Easy Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is a comforting, hearty recipe perfect for using leftover ham. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and yields tender, creamy beans without any pre-soak.
If you enjoy slow-cooker soups, try a classic like Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup for another warm meal idea.
This crock pot ham and bean soup uses a handful of simple ingredients to create a rich, satisfying broth studded with soft beans and chunks of ham. It’s ideal on a chilly day and is an economical way to enjoy leftover holiday ham.
After slow cooking all day, the beans become tender and the flavors meld into a well-balanced, wholesome soup. Because the recipe relies on a smoked ham bone or hock, you usually won’t need much extra salt—use low-sodium broth and adjust seasoning at the end.
If you like easy, flavorful slow-cooker meals, this one pairs well with crusty bread or a simple green salad and reheats or freezes beautifully.
Why We Love This Recipe
This ham bone soup checks a lot of boxes: flavorful, simple, and budget-friendly.
- Effortless: Add beans, ham, vegetables, and seasonings to the slow cooker and let it simmer—minimal hands-on time and even better the next day.
- No soaking needed: The beans cook slowly in the crock pot, so pre-soaking is unnecessary.
- Economical: Uses basic pantry ingredients and stretches leftover ham into a large, satisfying batch.
- Freezer-friendly: Cool and freeze leftovers for easy meals later.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Main ingredients and easy swaps:
- Great Northern Beans: Rinse and pick through the dry beans before using. Navy beans are an acceptable substitute.
- Ham bone, ham hock, or ham shank: A smoked ham bone adds deep pork flavor. Leftover ham bones work great, and many delis will sell ham hocks or shanks if you need one. Aim for some meat on the bone to add back into the soup.
- Vegetables: Carrots, celery, and onion are classic additions that round out the broth. Omit or adjust based on preference.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth or bone broth gives the best flavor; add salt only if needed at the end.
- Spices: Bay leaves, dried parsley, celery salt, dry mustard, and black pepper enhance the soup. If you don’t have dry mustard, use a tablespoon of prepared mustard, or use fresh parsley in a larger quantity (about three times the dried amount).
This recipe is forgiving—omit or swap ingredients as you like. The full ingredient list and printable recipe card are provided in the recipe section below.
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1 – Prep Beans and Place in Crock Pot
Rinse, drain, and pick out any damaged beans or debris from the dried beans. Place the beans in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
STEP 2 – Add Ham, Veggies, and Spices to Crock Pot and Cook
Place the ham bone or hock on top of the beans. Add carrots, diced onion, sliced celery, and minced garlic. Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients and add bay leaves, parsley, celery salt, dry mustard, black pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce if desired. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–9 hours, or until the beans are tender.
STEP 3 – Remove Ham Bone and Shred Meat
Lift the ham bone or hock from the slow cooker. Remove any meat from the bone, chop or shred it, and discard the bay leaf and any excess fat or cartilage. Reserve the chopped ham to add back into the soup.
STEP 4 – Thicken Soup
For a creamier texture, use an immersion blender to puree a portion of the soup, leaving most beans whole. Stir the chopped ham back into the crock pot and warm for a few minutes until heated through. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Yield: Makes about 8–10 dinner servings. Serve with a salad, crusty bread, or rolls.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4–5 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers, label and date, and freeze up to 3 months.
- Cook Time: Slow cooker models vary, so plan for 7–9 hours on LOW. Cooking on HIGH may not fully soften dried beans, so LOW is recommended.
Ham & Bean Soup FAQs
A 6-quart slow cooker works well for this recipe.
No. Great Northern beans cook all day in the slow cooker, so pre-soaking is unnecessary.
Puree some of the cooked beans with an immersion blender or mash a portion with a potato masher to thicken. For an even thicker soup, stir in a slurry of cornstarch or flour mixed with water (about 3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour plus 3 tablespoons water) and simmer until thickened.
Yes. Cool completely, store in freezer-safe containers, and freeze up to 3 months. Label and date the containers.
Great Northern or Navy beans are recommended. Avoid dried kidney beans in a slow cooker, as they require pre-soaking and boiling for safety.
More Slow-Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
Homemade crock pot soups and stews are effortless and comforting—perfect for busy days.
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Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) dried Great Northern Beans, rinsed and picked through
- 1 large smoked ham bone, ham hock, or ham shank, leftover ham bone works well
- 2 cups (256 g) carrots, diced or julienned
- 1 cup (160 g) onion, about ½ of a medium onion, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, sliced or diced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 7 cups (2 kg) low-sodium chicken broth, or stock
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- several dashes of hot pepper sauce, optional
- 1-2 cups additional diced ham, optional, for a chunkier soup
Equipment
- 6-quart Slow Cooker
- Immersion blender (optional)
- Sharp knife
Instructions
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Rinse, drain, and pick out any damaged beans or debris from the dried beans and place them in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. -
Place the ham bone on top of the beans. Add carrots, chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Pour the chicken broth over everything and add bay leaves, parsley, celery salt, mustard powder, black pepper, and hot sauce if using. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–9 hours, until beans are tender.
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Remove the ham bone from the slow cooker. Strip the meat from the bone, chop or shred it, and discard the bay leaf and any fat or cartilage.
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Puree a portion of the soup with an immersion blender to thicken while leaving most beans whole. Stir the chopped ham (and any additional diced ham) back into the pot and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.
Notes
- Hambone, ham hock, or ham shank: Leftover ham bones work great; many butchers or delis sell hocks or shanks if needed. Aim for some meat on the bone to add back into the soup.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4–5 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers, label and date, and store up to 3 months.
- Cook Time: Slow cooker models vary—plan for 7–9 hours on LOW. Cooking on HIGH may not fully soften dried beans.
Nutritional information is approximate and will vary based on brands and preparation methods.