Slow Cooker Ham Bean Soup (Printable)

A comforting blend of ham, beans, carrots, and celery simmered slowly for rich flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound cooked ham, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Beans and Legumes

06 - 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Spices and Seasonings

08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - Salt to taste

# Method:

01 - Add diced ham, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and beans to the slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth and add bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
02 - Cover slow cooker and cook on low heat for 7 hours, or until vegetables are tender and flavors have melded together.
03 - Remove bay leaf from soup. Taste and adjust salt as needed to achieve desired flavor.
04 - Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot. Accompany with crusty bread or crackers if desired.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • It practically cooks itself while you go about your day, leaving your kitchen smelling incredible.
  • The beans soften into creamy pockets of comfort without any of the work of cooking them from scratch.
  • One batch feeds a crowd, which means leftovers that taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—I learned this the hard way when I made a batch that turned out thick and gluey, and it taught me that this one small step makes a real difference in texture.
  • If you're using smoked ham hock instead of diced ham, you'll need to remove the bones and shred the meat, which changes the whole texture but creates an even deeper, smokier flavor.
03 -
  • Don't be tempted to use a smaller slow cooker—a 6-quart capacity prevents the soup from boiling over, and you'll have room to stir without sloshing.
  • If you need this soup faster, you can cook it on high for 3.5 to 4 hours, though the vegetables won't be quite as tender and the flavors won't have as much time to meld together.
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