Description

This hearty Ham and Bean Soup is a comforting slow cooker recipe featuring creamy white beans simmered with a flavorful ham bone, aromatic vegetables, and herbs. The soup is thickened by mashing some beans for a luscious texture and finished by adding tender pieces of leftover ham. Perfect for a warming meal that brings rich, smoky depth and satisfying wholesomeness.

Ingredients

Scale

Beans and Meat

1 (16-oz) bag Dried Navy Beans (about 2 ½ cups), sorted and rinsed
1 Ham Bone, or ham hock, ham steak, or leftover ham
Leftover Ham, shredded or diced (quantity as desired)

Vegetables and Aromatics

½ large Onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large Celery Rib, diced (1 cup)
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1 large Carrot, diced (1 cup)

Seasonings and Liquids

1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Sea Salt (adjust if using salted broth)
½ teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste
6 cups Water or broth (chicken or turkey stock if no ham bone)

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Instructions

Prepare Beans: (Optional) Soak the dried navy beans overnight in 8 cups of water, then drain and discard the liquid. This reduces cooking time but beans can be used unsoaked with longer cooking.
Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Add the sorted beans, ham bone, diced onion, celery, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and black pepper to a 5-quart slow cooker. Pour in enough water or broth to cover the beans by about 1 inch. You may need to add more liquid during cooking to keep beans submerged.
Set Slow Cooker: Cook on LOW for 6 hours if using soaked beans, or 9 hours if unsoaked. The goal is to tenderize the beans thoroughly. Cooking times can vary based on bean age and soaking.
Add Carrots: About 1 hour before the end of cooking, stir in the diced carrots and continue cooking until the carrots and beans are tender.
Remove Ham Bone: Once beans are fully cooked, take out the ham bone and discard any bones or gristle attached to it.
Thicken Soup: For a creamier texture, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans directly in the pot, which thickens the broth naturally. Alternatively, an immersion blender can be used for a few quick pulses.
Add Leftover Ham: Shred or dice any leftover ham and stir it into the soup. Heat through, ensuring the ham is warmed but not overcooked to keep tenderness.
Serve and Store: Serve hot and enjoy. To store leftovers, cool the soup to room temperature and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

White bean variety: Use any white bean like navy, cannellini, or great northern. Smaller beans cook faster but timing is affected by bean age and soaking.
Water vs. broth: Use water if cooking with a ham bone as it imparts flavor. If no ham bone is available, substitute broth and reduce added salt accordingly.
No ham bone? Use broth and add leftover ham in the last 30 minutes of cooking to maintain tenderness.
Final cook time may vary due to bean size, age, and soaking; adjust cooking time accordingly and test bean tenderness.
For thicker soup, mash some beans or use an immersion blender to your desired consistency.
If using canned beans, add 4 (15-ounce) cans of rinsed beans during the last hour of slow cooker time or last 30 minutes on stovetop to prevent overcooking.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 220
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 600 mg
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 18 g
Cholesterol: 45 mg