Use that leftover ham bone to make this hearty, old-fashioned Crock Pot ham and bean soup. This classic slow cooker recipe cooks all day with dry or canned white beans, a meaty ham bone (or some diced ham), and veggies. Perfect slow cooker comfort food after the holidays.
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- â¤ď¸ Why I Love This Recipe
- đˇ Ingredients for Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- đ¨âđł How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in a Crock Pot
- đ Tips for Crock Pot Success
- đ Choosing and Using the Ham
- đŤ BeansâTypes, Prep, and Tips
- đ More Ham Bone Recipe
- đ˝ď¸ How to Serve
- âď¸ Leftovers and Storage
- â FAQs
- đThe Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Andie:
âââââ
"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!"
â¤ď¸ Why I Love This Recipe
- Leftover solution: A great way to use every bit of that holiday hamânothing wasted, and nothing better.
- Old-fashioned flavor: Tastes like something your grandma wouldâve made (if she had a Crock Pot and less time).
- Nothing fancy: Just a ham bone, some beans, and a little patience.
- Pantry-friendly: Use canned or dry beansâwhatever youâve got on hand.
- Easy and filling: Budget-friendly, freezer-friendly, and no kitchen skills required.
đˇ Ingredients for Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
A meaty ham bone or diced ham, white beans (dry or canned), veggies, and simple seasoning.
- đ Ham Bone â Meaty, trimmed of fat and coating. Or use diced ham if needed.
- đŤ Beans â Navy, Great Northern, or Cannellini. Dried (pre-soaked) or canned.
- đĽ Vegetables â Onion, carrot, and celery. Optional, but highly recommended.
- đ§ Seasoning â Garlic powder, black pepper, bay leaf. Hold the salt until the end.
- đ§ Liquid â Water to cover, or low-sodium broth if not using a bone.
đ¨âđł How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in a Crock Pot
Just load it up and let the slow cooker do the work.
1. Prepare the beans, ham bone, and veggies
If using canned beans, drain and rinse well. Dry beans must be soaked first â see the bean section below.
Rinse a meaty ham bone under running water and scrape off any surface fat or coating.
Dice the carrots, celery, and an onion.
2. Load the crock pot and cook
Add the beans, ham bone, vegetables, and seasoning to the crock pot.
Cover with water (about 6â8 cups) and cook on low for 8 hours (precooked beans) or 10 hours (dried beans).
â Pro Tip: A slow cooker works best when itâs no more than about ž full. If the pot looks too full after adding everything, scoop out a little liquid so it cooks evenly.
3. Strip the ham bone
In the last 1-2 hours of cooking, remove the ham bone.
Shred off the meat, discard the bone and fat, and return the meat to the soup.
4. Finish and serve
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
If the soup seems thin, simmer uncovered for 15â20 minutes or mash a few beans in the pot.
Serve hotâor refrigerate overnight to skim off fat before reheating.
đ Scroll to the recipe card for complete step-by-step photo instructions, or keep reading for pro tips, FAQs, and serving ideas.
đ Tips for Crock Pot Success
- Donât overdo the liquid: Add just enough water to cover everythingâusually about 6 cups. If the ham bone sticks out too far, trim it down. Donât exceed 8 cups.
- Using broth instead? Use low-sodium or no-salt-added chicken broth to avoid an overly salty soup.
- Hold the salt: If your ham was salty, the broth may taste salty early on â always wait until the end to add salt.
- Vegetables are flexible: Adjust the amount to your taste. I usually add moreânot less. You can also toss in chopped potatoes, green beans, or other vegetables you like. Just make sure they can hold up to long cooking, or add them later if theyâre more delicate.
- No bone? No problem: You can skip the ham bone entirelyâjust use 2â4 cups of diced ham and broth instead of water. More in the ham section below.
- Bad ham = bad soup: If your ham lacked flavor to begin with, it wonât magically improve in the crock pot. The texture wonât get better either. But if the soup tastes flat, you can try adding a little ham bouillon (like Better Than Bouillon) or ham soup base to boost the flavor.
- Make it today, eat it tomorrow: The soup is great day one, but chilling overnight lets you skim the fat and brings the flavors together even better.
đ Choosing and Using the Ham
A meaty ham bone is bestâleave a little extra meat on it if you're planning ahead. It adds flavor and helps build a rich broth as it simmers.
If the bone is a little skimpy on meat, no problemâjust add about 1â2 cup of diced ham to supplement. The bone will still help flavor the broth.
