Crockpot Ham and Bean soup is easy to make with leftover ham bones, dry white beans, and vegetables. It is old-fashioned comfort food at its best—delicious and hearty—and is a simple and economical recipe for ham and beans in the crock pot.
🐖Ingredients
Ham bone—meaty
Beans—Navy, Great Northern, or Cannellini. Use dried or pre-cooked.
Vegetables—carrots, celery, and onion
Seasoning—black pepper, garlic powder, and bay leaf
Water—to make broth with the ham bone
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in a Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 👍Make it right every time
- 🐖 Ham bones, and do I have to use one
- 🫘The Beans—usage and variations
- 🥣Why and how to soak dried beans
- 📖 Other Crock Pot Ham Bone Soup recipes
- 🍽️How to serve
- ❄️How to store leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
Featured Comment by Andie:
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"I am making this for the third time today! This is my go to for ham bone bean soup. I follow the recipe and use dry beans. Perfect every time! So tasty! Thank you!"
There is nothing much more traditional than this old-fashioned ham bone soup with white beans, a personal favorite of mine. This is the perfect ham bone recipe for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner leftovers.
I have adapted it for a crock pot, added options for dried or precooked beans, and a skip the ham bone option. While you can use broth, I suggest allowing the ham bone and water to make the broth as the soup cooks.
For other great soup recipes, check out my Broccoli Cheese Soup and Crock Pot French Onion Soup.
👨🍳How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in a Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Use 48 oz. of drained and rinsed precooked white beans. If using dry beans, do a "quick soak" as described in the section below.
2. Under running water, rinse a meaty ham bone to remove any coating. Scrape off any surface fat, then add it to a larger crock pot.
3. Dice carrots, celery, and an onion.
4. Add the beans, carrots, celery, onion, and seasoning to the crock pot.
5. Add water to cover the ingredients, and cook covered on low for 8 hours for precooked beans or 10 hours for dried beans.
6. Two hours before the end of cooking, remove the ham bone. Remove all meat from the bone, discarding bone, fat, and waste.
7. Place meat back into the cooker, stir well, and finish cooking. This is a good point to taste test for adding salt if needed.
8. Serve hot or cool overnight in the refrigerator and skim off fat the following day.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👍Make it right every time
Add the amount of water you need to cover the ingredients. If the ham bone sticks out too much, don't be afraid to cut it back a bit. Six cups is about right, but don't exceed eight cups.
If you decide to use broth, use sodium-free or low-sodium chicken broth in the same amount as the water.
The vegetables may be adjusted up or down for your taste. I usually add more.
If you had a "bad" ham with little taste. It will make bad soup, too.
You can make this without a ham bone (see the ham discussion) and vary the beans if you wish.
While it is excellent the day it is cooked, you can scrape the fat off the top after overnight refrigeration, and the flavor comes together for an even better taste and healthier soup.
🐖 Ham bones, and do I have to use one
The ham in any ham bone soup recipe is highly variable. I suggest using a meaty ham bone—try to leave a little more meat on it if you're making soup. You can also use two ham hawks to replace the ham bone.
Often, a honey coat and trimmable fat need to be removed as much as possible. These problems could ruin your soup, so ham preparation is critical. Use running water to remove surface sugar. Scrape and trim off any fat that you reasonably can.
All hams contain considerable salt, so please add salt only near the end if needed. If you decide to use broth instead of letting the ham bone and water make it, use salt-free broth.
What if I don't have a ham bone or it is skimpy on meat?
This recipe is designed around the ham bone, which we use for the meat and to create a broth for the soup. However, it is relatively easy to make it without a ham bone or if the ham bone doesn't have much meat.
If your ham bone is skimpy, add about a cup of diced ham—the bone can still make the broth. If you don't have a ham bone, use about 2 cups of diced ham, and instead of water, use low-sodium chicken broth.
🫘The Beans—usage and variations
The beans are usually white beans, like Navy, Great Northern, or Cannellini. Navy beans are smaller and more traditional for this soup. They are so common that it is frequently called "Ham and Navy Bean Soup."
I like Navy beans for this soup—a traditionalist to the end. Great Northern beans are bigger and will give a similar taste and texture. Cannellini beans, known as white kidney beans, will have a firmer texture than others.
Mixtures of various beans are sold like 15 bean mix to make 15 Bean Soup and an excellent substitute. Or use the beans you like.
Precooked vs. Dry beans
Either dry or precooked beans will work fine in this recipe. Precooked beans will decrease the cooking time by a few hours compared to dry beans.
If you use precooked beans, you will need about 48 ounces (3 cans). Drain the beans and rinse them well to decrease any added salt. Of course, use low-sodium products.
