Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

A ladle scoops Ham and Bean Soup from a slow cooker.

4.74 from 69 votes

Make use of the bone from your holiday ham and cook up a batch of this Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup. It is the perfect post-holiday comfort food to enjoy with your family.

Prep Time15

Cook Time7 30

Total Time7 45

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

1 pound dry Great Northern beans or navy beans
water enough to cover dry beans by 2-inches for overnight soak
1 cup diced white or yellow onion
2 to 3 carrots peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt plus additional if desired (taste and season after cooking)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 meaty ham bone (trimmed of excess fat and rinsed of any glaze)
5 to 6 cups low sodium chicken broth as needed
2 bay leaves
8 ounces tomato sauce
fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

The evening before you want to cook the soup, rinse the beans in colander, remove any debris, and place them in a large pot. Cover with water by at least 2-inches and soak them overnight. They will more than double in size so choose your pot accordingly. See alternate quick soak method in notes below.
The next day, drain and thoroughly rinse the soaked beans and transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Layer the remaining ingredients through the ham bone in the slow cooker in the order listed. Add about 5 cups of chicken broth, or just enough to cover the beans and veggies. Reserve any remaining chicken broth for later. Tuck the bay leaves into the mixture, cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
Reduce heat to LOW and continue to cook for an additional 5 to 6 hours. Stir occasionally during cooking time. When the beans are tender, remove the ham bone to a cutting board and remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the tomato sauce, stirring to combine. If you'd like a creamier texture, transfer about ⅓ of the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return the puréed soup to the slow cooker, adding more broth, only if needed, to reach the desired consistency. Cover and continue to cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pull the ham off the bone. discard the bone, and chop the ham into small pieces. Return the chopped ham to the slow cooker. Stir in the chopped parsley and taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.

Notes

Alternate Quick Soak Method: If you'd prefer to soak and cook your beans on the same day, use this method. Place beans in a large pot and cover with two to three inches of cool water. Bring to a boil and keep at a high simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain beans and continue with recipe.

Refrigerating Leftovers: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.

Freezing Leftovers: Cooked beans freeze very well and this soup will keep well for several months if packaged properly. I like to ladle the soup into freezer-safe plastic storage bags, press out as much air as possible and seal the bag. You can do this is smaller bags for portion size servings, if desired. Just lay the bags flat in the freezer until frozen solid, then they can be stacked to save freezer space. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating: The soup will thicken quite a bit when refrigerated so thin it out with a bit of water or chicken broth when reheating on the stove or in the microwave.

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