I love using leftover ham to make this slow cooker ham and bean soup. If I don’t have leftover ham, I’ll use already prepared ham steak from the market. The beans and potatoes give this soup a hearty texture and the seasonings add a slightly earthy flavor. Great with crusty bread.
I love a good crock pot meal for a variety of reasons, but mostly because it lets me focus on other things. And while I’m distracted with other things, the slow cooker turns out meals that are tender, flavorful and absolutely delicious – a literal game changer for me during the busy times.
I have made this ham and bean soup countless times, it’s exceptional in the flavor and ease department. And while it’s a great recipe to use up my leftover ham, it’s just as easy for me to cube up a ham steak and go from there.
My inspiration for this recipe comes from a hearty, slow-simmering ham-bone soup. However this dish proves just as worthy, while being way faster and easier to pull together.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Being able to use up leftover or or a ham steak means I can make this soup year-round.
- Between the beans and the ham, I really enjoy all the textures and flavors.
- It cooks itself, while I focus on other things.
Leftover ham or ham steak can be used in so many ways. Try it in my warm and cheesy ham casserole or in a batch of these ham and cheese sliders. Both are absolutely delicious in their own ways.
Ingredients
Let’s break down what goes into this ham and bean soup recipe…
- 13 bean soup mix: This bean mix is available at most grocery stores. I have also used a 15/16 bean soup mix too. What I have found to be most important is only using the required amount (1 pound).
- Canned diced tomatoes – I make sure my tomatoes don’t have any other flavorings and are just plain. When I’ve added flavored tomatoes, it throws off the taste of this soup.
- Cooked ham: I use leftover ham or I will cube up a ham steak. My grocery store also sells cubed ham already pre-packed or I can get it from the deli.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: I definitely prefer Yukon Gold over Russet potatoes for this recipe, especially because I don’t need to peel them.
- Celery: I like using celery in this soup because it adds texture and doesn’t break down during the slow cooking process.
- Yellow onion: The yellow onion is the best flavor for this recipe. I’ve tried it with white onion and the flavor was sharper than what I preferred.
- Chicken broth: I made this soup with chicken broth, chicken stock and vegetable broth. It’s great with any of those.
- Bay leaf: I make sure my bay leaves are fresh for optimal flavor.
- Italian seasoning: I find Italian seasoning has all the flavor notes I’m looking for in a recipe like this and it’s so easy to add them with this type of blend.
- Paprika: I really like the sweet notes of flavor paprika adds.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: The flavor enhancers. Once the soup is cooked, I go back and check if I need more. Potatoes can really soak up and steal a lot of flavor.
- Parsley: The parsley is totally unnecessary and I use it mostly for visual appeal and hints of fresh flavor. It’s completely up to you if you want to use it.
How to Make This Recipe
The simplicity of putting this slow cooker ham and bean soup together is one of the reasons I love it so much. However, the most important part of this recipe requires a little planning ahead. Soaking beans in water overnight or following the instructions on the package for a quick soak is necessary.
- I follow the package directions on how to prepare/soak my beans overnight. I also have my own instructions in the recipe notes below on how to do this. If you don’t prepare your beans, they will not be tender.
- First thing I do is drain and rinse my soaked beans and place them into the bottom of a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. I add the diced tomatoes (undrained), ham, potatoes, celery, onion, broth, seasonings and a single bay leaf.
- I cook this soup on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, until the beans are tender and cooked through.
- When it’s done I taste and adjust the salt and pepper to my liking and garnish each bowl with parsley before serving.
Expert Tip: How To Soak Beans Properly
There a couple of methods I use when it comes to soaking beans – overnight soaking and a quick soak method. Beans are soaked to help break down complex sugars that makes them hard to digest (for some people). I have found soaking beans prior to cooking also helps cut down cooking time.
Quick Soak
- I rinse my beans in a colander and carefully pick through them, removing any stones. (Stones are very common and you don’t want to skip this step.)
- I cover my beans with cold water in a stock pot or other large pan and bring them to a boil. (uncovered)
- Once I remove the beans from the heat, I cover them and let them stand for at least one hour, but if I can up to four.
- I make the soup using these beans.
Overnight Soak – My preferred method
- I rinse the beans in a colander and carefully pick through them, removing any stones. (Again, stones are very common.)
- After transferring the beans to a stock pot or other pan and filled with cold water, I make sure to add at least two to three inches of extra water to the top. The beans swell up by soaking up this extra water.
- I cover the pot and let the beans sit overnight.
- I make the soup using these beans.
Storage and Freezer
Yes you can easily store and freeze this soup for later use.
Leftovers
- I let the soup cool completely and carefully ladle it into a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.
- I try to eat this soup within 3 days. I have found the beans start to break down after this period of time and the texture is not as good.
Freezer
- If I’m using a Ziploc freezer bag, I freeze it flat, avoiding any air bubbles this way. If I’m using an airtight container, I leave a small amount of room at the top for expansion.
- It does great in the freezer for up to three months.
- When I’m ready to enjoy again, I let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating on the stove.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Slow Cooker Thai Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Root Beer Beans
- Slow Cooker Chile Colorado
- Slow Cooker Honey-Soy Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Pork with Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce
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Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. 13 bean soup mix (or 15/16 bean)
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 2 cups diced, cooked ham
- 2 cups peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp minced parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prior to cooking, soak your beans in water overnight or follow the instructions on the package for a quick soak.1 lbs. 13 bean soup mix
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans and place into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker with the diced tomatoes, ham, potatoes, celery, onion, stock, seasonings and bay leaf.1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, 2 cups diced, cooked ham, 2 cups peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes, 2 celery stalks, diced, 1 large yellow onion, diced, 6 cups chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours, until the beans are tender and cooked through. Taste them for softness!
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve, enjoy!1 tsp minced parsley, for garnish
Notes
Nutrition
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