Fire up the slow cooker to make some delicious ham and bean soup from that leftover ham bone. There is nothing much more traditional than this classic soup. Please enjoy one of the best soups you can make at home.
Introduction
Ham and bean soup has always been a personal favorite of mine. Combine that with what to do with the ham bone leftover from Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner, and most of us need this recipe.
This easy ham and bean soup recipe is my version of traditional Senate Bean Soup. It is a simple soup made with navy beans, ham hocks, and onion. It is always on the menu in the dining room of the United States Senate. There are two versions, one using mashed potatoes to thicken the soup.
I combined about five recipes and methods, so there is no specific inspiration piece other than the Senate recipe. Instead of ham hocks, I'm using the ham bone with leftover ham, and other options are provided, including dry beans.
👨🍳How to make this recipe
- If using dry beans, presoak the beans.
- Prepare the ham bone by rinsing off any honey coating and trimming any large pieces of fat.
- Dice carrots, celery, and onion.
- If using precooked beans, drain and rinse to decrease the sodium.
- Add all the ingredients to a large crock pot. Work the ham to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook on low for a total of 8 hours with precooked beans or 10 hours if dry beans.
- Two hours before the end of cooking, pull out the ham bone. After it cools a bit, strip off the meat, and discard the bone and waste. Return the meat to the crock pot and finish cooking time.
- Serve hot or cool overnight in the refrigerator and skim off fat the following day.
Ingredients
🐖 Ham
The ham in the recipe is a huge variable. Start with a "meaty" bone. If you stripped it, you would have no meat.
All hams have a considerable amount of salt. Many hams have been coated with honey or other sweet products. Also, you have a large amount of fat, much of it on the surface.
All those things are a problem that could ruin your soup. So the preparation of the ham is critically essential.
Use running water to remove surface sugar. Scrape off any fat that you can. And be careful with adding any sodium.
What if I don't have a ham bone?
This recipe is designed around the ham bone since we use it for the meat and create a broth to make the soup. BUT, it is relatively easy to make it without a ham bone.
You can use about 2 cups of diced ham, and instead of water, use low-sodium chicken broth.
Beans
The beans are usually white beans like navy or great northern beans. The navy beans are smaller and more traditional for this soup. They are so common that this soup is frequently called "White Bean and Ham Soup."
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. The cooking time will decrease by a few hours with precooked beans vs. dry beans.
If you use precooked beans, you will need 48 ounces. You should drain the beans and rinse them well to decrease added salt. Of course, use low sodium products.
This was a great recipe to start using dry beans. And if you're on a budget, it makes this soup very cheap, considering you were going to toss that ham bone.
The 1 pound of dry will equal approximately three cans or one 48 oz jar of pre-cooked beans.
How to use dry beans
You should not just add dry beans and cook, although you will find recipes that don't soak. But, not the wisest answer in my experience.
Generally, dry beans should be soaked before cooking. It was always done in the "good old days." An overnight soak was always done to decrease the gas associated with beans having a non-absorbed carbohydrate. It helps some.
There is a "quick-soak" method to prepare dry beans that may be more effective. Bring the beans to a boil for a few minutes, remove them from heat, and allow them to rest for an hour.
Also, picking through the beans for pebbles and rocks was important. We frequently found them 50 years ago but none since then.
❓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.
I do not suggest corn starch since it may gel some with cooling and change the texture later.
You can also create a roux with flour and butter and add the last hour of cooking.
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 some. You can also add a half or a full cup of mashed potatoes near the end to thicken.
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.
I love Cornbread Biscuits or Old Fashioned Cornbread with this soup.
Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Good in the freezer for 3-4 months.
📖 Other Ham Recipes
Puerto Rican Chuletón Soup AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soup
Ham Bone Vegetable Soup – Crock Pot Edition
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
A nice meaty ham bone and some simple ingredients are needed. Dry beans are in the picture, but you may use 48 oz. of precooked navy or great northern beans.
Rinse 1 pound of navy or great northern dry beans. Pick through the beans for any stones or pebbles. Cover with water and allow to soak overnight. The quick-soak method is discussed in the post.
Under running water, rinse any coating off a meaty ham bone. Also, scrape off any surface fat that you can. Add to a larger crock pot.
Dice two medium carrots, two celery ribs, and one medium onion. Carrot and celery are options but recommended.
Add the beans, carrots, celery, and onion to the crock pot. Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and one bay leaf. Add 6 cups of water.
Cook on low for 8 hours total if using 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 10-15 minutes. Then remove all meat from the bone. Discard bone and any fat and waste.
Place meat back into the cooker, stir well, 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
Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry navy beans - or great northern; see note about 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.
- If using dry beans, rinse 1 pound of navy or great northern dry beans. Pick through the beans for any stones or pebbles. Cover with water and allow to soak overnight.
- Under running water, rinse any coating off a meaty ham bone. Also, scrape off any surface fat that you can. Add to a larger crock pot.
- Dice 2 medium carrots, two ribs celery, and one medium onion. Carrot and celery are options but 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 6 cups of water.
- Cook on low for 8 hours total if precooked beans and 10 hours for dry beans. Two hours before the end of cooking, remove ham bone to a cutting board. Allow the bone to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then remove all meat from the bone. Discard bone and any fat and 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.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use a large crock pot of 6 quarts or above.