No bone at all? Use about 2â4 cups of diced ham, and replace the water with low-sodium chicken broth, ham bouillon, or ham soup base to boost flavor.
High in salt:
Ham is saltyâdonât add more until the end. If youâre using broth, choose unsalted or low-sodium.
Remove extra fat and any glaze:
Trim off any thick fat. If your leftover ham came from a sweet glazed spiral ham, rinse well and scrape off the glaze â it can make the soup too sweet.
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đŤ BeansâTypes, Prep, and Tips
Choose your bean:
Navy beans are the traditional choiceâsmall and creamy. Great Northern beans are a bit larger but work well too. Cannellini (white kidney beans) hold their shape and stay a bit firmer. Any of the three are fine.
Dry or canned:
- Dry beans need to be soaked before cooking. One pound of dry beans is about the same as three 15â16 oz cans (or a 48 oz jar) of precooked.
- Canned beans should be drained and rinsed well before addingâthis cuts the salt and extra starch.
Quick soak method:
If using dry beans, donât just toss them in. Bring them to a boil in a large pot of water for 3 minutes, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Then drain and rinse before using.
Why soak at all?
Soaking improves texture and helps remove some of the indigestible starches that can cause gas or GI upset. You can do the traditional overnight soak instead, but the quick soak is faster and more effective.
Other options:
Want something heartier? A 15-bean mix also works great in this recipe. Just check for stones and give it a good rinse.
đ More Ham Bone Recipe
If youâve got a ham bone to use, here are a few more crock pot favorites:
- Ham and Vegetable Soupâa heathier version packed with lots of veggies.
- Puerto Rican ChuletĂłn Soup AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soupâour Christmas tradition. A wonderful change from other ham soups.
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 potatoesâperfect for leftover ham.
đ˝ď¸ How to Serve
This soup is hearty on its own, but itâs even better with something to mop the bowl. Try it with:
- Cornmeal Biscuits â Soft, buttery, and so easy to make
- Old Fashioned Cornbread â A classic side for old-school comfort
- Basic Homemade Stand Mixer Bread â Simple, satisfying, and a basic staple
âď¸ Leftovers and Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3â4 days, or freeze for 3â4 monthsâthaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Cut the fat some by chilling overnight and skim off the fat before serving.
â FAQs
There are a few good ways to thicken this soup:
1. Add a finely diced potato halfway through cooking.
2. Stir in Ÿ to ½ cup of potato flakes near the end.
3. Remove about a cup of beans after cooking, blend, and mix them back in.
4. Make a roux with flour and butter and add it during the last hour.
đI donât recommend cornstarchâit can gel when cooled and change the texture.
Traditionally, just onion, but carrot and celery add great flavor. Hearty options like potatoes or green beans also work. Avoid delicate vegetables that break down with long cooking.
Yes. Canned beans are already cookedâjust drain and rinse before adding for faster results. If using dry beans, be sure to quick-soak or soak overnight first. Skipping the soak can leave beans undercooked even after a long day in the crock pot.
Yes. Let the soup cool, then store it in airtight containers or freezer bags for 3â4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The beans stay tender, and the flavor actually improves after freezing.
Yes. Use 2â4 cups of diced ham and replace the water with low-sodium chicken broth for flavor. It wonât taste exactly the same as a bone-based soup, but it still turns out hearty and delicious.
đThe Recipe Card
Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup (With Ham Bone)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry Navy, Great Northern, or Cannellini beans - or 48 oz. of precooked beans drained and rinsed
- 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 to 8 cups water or low-sodium broth - enough to cover ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the beans, ham bone, and veggies
- If using precooked beans, drain and rinse 48 oz. (about 3 cans).
- If using dry beans, rinse 1 pound of Navy or Great Northern beans. Boil in a large amount of water for 3 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Then drain and rinse.
- Rinse a meaty ham bone under running water to remove any coating or glaze. Scrape off excess surface fat.
- Dice two medium carrots, two celery ribs, and one medium onion. Carrots and celery are options, but recommended.
Load the crock pot and cook
- Add the beans, ham bone, diced vegetables, garlic powder, pepper, and bay leaf to a large crock pot. Add just enough water or broth to cover the ingredientsâusually about 6 to 8 cups. Cook on low for 8 hours (canned beans) or 10 hours (dry beans).
Strip the ham bone
- About 2 hours before the end of cooking, remove the ham bone to a cutting board and let it cool 5â10 minutes. Remove the meat, discard the bone and any fat or waste, and return the meat to the soup.
Finish and serve
- Place meat back into the cooker and finish cooking. This is a good point to taste test for adding salt if needed.
