Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup — 🍲🐷👏🏻 An incredibly EASY and comforting soup that can be made with leftover holiday ham or deli ham! Your slow cooker does all the work to meld the flavors together. OR, you can make this on the stovetop in 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
- Recipe for Ham and Bean Soup in the Crockpot
- Looking for more ways to use ham?
- Ingredients in Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
- How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in a Crockpot
- Stovetop Instructions
- what to serve with ham & bean soup
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
- More Easy Soup Recipes:
Recipe for Ham and Bean Soup in the Crockpot
It’s that time of year when holiday spiral hams are served in abundance. And that can often mean lots of leftover ham.
Not sure what to make with your leftovers? This easy slow cooker ham and bean soup recipe will come in perfectly to help you use them up. I use it every Easter and Christmas!
Along with the ham, there are white beans, carrots, onion, garlic, and thyme to create plenty of depth of flavor. Simmering it in your slow cooker really helps meld the flavors together.
Or if you’re like me and prefer to do things faster, you can also make this ham and white bean soup on your stovetop. It comes together in just 30 minutes!
Looking for more ways to use ham?
These ham and pineapple sliders are a reader favorite, offering sweet, tangy, savory flavors that are impossible to resist! Or, this baked ham and cheese omelet is an easy breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) packed with protein to keep you full.
Ingredients in Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
For this comfort food homemade ham and bean soup recipe, you’ll need the following common and easy-to-find ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- White or yellow onion
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Thyme
- White beans – I prefer using low-salt or salt-free canned white beans in this recipe
- Chicken or vegetable stock – I recommend using low-salt varieties
- Diced ham (cooked) – Include the leftover ham bone or ham hocks for an even better flavor
- Smoked paprika
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in a Crockpot
To make ham and bean soup in your Crockpot, simply follow these simple steps:
- Add the butter and onion to a large skillet.
- Sauté over medium-high heat.
- Transfer the onion mixture and all the other ingredients to your slow cooker.
- Cover, and slow cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours until the beans are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Stovetop Instructions
If you’re like me and are just not really a slow cooker person because you hate to wait, never fear. You can whip also this soup up on the stove in 30 minutes.
- Sauté the onion in butter for 5 minutes in a Dutch oven or large stockpot.
- Add the carrot, and sauté for 3 more minutes.
- Add the garlic, and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 20 minutes before serving.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste, and serve warm.
what to serve with ham & bean soup
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Once cool, you can freeze this soup for up to 4 months. I prefer storing my soups in smaller zip-top freezer bags so I can thaw just a couple portions at a time rather than, say, half a batch.
To Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave. You can also heat a large batch in a pot over medium heat on the stove, or transfer it to a slow cooker set to “warm.”
Recipe FAQs
Use at least a 7- to 8-quart slow cooker. This hearty soup makes 8 servings!
As I mentioned, feel free to use leftover holiday ham. Cube it, and add one pound. It’s probably about 3 cups, but, of course, you can add a bit more or less depending on what you have.
If you don’t have any leftover ham, don’t worry. Pick up a pound of thick-sliced ham or a ham shank from your grocery store’s deli.
I recommend either using cannellini beans, great northern beans, white kidney beans, or white navy beans. The recipe calls for 3 cans total, and you can mix and match two cans of one type, and one can of the other if desired.
Additionally, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, or even black beans are fine. Obviously, the flavor will change. However, if you have a ton of a particular kind of canned beans on hand and want to use them, feel free.
You certainly could use previously cooked homemade white beans if you have them on hand, too.
No, the only thing you don’t want to use is uncooked dried beans, and try to add those into the slow cooker or stovetop version. That definitely would not work for making bean soup with ham in a slow cooker.
Feel free to add some small-diced potatoes like Yukon gold to the soup when you add the broth and all the other ingredients. Make sure they are small-diced so they cook in the time allotted. Or, include chopped celery.
If you want a little extra oomp, try cooking your soup with a bay leaf. Or, add an extra dash of kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, or even some of the seasoning packet that comes with beans.
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Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 6-quart slow cooker OR
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, olive oil may be subsituted
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 carrot, peeled, trimmed, and sliced thinly
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs OR 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- three 15-ounce cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed (if possible I use low or no-salt added)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, I use low or no-salt added
- 1 pound ham*, cubed (about 3 cups) – See Notes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, regular paprika may be substituted although smoked adds a great touch
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the butter, onion, and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Transfer the onion, plus all remaining ingredients to at least a 7 to 8-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours and serve.
Stovetop Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot. add the butter, onion, and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the carrot and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring nearly constantly.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low or low, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Pin This Recipe
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Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 6-quart slow cooker OR
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, olive oil may be subsituted
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 carrot, peeled, trimmed, and sliced thinly
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs OR 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- three 15-ounce cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed (if possible I use low or no-salt added)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, I use low or no-salt added
- 1 pound ham*, cubed (about 3 cups) - See Notes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, regular paprika may be substituted although smoked adds a great touch
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the butter, onion, and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Transfer the onion, plus all remaining ingredients to at least a 7 to 8-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours and serve.
Stovetop Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot. add the butter, onion, and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the carrot and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring nearly constantly.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low or low, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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I made this soup for supper tonight with my leftover ham.
I didn’t use the thyme. I used dry navy beans because I made it on the stovetop.
It was delicious!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Becky, and I am glad that this recipe came in handy for using your leftover ham! That’s great you were able to use your dried beans and make it on the stovetop, too. I love to hear when people are resourceful and use what they have!
Hello Averie. I love your recipes and your webpage. But I was wondering if you could include the feature where you could Jump To The Recipe?
Thank you.
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