One pound of dry beans equals approximately three cans or one 48-oz jar of pre-cooked beans. Always check the beans for rocks or foreign bodies. They need to be pre-soaked before use.
🥣Why and how to soak dried beans
You should not just add dry beans and cook, although you will find recipes that don't soak. But it is not the wisest answer in my experience.
Beans have a non-absorbed carbohydrate. Since it is not absorbed or digested, it sits in the GI tract, where the normal bacteria break it down, producing gas and sometimes enough acid to cause diarrhea.
In the "good old days," dry beans were soaked overnight before cooking. This method mostly worked. We now use a more proven and effective method, the "quick-soak," but the overnight soak will still work.
Bring the beans to a boil for 3 minutes in a pot with lots of water, remove them from heat, cover them, and allow them to rest for an hour. Rinse them before using.
📖 Other Crock Pot Ham Bone Soup recipes
If you have a ham bone, check out ham bone soup recipes, such as Ham Bone Vegetable Soup and Puerto Rican Chuletón Soup AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soup.
For other leftover ham recipes, try my Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, or check out What to Do With Leftover Ham.
Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham is a classic old-fashioned comfort food with creamy sauce, melted cheese, and slices of tender ham and potatoes—perfect for leftover ham.
🍽️How to serve
I love Cornbread Biscuits or Old Fashioned Cornbread with this soup. Or a crusty bread is also nice.
❄️How to store leftovers
Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Good in the freezer for 3-4 months.
❓FAQs
The best way is to add a finely diced potato halfway through cooking. You can also add ¼ to ½ cup of potato flakes near the end of cooking.
The second method is to remove about a cup of beans, run them through a blender, and mix them back into the soup.
You can also create a roux with flour and butter and add the last hour of cooking.
I do not suggest corn starch since it may gel with cooling and change the texture later.
None other than the onion in the traditional soup. I suggest carrot and celery since they made it more interesting taste-wise.
A diced potato added halfway through cooking will help thicken the mixture. You can also add half or a full cup of mashed potatoes near the end to thicken the mixture.
All ham soups have a lot of animal fats. By refrigerating, the fat will come to the top and be solid. It can be removed, and your soup will be healthier.
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 pound dry Navy, Great Northern, or Cannellini beans - or 48 oz. of precooked beans
- 1 ham bone - meaty
- 2 carrots - medium - diced - optional
- 2 ribs celery - - diced - optional
- 1 onion - medium - diced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf - optional
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- You may use one pound of dry beans or 48 oz. of pre-cooked beans—drained and rinsed.
- If using dry beans, rinse 1 pound of Navy or Great Northern dry beans. Pick through the beans for stones or pebbles. Boil in a large amount of water for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let it sit for 1 hour, and then rinse before using.
- Under running water, rinse a meaty ham bone to remove any coating. Scrape off any surface fat. Add to a larger crock pot.
- Dice two medium carrots, two celery ribs, and one medium onion. Carrots and celery are options, but they are recommended.
- Add the beans, carrots, celery, and onion to the crock pot. Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon pepper, and one bay leaf. Add enough water to cover the ingredients (6 to 8 cups).
- Cook on low for 8 hours for precooked beans and 10 hours for dry beans. Two hours before the end of cooking, remove the ham bone to a cutting board. Allow the bone to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove all meat from the bone. Discard the bone, any fat, and any waste.
- Place meat back into the cooker and finish cooking. This is a good point to taste test for adding salt if needed.
- If you have time, refrigerate overnight and scrape the fat off the top the next day before reheating.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use a large crock pot of 6 quarts or above.
- Ham bones (and hams) vary a lot. So, this is like many recipes; these are guidelines and not rules.
- If yours is heavily honey-coated or spiced, you need to rinse off as much of it as possible and scrape off surface fat.
- Most hams have LOTS of salt. Don't add any until you're sure you need it, and use low-sodium products if possible.
- You can use pre-cooked Navy, Great Northern, or Cannellini beans. You will need 48 oz. of beans, which you should drain and rinse. Low-sodium beans are also possible.
- Dried beans are soaked to decrease gas production. The instructions and post discuss a "quick-soak" method.
- It is a good idea to cool this soup in the refrigerator and remove any fat from the top when it is cold.
- If you don't have a ham bone, you can still make this soup with about two cups of diced ham and use low-sodium chicken broth for the water.
- The total cooking time for the dry bean version is 10 hours, and 8 hours using pre-cooked beans.
