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This ham and bean Crockpot soup is perfect for using up leftover ham from Christmas, Easter, or any occasion.
Typically, your ham is quite large, and you can't finish it all up on the day of the festivities.
I really love leftovers ... for this very reason. You have so many choices for using them up in the days following your special event.
My ham usually has a bone, which has even more benefits due to its ability to create savory, flavorful broth. This is perfect for flavoring your favorite soup, casserole, or pasta dish.
This particular crockpot bean soup is loaded with chunks of ham along with white beans, carrots, and celery. All of these make for a perfectly creamy bean soup that's so easy to put together and forget until its done.
Using only a handful of ingredients, your ham and bean crockpot soup will spend its time cooking in the crock pot all day while you go about your business.
Making Crockpot Bean Soup
I like to soak my beans for at least 8 hours, but preferably 24 hours for best digestibility. I actually don't rinse them until after soaking, but you can rinse before and after if you wish.
This soup is best with leftover ham, and if you have some gelatinous broth to add to the soup the flavor will be boosted. If not, you can just add more water or some chicken or beef broth.
I used ham that was left over from our Christmas dinner, so I had a ham bone and some ham broth at the bottom of the pan.
Don't add salt to this soup, as you may have enough salt with the ham and broth. If you need more salt once the beans are done, you can always add it at the end.
Once the beans have soaked, you will add everything except the ham chunks to the crock pot and turn on high. If you need to cook the soup slower, you can cook on low.
Once the beans are done after about 6 hours on high, you can remove the bone and add the ham chunks. Let the whole pot heat up again before serving.
I like to serve with bread and a side salad. Try my Savory Zucchini Bread with cheddar.
Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days.
Can also freeze any leftovers for up to six months in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in a large pot on low or in your slow cooker on low.
Ham and Bean Crockpot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound navy beans , dry (or great northern)
- ham bone (from cooked ham)
- 1 large celery stalk , sliced (about ½ cup)
- 1 large carrot , peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 bunch green onions or scallions, chopped (about ⅓ - ½ cup)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups cooked ham , chopped in small chunks
- ½ cup ham broth (gelatinous, from the cooking of the ham), optional, if available
- 1 tsp dry parsley (more for garnish if desired)
- salt to taste (if needed)
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth (or 3-½ cups if using ham broth above)
Instructions
- Soak dry beans in water 8-24 hours or overnight.
- Drain and rinse beans.
- Add beans, ham bone, celery, carrot, onion, black pepper, broth, water, and parsley to crock pot. Turn on high.
- Cook 6 hours on high (8-9 hours on low). Remove ham bone after 5-6 hours or until beans are done. Add ham chunks and stir in. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Nutrition
Don't Forget to Pin For Later!
This looks delicious and I like the mild white bean choice to let the ham flavor really shine through.
Scarlet - Yes indeed! The white beans are so creamy and do let the ham flavor shine through - great way to put it! Enjoy!
I left this recipe for my son to make today. We don't have a ham Boone but have cubed ham that we added. After about 4 hours of cooking (soaked beans overnight) the water was pretty much gone from being absorbed. We aren't understanding how this is to be a soup when it only adds a 1/2 cup of liquid. We had to add 5 additional cups of liquid to it. Beans are pretty much soft but soup it is not. Am I missing the additional liquid in the recipe? I've looked multiple times.
I'm so sorry, Elizabeth! I totally forgot to write in the liquid amounts. You will need 8 cups of liquid, half broth and half water. I appreciate your input. Will add the missing details right away.