Crock Pot Bean Soup With Ham

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/8/19
Crock Pot Bean Soup With Ham
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Bean soup is comfort food, especially on a chilly fall or winter day. This soup is prepared and cooked with simple seasonings and a ham bone or diced ham. I add some chopped celery and carrots, but it is very good with just onions as well. 

The slow cooker makes this bean soup a snap to prepare, and it makes a great meal with hot baked cornbread, biscuits, or freshly baked bread or rolls warm from the oven.

Beans are sometimes tough after many hours of cooking. Salt and acidic ingredients can contribute to this problem, so wait until the beans are tender before salting. Some professionals (and food scientists) disagree that salt is the culprit, however, and suggest that brining the beans in salt water overnight cuts down on the cooking time and results in tender beans. See the tips and variations for more about brining.

Ingredients

  • 1 meaty ham bone
  • 2 cups navy beans or mixed beans, washed, sorted, and soaked overnight
  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar, or to taste
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put the beans in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Pick over and discard any malformed or damaged beans and look for small stones.

  3. Combine beans, ham bone, water, chopped onion, garlic or garlic powder, and the bay leaf in the slow cooker.

  4. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

  5. Turn to low and cook 6 to 8 hours longer, or until beans are tender.

  6. Season with lemon juice, honey or brown sugar, salt, and pepper, to taste.

  7. Remove ham bone; chop meat and return to crockpot.

  8. Remove bay leaf before serving.

  9. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

  • Add 1/2 cup of diced celery and 1/2 cup of diced carrots to the pot along with the onions.
  • Instead of a ham bone, use two meaty ham hocks or 2 cups of diced leftover ham.

Tip

  • To brine the beans overnight, dissolve 5 teaspoons of kosher salt in 8 cups of water. Add the dried beans and let them stand overnight. Rinse the beans in a colander the next day, add them to the slow cooker and cover with 8 cups of fresh water. You may add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water, or add salt to taste after cooking.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
265 Calories
1g Fat
49g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 265
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 121mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 14g 48%
Protein 16g
Calcium 155mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)