pounds of sausage or ground pork.
  • Not a fan of pork? Replace with leftover chicken or turkey.
  • I used one package of this 15-bean soup mix but did not include the seasoning packet. There are other mixed bean combos out there, including this 13-bean soup mix or this 16-bean soup mix. Feel free to use any of the previously mentioned, or stick to just one type of bean (any type of white bean work really well in this recipe).
  • Serve this yummy ham soup with your favorite cornbread recipe.
  • I recommend using a slow cooker that is at least 6 quarts or larger.
Originally published on January 2, 2019

Nutritional Information

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 1181mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1725IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.5mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Did You Make This Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @theforkedspoon or tag #theforkedspoon and please leave your star rating in the comment section below.

About Jessica

Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

8.4K shares
Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

About Jessica Randhawa

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    October 20, 2024 at 6:01 am

    Can you use lentils instead of beans for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      October 20, 2024 at 9:55 am

      You probably could modify it, but I would try this split pea soup with ham instead ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Jo S. says

    November 25, 2023 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Hello! I live this soup and have made it before, but I canโ€™t remember if I need to presoak the beans before adding to the crockpot? Thanks so much for a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      November 26, 2023 at 10:57 am

      It is not necessary to soak the beans before cooking ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Anne says

    February 1, 2023 at 4:06 am

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday and it was SO GOOD! I put in a couple smoked big ham hocks (we bought a pig at our local fair last summer). Followed the recipe pretty much exactly, but instead of using a blender, when I took out the hocks to get all the meat off, I used my immersion blender and blended maybe half the soup. It took a few seconds and it was very creamy and delicious! Will definitely make again.

    Reply
  4. David McDougall says

    October 27, 2022 at 12:14 pm

    5 stars
    Just what I’ve been looking for!

    Reply
  5. Markus says

    March 14, 2022 at 12:32 am

    5 stars
    Turned out great in my pressure cooker. 40 mins on high. Bought a pre smoked 2 lb ham shank and added a lightly trimmed ham hock bone. Mix of 1 cup pintos, 1/2 cup black, 1/2 cup red beans. 7 cups water, 3 cups chicken bone broth. No Toms. Best soup Iโ€™ve ever made.

    Reply
  6. Dave says

    January 12, 2022 at 6:22 am

    5 stars
    Perfect the flavor is spot on thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      January 12, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      Thank you for the perfect feedback and rating Dave ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. Patty says

    October 11, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Great flavor! I used 8 cups of water instead of 10. Just right consistency.

    Reply
  8. Beth says

    February 22, 2021 at 8:55 am

    Can this be made in an instant pot?

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      February 22, 2021 at 9:50 am

      Yes, it can Beth; however, the amounts of the ingredients and cook time would need to be modified for the Instant Pot ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Gail says

        December 19, 2021 at 8:03 pm

        5 stars
        Don’t forget about smoked ham shanks! It seems that “modern” smoke pork hocks aren’t as meaty as they were when I was younger.

  9. Carol says

    December 31, 2020 at 9:06 am

    So why do you leave out the ham seasoning packet?

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      December 31, 2020 at 9:29 am

      The seasoning packet includes a couple of ingredients that I prefer not to eat, so I make my own ๐Ÿ™‚ . Plus this is how my mother used to make this recipe as well.

      Reply
  10. Debbie says

    September 5, 2020 at 8:29 am

    What size crock pot are you using, I know the bean will swell

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      September 5, 2020 at 11:29 am

      Great question Debbie ๐Ÿ™‚ I used my 6-quart crockpot for this recipe.

      Reply

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Recipe Rating




4.80 from 113 votes (106 ratings without comment)

Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Welcome to The Forked Spoon! I’m Chef Jessica Randhawa, and for over 14 years, I’ve been crafting and sharing more than 1200 recipes, blending delicious flavors with practical kitchen tips and expert culinary advice to elevate your everyday cooking. Learn more about meโ†’

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