Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

This gradual cooker ham and bean soup is extremely flavorful and scrumptious! It is the proper method to make use of up a leftover ham bone or ham hock.

You guys, this soup! It seems humble and unassuming, however it’s undoubtedly a lot greater than the sum of its components and is among the tastiest soups I’ve ever had! Perfect for utilizing up that leftover ham bone from Easter dinner!

To Soak or Not to Soak Dry Beans

This ham and bean soup makes use of dry white beans. They are cheap, straightforward to work with, and good for the lengthy, gradual cooking methodology.

Dry Beans Tip #1: If the dry beans you’re utilizing are too outdated, they could by no means soften and develop that scrumptious creamy texture, irrespective of how lengthy you cook dinner them for. So verify the expiration on the bundle of dry beans. Contrary to in style perception, they received’t final without end and are normally finest used inside a yr or so.

Dry Beans Tip #2: Soaking the dry beans in cool water in a single day is essential for this recipe. While you might discover quite a lot of web websites and recommendation that say you don’t must soak dry beans previous to cooking, take my recommendation (and expertise) after testing this soup with soaked and unsoaked beans. The beans that soaked in a single day cooked quicker, extra evenly, and had a greater texture.

How to Make Ham and Bean Soup within the Slow Cooker

1. Once the beans are finished soaking, drain them completely, and return them to the gradual cooker.
2. Cook the veggies in a skillet with just a little olive oil till the onions are translucent and scrape the combination into the gradual cooker.
3. Add broth and easy seasonings.
4. Nestle a meaty ham bone into the soup, cowl, and cook dinner till the beans are tender and creamy.
5. Remove the ham bone and massive items of meat (the meat might be fall-apart tender). Shred the meat and return to the gradual cooker.
6. OPTIONAL: for a thicker, creamier consistency, frivolously mash the beans with a potato masher.

This soup undoubtedly will get thicker the longer it rests. The leftovers are tremendous thick and creamy (in a deliciously great way).

Incredibly Flavorful Soup

I haven’t had a soup this scrumptious in a very long time! The smoky flavors of the ham with the savory veggies and creamy beans is pure consolation food in a bowl.

Between this soup and this unbelievable leftover ham bone lentil soup, there is no such thing as a must ever query what to do with a leftover ham bone.

Like me, you might end up shopping for a ham only for the bone! I’m telling you, the insane cozy yumminess of this soup has a maintain on me.

Can’t wait so that you can do this one! It’s a keeper.

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours hrs

Soaking Time:: 8 hours hrs

Total Time: 18 hours hrs 25 minutes minutes

• 1 pound dry Great Northern beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced onions
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups low-sodium rooster broth (see word)
• 1 leftover ham bone (see word)
• Additional chopped ham, elective (see word)

Cook ModePrevent your display screen from going darkish

• Add beans to gradual cooker. Add room temperature water to cowl by 2 inches. Let the beans soak in a single day (8 to 12 hours).

• Drain the beans and return to the gradual cooker.

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium warmth. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring usually, till the onions are translucent, about 5 to six minutes. Scrape the combination into the gradual cooker.

• Add bay leaves and rooster broth and give the combination a stir.

• Nestle the ham bone into the soup. Cover and cook dinner on low for 10 hours or on high for six hours till the beans are mushy. If you are planning so as to add further ham (actually solely essential if the ham bone used wasn’t tremendous meaty), add it a pair hours earlier than cooking time ends.

• Remove ham bone to a plate or dish (and any massive ham items which will have fallen off throughout cooking). Shred ham into small items and return to the gradual cooker.

• If desired, use a potato masher to frivolously mash the beans within the soup for a creamier consistency.

• Taste and season with salt, if wanted. Serve instantly or hold heat till able to serve. This soup will get thicker the longer it rests. The leftovers are tremendous thick and creamy (in a deliciously great way).

Broth: low-sodium broth is essential – for us, this soup is salty sufficient utilizing low-sodium broth and a hearty leftover ham bone. Different manufacturers and forms of ham will differ in saltiness. Full sodium broth may make the soup too salty. It’s higher so as to add salt on the finish, if wanted. 
Ham Bone: I favor utilizing a leftover ham bone from a spiral-sliced ham. In truth, I’ve made this soup a number of instances with out utilizing the ham in one other recipe first; I purchase a ham only for this soup, reduce off the meat and freeze it, and use the ham bone within the soup. I strive and go away an excellent quantity of meat on the bone so the soup has loads of ham when it’s completed cooking. Alternately, you need to use 1 to 2 medium ham hocks in place of a giant ham bone.
Additional Ham: if the ham bone or ham hock(s) you’re utilizing don’t have quite a lot of meat on them, you possibly can add further ham towards the top of cooking time (directions included within the recipe). 

Author: Mel

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Serving: 1 serving (about 1 1/2 cups), Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 951mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 3g