Ham and Bean Soup is made in the slow cooker using a leftover ham bone, vegetables, chicken broth, and canned white beans. It can easily be cooked in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop as well. Served with a side of cornbread, this hearty soup is a great recipe the entire family will love.
If you've just made a holiday baked ham, be sure to save the bone and any leftover meat or cooking juices to make this soup!
Why I love this recipe
- Incredibly easy to make - It's basically a dump-and-go recipe because all of the ingredients are added to the slow cooker and no browning or sauteing is required.
- Alternate cooking methods - The recipe is easily adapted to cook in a pressure cooker or in a Dutch oven on the stovetop if you don't want to use a crock pot.
- Great way to use leftover ham - Be sure to get every ounce of flavor out of that ham!
- Simple ingredients - You may already have them on hand.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe
The exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here's a list so you know what to pick up from the grocery store.
- leftover ham bone
- carrots, celery, and onion
- chicken broth - I always use homemade chicken stock when available
- chili powder, garlic, and bay leaves
- canned white beans
How to make ham bean soup in the slow cooker
- Add the leftover ham bone along with any remaining meat or juices to the slow cooker.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the beans to the slow cooker. This includes the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, seasonings, and bay leaf.
- This mixture needs to cook on low for at least 4 hours, however, it can cook as long as overnight on the low setting. This is a great option if you want to start the soup at night after dinner and enjoy it the next day.
- Pull the ham bone out and add any pieces of ham back to the soup. Add the drained beans and enjoy!
How to make ham bean soup in the Instant Pot
- With the benefit of being able to saute in the Instant Pot, add a small amount of olive oil to the pot and sear the vegetables for 5-10 minutes.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the canned beans and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.
- Release the pressure and transfer the ham and any large chunks of meat to a cutting board. Dice ham and return it to the pot with the drained beans. Stir until heated through and serve.
How to make ham bean soup on the stovetop
- Similar to the Instant Pot, take advantage of the fact that you can saute the vegetables for a bit and give them some extra flavor. Using a large Dutch oven or stockpot, cook the vegetables over high heat for a few minutes.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to the lowest amount which allows you to maintain a simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the ham and any large chunks of meat to a cutting board. Dice ham and return it to the pot with the drained beans. Stir until heated through and serve.
Cooking tips for best results
- Blend it: If preferred, you can blend the entire soup or a portion of it. To do this, transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender. Follow all of the instructions and add the beans to the soup, but do not add that ham prior to blending. The ham bits can be added in after the soup is blended.
- Remove excess fat: When the soup is done, before you add the beans, there may be a lot of fat. If you want to remove the excess fat, the easiest way is to refrigerate the soup so that all of the fat congeals on top. At that point, you can remove all of the fat, reheat the soup, and then add the beans.
Substitution recommendations
This bean soup recipe is incredibly versatile and can be modified in countless ways to suit your preferences or match the ingredients you already have on hand.
- leftover ham bone - can also use ham hocks, ham shank, or ham steak. Smoked ham hocks create an exceptional smoky flavor that really enhances the soup.
- chicken broth - you can easily use vegetable broth instead. Water can also be used, however, broth or stock will create more depth of flavor.
- herbs - fresh parsley or other dried herbs can be added to enhance the flavor
- canned beans - I use Great Northern beans, but you can easily use cannellini beans (white kidney beans), pinto beans, or black beans
Storage and reheating
Any remaining soup should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed within 3-5 days.
This soup freezes extremely well, so I encourage you to double or triple the recipe so that you have extra leftovers. To freeze, be sure to bring the soup to room temperature or refrigerate it first. I recommend using plastic quart-sized containers or freezer bags.
This delicious soup can be reheated in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave. It makes a fantastic school lunch when packed in a thermos.
Dry beans vs canned beans
For this recipe, I prefer to stir in canned beans at the end because it's just so easy. If you're looking to reduce your sodium, or happen to have dried beans in your pantry you'd like to use, they will work in this recipe.
To use dried beans, you will either need to do an overnight soak in cold water or a 1-hour soak in hot water. Then, the softened beans can be added to the soup at the beginning of the recipe. The soup will be done when the beans are soft and tender.
You can use dry navy beans or dry Great Northern beans with good results.
Favorite bean soup recipes
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Full Recipe Instructions
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots (chopped)
- 4 ribs celery (chopped)
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 1 leftover ham bone (along with any meat, fat, and juices that are left)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2-4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-15.5 ounce cans great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
- freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth, leftover ham bone, chili powder, garlic, and bay leaf to your slow cooker and cook on low at least 4 hours.
- Remove bay leaf along with any fat you don't want to eat (see note below). Transfer ham bone to a cutting board and cut off any pieces of meat, chop them small, and add them back to the soup.
- Just before serving, add drained beans to the soup, stir to combine, and serve when the beans have heated through.
- Optional: If preferred, you can blend part or all of the soup. To do this, do not add the ham pieces back to the soup until it has been blended. Then, either use an immersion blender to partially blend. Alternatively, you can transfer half of the soup to a blender, blend it, and then combine it with the rest of the soup. Add the ham back in before serving.
Notes
How to make ham bean soup in the Instant Pot
- With the benefit of being able to saute in the Instant Pot, add a small amount of olive oil to the pot and sear the vegetables for 5-10 minutes.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the canned beans and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.
- Release the pressure and transfer the ham and any large chunks of meat to a cutting board. Dice ham and return it to the pot with the drained beans. Stir until heated through and serve.
How to make ham bean soup on the stovetop
- Similar to the Instant Pot, take advantage of the fact that you can saute the vegetables for a bit and give them some extra flavor. Using a large Dutch oven or stockpot, cook the vegetables over high heat for a few minutes.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to the lowest amount which allows you to maintain a simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the ham and any large chunks of meat to a cutting board. Dice ham and return it to the pot with the drained beans. Stir until heated through and serve.
Cooking tips for best results
- Blend it: If preferred, you can blend the entire soup or a portion of it. To do this, transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender. Follow all of the instructions and add the beans to the soup, but do not add that ham prior to blending. The ham bits can be added in after the soup is blended.
- Remove excess fat: When the soup is done, before you add the beans, there may be a lot of fat. If you want to remove the excess fat, the easiest way is to refrigerate the soup so that all of the fat congeals on top. At that point, you can remove all of the fat, reheat the soup, and then add the beans.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
This recipe was originally published in April 2015 and has been updated with helpful information and recipe tips.
Calvin N Rutledge
don't necessarily need the ham bone...is why they sell smoked ham hocks and big chunks of fatback at the store, lower middle class staples
Krissy
Agreed! That's how I make my split pea soup too.
Joyce
Hi Calvin
I use the hock always and any left over ham goes in too. Great stuff!! Joyce Canada
SHANIKA
This soup looks so flavorful and well seasoned! I'd so turn my leftover ham into this recipe on any day!
Claudia
This is a great comforting recipe for the colder days!
Dannii
What a great way to use leftover ham. It looks super comforting.
Anita
This soup is such an amazing way to use leftover ham bone. It's so flavorful and perfect to warm up in the cold weather. 🙂