- Stores well refrigerated for 3-4 days. It will freeze well for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published December 13, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Marie says
Is there a point that I’m missing in the steps that says add the hambone to the crockpot? Should the hambone go in when the onions carrots celery & Beans go in?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Marie,
It is at the end of the second step of rinsing off any coating. Before the veggie chopping.
Dan
Celesti says
I tried several times to use your print button on this recipe. I like to print out recipes because I have a small kitchen that doesn't accommodate space for my computer. Your French Onion Soup recipe was a copy and paste on word which is a pain. I am having difficulty printing your recipes to my printer. I don't have this problem from other cooking sites. Any suggestions ? ... Thanks.
Stacey says
I wanted to do this too, but what do you put in your stock? It looks like Everything is put in at once. Thank you.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Stacy,
The water is put in at the start. Later, the hambone is removed and stripped with the meat going back in and the bone and waste discarded.
In all probability, you just the water will make broth with the hambone and veggies. You could use chicken/vegetable/ham broth instead if water if you want.
Dan
Stacey says
Can you add parsley at the end?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Stacey,
Yes, if that is what you like.
Dan
Carolyn S. says
Great recipe and perfect for cool weather!
Maybe it's my imagination, but I think that making the ham stock ahead of time improves the flavor. So I put a ham shank in the slow cooker the day before and let it cook all day. Then I chill the stock overnight and skim off the fat.
Angel says
Could I make this with dried baby Lima beans?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Angel,
Welcome to the blog.
It should be similar but I have never cooked dry Lima beans. What I know about Lima beans is that cooking time is simular to Great Northern and other white beans. I'm not sure I would like the taste combination though.
Dan
Karen Conder says
Love this soup! However, in all my white bean soups I always add some mashed potatoes. i have left over mashed potatoes today, but if not, I nuke 1 or 2 large baking potatoes, when done let cool, then peel, then mash and add to the soup. I believe this is what they did in the original Senate Bean soup as one of the Senators was from Idaho. It is delicious, and you really don't taste the potato. It thickens it fantastically, and you don't have to mash any of the beans
Karen
Hillary says
I've made this soup a few times and my household LOVES IT! I sometimes bake a ham just so I can make this soup the next week 😄 I was curious if you have ever added corn or potatoes to this soup, do you think it would be a good addition and do you think it would change the consistency at all?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Hillary,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you are enjoying the recipe. We made this last week and I had two meaty bones. I would call it ham, ham, and bean soup.
About the additions. I have not heard of corn being added. It is a matter of taste, but the corn has lots of sugar and I would hesitate adding it if you had a honey coated ham. Also, I would add it the last hour or so.
Now the potatoes are more interesting. Many recipes include diced potatoes including another version of "Senate Bean Soup." It will tend to thicken a bit due to the release of starch (not a lot). Add with the other veggies.
So I'm a probably yes on the potatoes and a possible but with care on the corn.
Dan
Tammy says
This recipe looks great. Any tips on cooking with a frozen ham bone? Should any adjustments be made? Also, I will be using canned beans. About how much time should I give this in the crockpot?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Tammy,
Welcome to the blog.
First, the frozen hambone. I would caution just like frozen chicken breasts, frozen things in a hot crockpot has been known to break ceramic liners. So thawing is always recommended. But many people do it.
Second, precooked (jar or canned) are covered in the tips but take about 2 hours off the cooking time usually is right. Drain them before adding them.
Dan.
Ron Phillips says
I made this soup today I used a ham bone and home canned navy beans mixed with red beans added carrots celery and onions. I made a pone of corn bread and I cooked 5 hours sampled a bowl it was fantastic left it in the crock pot removed the bone and it is now on low. We will enjoy more around dinner time. Thank you for the recipe.
JLL says
I've been following you for years. Lots of great recipes! When I offer up something new for dinner, my husband asks "Is this from the Pediatrician?".
I'd never made soup from a leftover ham bone, and, had never soaked beans before! It was a bit intimidating at first. The soup turned out amazing and my husband loved it! I followed the recipe exactly with one exception..At the 8 hour mark, I used a slotted spoon and put some of the solids in the blender and then returned it to the pot. This thickened the soup just enough for us. I'll make it again next time we have a ham! Thanks!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi JLL,
Welcome to the blog (or blog commenting).
I have a ham bone in the freezer waiting for a blizzard and this soup. It goes great with the cornbread dropped biscuits.
Glad you two are enjoying the blog.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Linda says
I’m planning on making this soup but I saw a comment about using 2 crockpots. I guess one just for the meat. Is that right?Linda
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
I remember that comment. It seemed a bit odd but to worked for her. I use only one crockpot for the entire cooking. I think one would be better to have the ham cook along with the veggies/beans and creating broth.
Dan