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Ham and Bean Soup (Slow Cooker)

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This slow cooker ham and bean soup is made with a mixture of dried beans, vegetables, tomatoes and diced ham, all cooked together for a hearty and flavorful meal. An easy crock pot dinner that’s perfect for a cold night!

I love to use my slow cooker to make soup, chicken tortilla soup and chicken tortellini soup are some of my favorites. This ham and bean soup takes just minutes to put together, then you can come home later in the day to dinner ready and waiting for you!

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A slow cooker full of ham and bean soup made with vegetables, dried beans and diced ham.

It’s soup weather, which means we’re having soup at least once a week. My kids love it, it’s easy to make and so many soups are a complete meal in one pot. This slow cooker ham and bean soup is on regular rotation at my house, and it’s also a great way to use up leftover ham.

How do you make ham and bean soup?

This recipe starts with a bag of dried beans. I use a bag of bean soup mix which comes with a bunch of different varieties of beans and peas mixed together. You can also use a bag of white beans if you prefer. The beans go into the crock pot, along with some veggies, diced ham and seasonings.

A mixture of dried beans in a crock pot.

Do you have to soak beans?

Many recipes call for soaking dried beans in water overnight.  This can help your beans cook faster, but we’re using a slow cooker here so we’re not really concerned about speeding up the cooking process. In addition, in order to soak your beans, you need to plan way in advance so that the beans can soak for hours. For this recipe, just give your beans a quick rinse in a colander and pour them into the crock pot.

How do you make bean soup with a ham bone?

I didn’t include a ham bone in this recipe simply because I often don’t have one on hand to make this soup. If you’re looking for a recipe that utilizes a ham bone, check out my delicious ham bone soup!

Dried beans, carrots, onions and celery in the slow cooker.

Tips for ham and bean soup

  • This recipe calls for carrots, onion and celery to be cooked in with the beans. The veggies will get quite soft from the extended cooking time. If you prefer firmer vegetables, you can add them in halfway through the cooking time.
  • I add a few sprigs of fresh thyme to this soup, the leaves fall off the branches as the soup cooks and then you can just extract the twigs before serving. If you don’t have fresh thyme, dried will also work nicely.
  • Ham and bean soup is a great candidate for the freezer, and this recipe makes a large batch, so freeze some for another night!
  • I like to serve my soup with cornbread or baguette for a complete meal.

Beans, vegetables, ham, herbs and garlic in the slow cooker.

Ham and bean soup is so hearty and full of great flavors. I love the combination of beans here, all of the different colors and textures make this soup something special. Whether you’re looking to use up leftover ham or simply searching for a family friendly crock pot soup, this recipe is sure to be a hit!

A bowl of ham and bean soup made with dried beans, ham and vegetables, then topped with fresh parsley.

More fabulous soup recipes

Ham and Bean Soup Video


A slow cooker full of ham and bean soup made with vegetables, dried beans and diced ham.
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5 from 11 votes

Ham and Bean Soup (Slow Cooker)

This slow cooker ham and bean soup is made with a mixture of dried beans, vegetables, tomatoes and diced ham, all cooked together for a hearty and flavorful meal. An easy crock pot dinner that's perfect for a cold night!
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword ham and bean soup, slow cooker ham and bean soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 465kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 20 ounce bag dried bean soup mix
  • 3/4 cup onion finely diced
  • 3 carrots peeled, halved and sliced
  • 2 stalks celery sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cups diced ham
  • 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes do not drain
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Rinse the beans thoroughly; set aside the seasoning packet for later use
  • Place the beans, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, ham and chicken broth in a slow cooker.
  • Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours, or until beans are done
  • Stir in the tomatoes, seasoning packet, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 788mg | Potassium: 1849mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 105.2% | Vitamin C: 18.6% | Calcium: 13.5% | Iron: 45.9%

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Comments

  1. John Baker says

    May 4, 2019 at 3:03 am

    I always soak most beans. There are certain sugars in beans that don’t digest well and contribute to gas. Also I’ve read that most dried beans have a significant amount of phytic acid which can block the absorption of dietary minerals. I’ve found that even all day in a crock pot, the texture seems to be creamer with soaked beans. I don’t care for the quick soak method. It seems to remove too much flavor from the beans.
    But yours is a good recipe. I came across it just wanting to look at some different ways to prepare dried beans from my usual way. It’s almost identical to the way I make white bean soup.

    Reply

  2. Susan says

    April 24, 2019 at 7:30 am

    This will be my first try at cooking bean soup in my crock. Not sure about the tomatoes in bean soup. LOL. Not going to use them. I was checking your recipe for length off time. All other ingredients are already on my list as i have been making bean soup for over 50 years butt never in a crock.

    Reply

  3. gbc says

    February 27, 2019 at 6:52 pm

    When chopping the celery I never discard the leaves, as they have loads of flavor. Just chop finely and add to pot. For the ham, you can buy a single bone-in thick slice of ham at the meat counter. Add the bone to the pot along with the chopped ham.

    Reply

  4. tom l greene says

    January 8, 2019 at 4:06 pm

    Sara, my crock pot is 2 quarts. Should I cut a serving for 6 recipe in half?
    Can’t wait to try these recipes.
    Tommy

    Reply

  5. Glenn says

    January 7, 2019 at 2:17 pm


    this looks so so delicious. I have dried beans, red and white but I do not have the mixed beans with the seasoning packet. How can I make a substitute seasoning?

    Thank you.

    Reply

  11. Bernice says

    December 21, 2018 at 8:47 am

    Omg you made my mouth water. That looks absolutely amazing! Just the kind of meal for a cozy day at home when the weather is freezing outside. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    Reply

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