Description
This comforting Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup is a hearty, flavorful dish perfect for using leftover ham bone and dried beans. Slow-cooked to creamy perfection with aromatic vegetables and herbs, it’s a nourishing, easy-to-make meal that warms you up from the inside out.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 leftover ham bone (with some meat left on it)
- 2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed (or cannellini or pinto beans)
- 6 cups chicken broth (low-sodium preferred)
- Water (optional, to cover if needed)
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 yellow onion, chopped (red onion optional)
- 3 carrots, sliced (or baby carrots)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- Salt, to taste (optional)
- Optional: A splash of apple cider vinegar or hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Beans: Dump rinsed dried navy beans into the crock pot. No need to soak the beans beforehand.
- Add Ham Bone: Place the leftover ham bone into the crock pot, making sure it’s mostly submerged.
- Add Vegetables: Add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, chopped celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Layer or scatter evenly.
- Add Broth: Pour in the chicken broth, ensuring that it covers the beans and ham bone. Add water if necessary to reach coverage.
- Season: Sprinkle in dried thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, and optionally salt. Stir gently if possible.
- Slow Cook: Cover the crock pot with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for about 5 hours, until beans are soft and creamy.
- Remove Ham Bone and Bay Leaf: Once cooked, take out the ham bone and discard the bay leaf.
- Shred Ham: Shred any meat left on the ham bone, add it back into the soup, and stir well.
- Adjust Flavor: Add a splash of apple cider vinegar or hot sauce if desired, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with bread, crackers, or your preferred side.
Notes
- You don’t need to pre-soak the beans; the slow cooker softens them well over time.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if your ham bone is especially salty to avoid over-seasoning.
- Substitute cannellini or pinto beans if navy beans are unavailable.
- Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar or hot sauce at the end brightens the flavor.
- Leftover ham bones from holiday meals are perfect for making this soup.
- Do not open the crock pot lid during the cooking time to ensure beans cook evenly and become creamy.