- Serve hot, or refrigerate overnight and skim the fat off the top before reheating.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use a 6-quart or larger crock pot.
- Ham bones (and hams) varyâthese are guidelines, not rules.
- If your ham is glazed or heavily spiced, rinse and scrape off as much as you can.
- Ham is high in salt. Use low-sodium broth and canned beans. Donât add salt until the end and only if you are postive it is needed.
- It is a good idea to cool this soup in the refrigerator and remove any fat from the top when it is cold.
- No ham bone? Use 2â4 cups diced ham and low-sodium broth, bouillon, or soup base for the liquid.
- Keeps well in the fridge for 3â4 days and freezes for 3â4 months
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published December 13, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Aliceyn says
Our âfunnyâ family story... I was a young single mom, granddaughter of farmers, dating the son of San Francisco socialites. We were served a ham dinner during one of the holidays. (from the honey baked stores). I was helping clean the kitchen and GASPED when my future mother in law put the bone (with MOST of the meat) in the trash. She looked up and realized that as a single working mom barely able to feed my 2 children- what she had done. She said, âoh dear, I had heard you make soup from bones...do you want this?â That âboneâ fed my children for a week, THEN I made the navy bean soup. 34 years later my husband still looks forward to ham bone soup. His mother is still shocked and possibly a little proud of all the things I can do and no one else they know can...
Jodie Knop says
DrDan
Thank you for this recipe. I am making it today (with the vegetables) It looks like the soup my husbandâs Grandmother Millie always made, without the vegetables. She never used a recipe. He has wanted me to make this for a long time. It is a bland soup, but she had always put a bottle of ketchup, bottle of hot sauce, chopped purple onions, and brown sugar on the table. We would add what we wanted to our bowl. Canât wait to eat!
Michel says
I'm making this one..after reading many recipes.! Going to add leftover mash yam (about one)..at the last hour of cooking time
DrDan says
Hi Michel,
Good touch with the yam. It should thicken some and add taste.
Dan
Cathrine Livingston says
I have made this soup twice in the past 5 days and followed the recipe as posted, except I used chicken stock instead of plain water in the crock pot. I did not have to add any seasoning at the end and the ham provided enough salt to the soup. I did mash some of the beans as suggested in the recipe. My husband said it was fantastic!! Will add this to my permanent recipe book.
DrDan says
Hi Cathrine,
Glad you like it. I have a ham coming this weekend and I think my wife is more excited for the soup.
Dan
Trudy says
I have been cooking for over 60 years. I have made all kinds of soups, cooking many meals teaches one a lot of things. One thing for sure, I no longer soak beans, it is a waste of time, leaches out the vitamins, and slows the cooking of a meal. The fastest, easiest, and most economical is to wash thoroghly, sorting if necessary, and placing in an appropriate size container e.g. Stainless Steel covered 2 quart or larger. Ratio of beans to water 1:2. 1 cup beans, 2 cups of clean, filtered water. Cook on HIGH for five minutes, let sit for an hour. The beans if cooked enough, when you draw out a teaspoon of cooked beans and blow on them will split and curl the shell. Never, ever add anything to the water, other than the beans. If the beans are old they will need more cooking time, and willnot split their shell when you blow on them. Then While all that was going on I was busy chopping the veggies. The onion, celery, carrots, and peeling fresh garlic to crush later into the soup. I saute the veggies in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) or EV Coconut Oil. This brings out the flavor and seals in the vitamins in the vegetables. Here you can add precooked Acorn Squash, Sweet Potatoes, etc. Herbs of choice can go here as well. Potatoes added to the soup will serve as a thickener. Also, as the soup cooks, mash some of the Beans to thicken it as well with the back of a large spoon or a bean masher. This creates a smoother texture, besides thickening it. Add the sauteed veggies, cooked beans, meat (like Ham or even a smoked spicy summer sausage cutup); next, add the homemade soup stock, bay leaf, a little salt, black ground pepper. All these hints makes the soup quick, tasty, digestible, and easy to ladle up. I usually cook it on High four hours, and low for 4-6 hours. Your nose will tell you when it is ready. Add picante sauce, zucchini, kale, etc. if you wish to have more nutrious spicy, veggie soup. The length of cooking at 600 minutes is off-putting. Hours is more palatable. e.g. 6-10 hours
Donna says
I love this soup! I think it has great flavor exactly as it is written. I was thinking of using this recipe as a basis for split pea soup. Do you think it would work with split peas?