- Hambones (and hams) vary a lot. So this is like many recipes; these are guidelines and not rules.
- If yours is honey-coated or spiced heavily, you need to rinse as much of that off as possible. Also, 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 or great northern beans. You will need 48 oz., and they should be drained and rinsed. Use low sodium is possible.
- Dried beans should have an overnight soak in water to decrease gas production.
- It is a good idea to cool this soup in the refrigerator and when cold, remove any fat on top.
- 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. And 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.
Cherie says
What size crock pot would you recommend? I have a 5 quarter crock and I don't think I could have fit all of this in it.
DrDan says
At least 6 qt due to the ham size.
Dan
Maxine G says
I followed your recipe but added a can of stewed tomatoes The seasoning in the tomatoes gives the soup a nice flavor. I also put a few cups of the cooked soup in the blender and added it back into the crockpot to thicken it up a bit and give it a nice consistency. Great recipe and so easy to use the crock pot!
Monica says
Wonderful recipe! Thanks!
Ida says
My husbands beloved Aunt always made great ham and bean soup. This is my second try and it looks delicious. My question is can I add potatoes to this or will it ruin it? I am making it tomorrow. Thank you!
DrDan says
The potato should be fine. Put it in with the carrots. I think two medium diced would be about right but just guessing there.
DrDan
Barry says
The recipe is great with onion, celery, and carrots. One more thing my mother always put in
was diced potatoes.
Theresa says
Do you set the crock pot on low price high?
Theresa says
Sorry, I meant low OR high.
DrDan says
Low and I just edited to make it more apparent. Thanks for the note.
Dan
Joan Holschuh says
Ina, I have never made ham an bean soup before. I have this great ham bone an decided to look at you site for a recipe. My husband's mom always made soup with the ham bone an he thought it was a great idea. I will try it in the next day or two. Thanks Joan
Carole Milligan says
My husband asked me to make ham bone and bean soup today. I found this post for your recipe, and it looks like an ideal recipe for the crockpot. I'll add spices at the end, as you and others suggest. Thanks!
Carole Milligan says
I made this yesterday, and it turned out very well. At the end, I added garlic powder and fresh ground pepper, as well as more ham. Delicious! Thank you for this easy recipe.
Gigi Schultz says
Dr. Dan
I've made a similar soup like this ages ago and couldn't remember the ingredients. Thank you for reminding me! This soup is simple and wonderful. For a little more flavor I add about a cup of V8-juice or tomato juice and a shake or two of Tabasco sauce at about the 8th hour of cooking. Now on to my fabulous ham bone I have thawing on the counter next to my soaking beans and ready to get cooking!
Dawn says
Made this today! I've never made a bean soup like this before. It only took me 8 total hours to cook. It really needs to be seasoned at the end. I added garlic, salt, pepper, and Cayenne Pepper. Very good!
DrDan says
Hi Dawn,
Yep this is a bland soup and seasoning to taste at the end is a good idea. The salt especially should wait to the end since many ham's have lots of salt already.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Dustin says
Dr. Dan,
Just finished prepping this recipe. It is now cooking on low in the crockpot. In substitution of the six cups of water, I used the four cups of remaining juices that cooked off the spiral ham I cooked two days ago for Thanksgiving. Then I added another four cups of water. Looking forward to trying this rendition of a childhood favorite with the added carrots, celery, and onion. Will let you know how it turns out.
DrDan says
Given those choice... none would be my choice. Don't add any sugar of any type. And ham usually has too much salt to begin with. None of the other spices or veggies do much for me.
Hopefully you have some pepper. It will be nice without the veggies and other spices. If you like spicy then a pinch of the crushed red pepper since it is a bit bland anyways.
DrDan
Naya says
I need some help with spics to put in my great northern beans. The only veggies I have are cucumbers and green bell peppers. I have two of each. The spices I have are Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, table salt, sugar, paprika, oregano leaf, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, tarragon leaves, thyme leaves, and chili powder. I usually use brown sugar but was not able to get it this time around. Please help as soon as you are able. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Lorrie says
Great recipe, I add smoked ham hocks and the ham bone. My mom always used the smoked ham hocks.
Elane says
Hi Dr. Dan,
Just found your site while I was looking for a healthier carrot cake. So I have been scrolling through your recipes and admiring your wonderful dogs. I saw this recipe and I thought I would let you know that I like using smoked turkey parts to make the soup when a ham bone is unavailable. It works out great! Oh yeah, can't wait to try your carrot cake!!! I like your site, thank you and love your dogs.
plantcrone says
Great take on the typical "Senate Bean Soup" that my mom and grand mother made. I liked the emphasis on low sodium and, like the author, have decided to use dried beans rather than more expensive (and highly processed) canned beans.
I used several healthy twists of ground black pepper, a tsp of chili pepper flakes and a shake of hot chili powder to spice it up a bit..I thought it was a tad too bland for my spice loving family.
I'd always used chicken or vegetable broth in my ham bone soup before but this time I let the ham bone and ham do the flavoring of the 6 C of water and didn't notice the difference.
Appreciate your easy crock pot version of this American Staple.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. It is a bit bland like most ham/bean soups so your additions are a good idea if you want a little more spice. To me, that bland ham and bean taste is childhood...
In one of my previous ham bone soups, a commenter suggested that the broth was not needed. I now agree.
Again thanks for the comment and rating.
DrDan