Don’t toss that ham bone. Follow these easy step by step photo instructions for some great crock pot ham bone vegetable soup.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published April 13, 2013. Updated with improved and expanded text and discussion along with updated photos.
We occasionally have a ham bone, not a real common occurrence when you’re cooking for two, but it does happen. So what to do with a ham bone from that holiday spiral cut ham? You can toss it or make soup.
Inspired by an allrecipes.com recipe called Ham Bone Soup I read all 200 plus comment for helpful hints. There are often useful things in the comments and should be read if you’re doing a recipe.
My Rating
I’m at a 4 but my wife, the ham person, is a high 4 or low 5.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Crock Pot Ham Bone Vegetable Soup.
The Ham Bone
You need enough meat on the ham bone to have some in the soup. If in doubt, you can add a chopped up ham steak or similar ham.
Many hams have a sugary coat. This sweetness needs to be reduced as much as reasonably possible. Trim or scrap off some and then a really good rinse should usually do. The sugary taste is not needed in the soup and I think it would be “weird.”
A Salt Note
The salt could easily get out of hand here. Ham has a lot of salt. Do not add any, use low sodium broth and rinse the beans.
Broth vs. Water
The model recipe uses water with added chicken bouillon cubes. Many other recipes used chicken broth.
It was pointed out to me by several commenters that the ham bone will make its own borth. I have followed that advice many times in this and other ham bone recipes with 100% success.
So you have three options. First, just water for the liquid. Second, water and add bouillon cubes later in the cooking if needed. Or use the low sodium chicken broth I initially used here. I suggest #1 now.
The Fat
There is a lot of fat in a ham. If this is a concern (and it should be), refrigerate overnight and scrap the disgusting stuff off. Hopefully, you scraped some off with the sugar coating.
Other Ham Bone Soup Options
Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup
Puerto Rican Chuletón Soup AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soup
This is more than enough ham on this bone. The chicken broth is an option, but just water works well.
Rinse the ham under running water to remove as much of any sugary coating as possible. Also, this is a good time to remove any fat the is easily removed.
Chop two peeled potatoes, two peeled carrots, a medium onion and two stalks of celery. Feel free to vary the veggies.
Rinse one can of beans. I used light kidney but did not have low sodium that would be preferred.
In a large crock pot combine 6 cups water, 15 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and optional 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add the rinsed beans and the veggies. You may use low sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
Add the ham bone and cook for 8 hours on low.
With about one hour left in the cooking, remove the bone and strip of meat.
Return the meat to the slow cooker.
Finish the 8-hour total cooking. You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
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Crock Pot Ham Bone Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone with meat
- 2 carrots - diced
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 2 potatoes - medium russet cubed
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 48 oz water - or low-sodium chicken broth
- 14 oz light kidney beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
Instructions
- Rinse the ham under running water to remove as much of any sugary coating as possible. Also, this is a good time to remove any fat the is easily removed.
- Chop two peeled potatoes, two peeled carrots, a medium onion and two stalks of celery. Fell free to vary the veggies.
- Rinse one can of beans. I used light kidney but did not have low sodium that would be preferred.
- In a large crock pot combine 6 cups water, 15 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and optional 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add the rinsed beans and the veggies. You may use low sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
- Add the ham bone and cook for 8 hours on low. With one hour left in the cooking, remove the bone and strip of meat. Return the meat to the slow cooker. Finish the 8-hour total cooking. You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
- You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Your ham bone should have some meat on it. You may add other ham if you think you need to.
- Rinse and scrap very well to remove as much sugar as possible if you have a sugary coating. Also, remove fat that is easy to remove but don't obsess over the fat.
- Use all low sodium products and do not add salt unless you are sure you need it.
- I now use water for this recipe instead of chicken broth. You may use low sodium chicken broth or add some bouillon cubes when stripping the ham bone if you think it is needed.
- You may serve hot out of the pot or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.
Check Out Other Great Recipes
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published April 13, 2013
Jeanne T
OMG this is great, I did make it with 38 ounce chicken broth and added water for the rest. I didn’t add two potatoes just one because I used white beans. Just a little idea put some shredded swiss cheese on the bottom of your soup bowl, you won’t be sorry.
DrDan
Hi Jeanne,
I do love a good soup and thanks for the suggestions.