DrDan says
Hi Donna,
I have never made a split pea soup but it seems to me it would. I would need to investigate a number of other recipes to be sure but it makes a ham broth and seems to have about the right composition. I know mostly they use chicken broth but the ham would be better taste wise. I might be a great soup.
Dan
Sandra Cullen says
Started this recipe & have a time lapse between ending the 8 hr soaking of dry beans & actual time I will prepare crockpot due to having to make trip to grocery for veggies. Do soaked beans need to be refrigerated while awaiting crockpot? Is it ok to substitute a can of celery soup instead of celery rib since hate to purchase whole big bunch when only need one or two individual ribs?
DrDan says
Skip the celery if you want. Like all soups, use what you have. I like to refrigerate the beans during soaking although many don't. I see a water nutrient mixture that bacteria can grow in.
Joann Colan says
Rake through beans when they are DRY first before rinsing and cleaning with water. This way the beans won't stick together when combing for rocks, dirt clods, rotten or broken beans with skins off. I rinse and scrub several times to make sure they are clean before I cook.
Gillian says
Oh My!!! Made this soup today and boy was it delicious. As with every dish I usually make, I start with a basic recipe and make it my own but I always give credit where credit is due. So the only changes I made were to use homemade chicken stock, fresh thyme, fresh garlic and fresh parsley. I also added about a half cup to three quarter cup of finely diced butternut squash because I love it in most of my soups as a natural, slightly sweet, thickener. Plus its another sneaky veggie my kid wouldn't eat otherwise. I threw in a couple diced potatoes at the end along with a tsp or so of seasoned salt. I'm very close to saying that this is now my absolute favorite bean soup. Thanks for sharing.
Pauly P in NC says
Good think I like Celery in my soups!!
Are you sure there are to be TWO STALKS of celery as opposed to 2 RIBS?
I could not fit two stalks worth of celery in my 8 qt pot...I stopped at one stalk.
Admittedly, I did have a hefty ham bone, but....
Otherwise a wonderfully easy and delicious recipe...THANK YOU!!!
DrDan says
Hi Pauly,
You caught me on the computer. We appear to have a terminology difference. When I grew up we called a rib of celery a stalk and what you call a stalk a bunch. I did a fast Google https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/celery-question-8212-whats-a-rib-vs-stalk/
I think I will keep my present terminology.
Have a good holiday season.
Dan
Mark says
Ham bone is really cheap now. I might have to pick one up and give this one a try.
DrDan says
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the note. I have a Honey Baked in the mail now for the weekend. So I'm doing this next week.
Dan
Marsha says
Really good recipe! I followed your recipe and used the ingredients you suggested, using 4 carrots and 3 celery per my family's taste. Took 8 hours on low, after soaking the beans for about 8 hours. I actually kept the beans covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days before I cooked the soup today and they came out the very right consistency. I had to add more seasoning at the end but did not add any salt to this soup. Thank you! I will be trying more đ
Robert says
My ex wife made very good bean soup using smoked turkey (I'm a heart patient) but she also made dumplings using Bisquick. She made her soup on the stove and added the dumplings just before serving. This also added some thinking to the soup. She also add carrots and onions.
DrDan says
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the note. I can see it now...
Dan
Jane Montello says
Made the bean soup and it turned out great. My mom (who has passed away and left no written instructions) used her leftover bean soup to make baked beans. I have been unable to find such a recipe on the internet. Do you have one? I am going to try to adapt various baked bean recipes using the leftover soup, but would love to get your take on it. Thank you. Your site is wonderful for cooking for 2.
DrDan says
Hi Jane, Thanks for the note. I have not heard of doing that. It seems like the liquid to bean ratio would be off but you could drain some. I guess I would drain the liquid, call the ham as bacon. then add the ketchup/BBQ sauce, onion and other things. Honestly, I have not found a baked bean recipe I really like. I find most of them way too sweet for my taste. The best I have had is at Marlowe's in Memphis but they don't publish their recipe.
Dan
Jennifer Szalach says
Delicious! My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe, we will definitely be making this again!
Tammy says
This is very good. I will never throw out a ham bone again.
DrDan says
Hi Tammy
I grew up never wasting anything so tossing the hambone is just wrong.
Thanks so much for the note.
Dan
Nancy says
Great recipe and similar to my own. I add a couple of small potatoes to absorb some of the salt. A jalapeĂąo pepper also adds some great flavor and and little heat. I like my soup a little thicker and creamier, so I take about a half cup of soup, add a little milk and cornstarch and blend it together and return to soup to finish cooking. No salt is ever needed.