Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup is a hearty and wholesome slow cooker soup that’s so comforting. It’s the perfect meal to make using leftover Holiday ham.
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup isn’t known for it’s looks so if it doesn’t look totally appetizing to you, don’t worry. For what it lacks in looks it makes up for big time in terms of flavor!
My Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is quite a bit different from the traditional ham and bean soup that I knew growing up. I add a variety of spices that I don’t think most recipes call for and I use Pinto Beans instead of Great Northern or White Kidney Beans. Pinto Beans are perfect in this soup because they’re so creamy!
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is a perfect way to use up leftover Holiday Ham! I love this soup after the holidays because it’s so hearty and full of nutrients after indulging quite a bit throughout the season. We like to eat it with a big green salad and some crusty bread. I have it pictured here in a bread bowl because exactly one hour before I took these photographs I realized Panera Bread sold their bread bowls in their bakery section and I bought two and I was so excited about it!
How to make Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup:
Dice up onion, celery, and carrots so you have about a cup of each!
In a slow cooker add 1 lb dried pinto beans (picked through and rinsed), 1 ham bone, 2 cups chopped ham, 1 cup of each sautéed chopped onion, celery, and carrots, 1 tbsp chicken or vegetable flavor better than bouillon, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 8 cups of water, and 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme.
Cook on low for 8 hours. That’s all, folks. It’s so easy!
*You don’t have to sauté the carrots, celery, and onion, but it does make for a better finished flavor!
Do I have to use leftover ham/hambone?
No. You can just use a diced up ham steak from the grocery store. Works like a charm! However, you won’t have a ham bone if you do this so you’ll have to do one thing differently, okay? If you’re not using a ham bone, you need to use 2 tbsp of the chicken or vegetable flavor Better than Bouillon. That’s it.
Using a ham bone will help develop the flavor differently, BUT it’s still really, really good without it. I make this soup twice a year with a ham bone (after Christmas and Easter) and the rest of the year I just use chopped up ham from a ham steak and then use extra bouillon.
If you’ve never had ham and bean soup, then you should absolutely start with this recipe! It’s so full of flavor. The only requirement is that you must like beans to like this soup… because it’s very bean forward. Haha
Be sure to discard the thyme sprigs and ham bone before serving and enjoy!
Ham and Bean Soup is not the prettiest soup. There’s no way around it, but it’s not supposed to be. And if you can, put it in a bread bowl. Oh my gracious it’s good!
This soup also freezes super well! Just be sure whatever you are freezing is completely cool. I like to freeze in 2 cup portions in a freezer friendly ziplock bag. Try to press as much air out of the bag as possible before cooking.
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
A super yummy and hearty soup perfect to use leftover ham!
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced ham
- 1 lb pinto beans, dried rinsed and picked through
- 1 ham bone not necessary if you don't have one- see notes
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne powder use more or less depeing on your spice preference. I find 1/4 tsp adds just enough of a kick to notice.
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 cups water
- 1-2 .5 tbsp better than bouillon (use 1.5 tbsp if using a ham bone use 2.5 tbsp if not using a ham bone)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large skillet over medium heat spray lightly with cooking spray and saute diced onions, celery, and carrots just until soft. Set aside.
*you don't have to do this step, but it really does make the end result taste better.
In a slow cooker add dried beans, chopped ham, sautéed veggies, spices, bay leaf, thyme, water, and ham bone (if using).
Important: Add 1 tbsp "better than bouillion" if you ARE using a ham bone. If you are NOT using a ham bone then add 2 tbsp "better than bouillon".
Cook on low for 8 hours. Salt and pepper, to taste.
Discard thyme sprigs and the ham bone.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1-1/2 heaping cups
WW Green: 8 Points | WW Blue: 2 Points | WW Purple: 2 Points | 286 calories, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat, 300g sodium, 50g carbohydrates, 17g fiber, 2,5g sugar, (0g sugar alcohol, 0g added sugar) 20g protein
*This soup also freezes super well! Just be sure whatever you are freezing is completely cool. I like to freeze in 2 cup portions in a freezer friendly ziplock bag. Try to press as much air out of the bag as possible before cooking.
Made this today and it was sooo good! I even had my husband make bread bowls because the picture just made it look that much more enticing.
Really delicious way to use up leftover ham.
So good!! Perfect for a cold, snowy day!
So easy and so delicious!! Used my leftover ham bone from Christmas and it was so good!
Hello! Hoping to make this today. In the blog portion you list 2 cups of ham but in the recipe you list 3 cups of ham. Can you confirm which is correct?
We really loved this! So much flavor! Definitely making again. Thank you!!
If you use canned beans would you shorten the cooking time with a slow cooker?
I’ve always still done 8 hours just to let all the flavors really meld together, but it would definitely be done much sooner since everything in the soup is fully cooked.
This soup was a huge hit! It went so fast that Iām making more today.
I’m so so happy you enjoyed it, Karen!
Made this today with the leftover Christmas ham/bone….absolutely delicious. This is the kind of soup you want on a cold winter day because it’s tasty and warms the belly! Thank you for another great recipe!
This is delicious!! I used a bag of 15 bean soup (without the seasoning) since I didnāt have dry pinto beans. So yummy! Thanks:)
My family loved this, thank you for sharing the recipe.
Would you recommend can pinto beans being used?
Hi Donna, Canned beans work just fine in this recipe!
Can I use canned pinto beans?
that’ll work fine
Can you use a honey baked ham in the soup or will it be too sweet?
It’ll be just fine!
Dare I try to make this in my Instant Pot?
I really think it should be just fine as long as you have the time right. I haven’t tried it in my instant pot and I haven’t done dry beans in my instant pot yet either so I’m just not sure on a time. I’m sorry!
Which better than bouillon do you use?
chicken or vegetable, but apparently there is a ham one too, but I haven’t used it.
I just made this, and it is incredible! Flavors are fabulous! I did not have enough ham, so I ended up adding some mushrooms to it. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly, although I used dried thyme. Next time I make it, I will cook it for an hour or so longer because I like my beans to be falling apart. This recipe is perfect!
Do you think this recipe would work well in an instant pot? If so, what would be the suggested cook time?
If you use stock would it be 8 cups?
Yep
I get the Better Than Bouillon Ham and use that in my bean soupās itās really good !
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the ham version! I’ll be on the look out
Love beans
Thank you for this recipe. As a healthcare worker I am spending this Christmas solo, and was wondering what I could do with all the leftover ham. Problem solved š
I am glad to see someone say just pick and rinse the dry beans. I chop my ham bone in half with a hatchet or cleaver, rinse them and seal them up and put them in the freezer. That will give me 4 ham bones for making beans. I make beans in the crock pot once a week. Everyone loves them and it is a lot of protein. I make a skillet of cornbread to go with them.