Dan
Sandra Bowman
Just finished eating this delicious soup and the only thing we altered to the recipe was we added 1&1/2 cup of chopped ham (only because we had the leftover ham). We definitely will make this again whenever we have a hambone. Great recipe!!
DrDan
Thanks for the note. Glad you liked it.
DrDan
Adam Turner
In the slow cooker as I type. I used fresh garlic instead of the powder and no tomatoes. Also added a tbsp of Italian seasoning. Oh and used kidney beans and northerns. My ham bone was bigger than the one in the picture so I had to add 1/3 more broth.
I also added some rice.
I sure hope it tastes as good as it smells. This house smells incredible.
Rick Bradley
I recommend that you try a smoked pork shoulder in place of the ham. You’ll find that it’s processed with WAY LESS salt, has a very similar flavour so #1 will be pleased and after cooking low and slow (5hr @ 275F) the fat that hasn’t rendered can pretty much be rubbed off by hand. I save the cooking liquor and then use the bone and some more veg the next day for a total of about 4L of broth.
Paul
I see a can of tomatoes in the ingredients but you do not mention
them in your directions. . . thanks for the great recipe!
DrDan
Thanks for the error catch. I’m editing the post now.
Dan
Dorothy
My family loved this soup. So easy to prepare on a cold morning and letting it cook all day in the crock pot. My husband ‘put it together’ the first time and it was a hit. I agree that it can become salty with the ham. I used all the low sodium ingredients as suggested and felt it was just right. I also added some frozen chopped spinach and bow tie pasta near the end of cooking time. I was just as good a couple of days later. Will make this again.
DrDan
Thanks so much for the note.
DrDan
Susan
Forgot my rating!
DrDan
Thanks so much for the note(s) and Rating
DrDan
Susan
Your recipe was delicious! I made a few modifications when I made mine. I left out the onion only because I didn’t have one on hand. I added 4 cloves of fresh garlic, black beans instead of kidney beans, canned corn, a couple of bay leaves, and turmeric spice because it’s good for you. It was a huge hit! Thanks again!
Rena
Just trying this recipe now. Followed it exactly except using black beans. Will do a taste test at 3 hour mark and may adjust seasonings if needed, also thinking of adding some zuchine and yellow squash. Still on the fence re: the squash. Will rate after eating tonight. Also, if you oversalt a dish grating a potato into the broth helps reduce the saltiness.
Donna
I made this recipe but added 1 – 8oz can tomato sauce after tasting the broth and feeling it needed a little more tomato taste. I also threw in a couple of handfuls of broad noodles during the last 30 minutes of cooking. I got a late start in preparing the dish, so I cooked mine on high for 5 hours and it came out delicious.
DrDan
Thanks for the note. I love to hear modifications.
Again thanks for the comment and rating.
DrDan
June
Googled “ham bone soup” and found your site. I wanted a ham bone soup with no dried beans (don’t have any on hand right now). I was planning on making my soup basically like your recipe, but would use water instead of broth. Good comments. I do have part of a can of black beans. I will rinse those and add, that made me think of corn, so will add some of those and maybe tomatoes. We shall see what tomorrow brings! Thanks for the great ideas.
Dave
Really great flavors in this dish. Great use of the entire ham. Sodium was not a problem. Only modifications were to add a few extra vegetables Thanks for the recipe.
Dave in Ann Arbor, MI
DrDan
Thanks for the note Dave and Happy Harbaugh Day there in AA
DrDan
Dave
Really great flavors in this dish. Great use of the entire ham. Sodium was not a problem. Only modifications were to add a few extra vegetables.mthanks for the recipie.
Runnerchick
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I had a hambone from Sunday’s dinner so I did a search and came up with this :) I used 16 ounces of low sodium chicken broth and the rest was water. It was seriously good!
Kathy
Loved it! Simple and nutritious. Used less broth and more water. Added Swiss chard. Basically emptied my fridge into the pot. Thanks. I will do it again.
DrDan
Great to hear. I think soup should “empty the fridge”
Thanks for the comment
DrDan
donna
I have had this ham bone for one week. I have been too busy to do anything with it. Is it still good to use to mak soup, or should i scrap it?
DrDan
Hi Donna,
Since ham and the processing varies a lot, I have no answer. I generally freeze the bone if I want to use it later.
My general rule is when in doubt throw it out.
DrDan
Joan
This is a wonderful soup. Being the lazy sort of person I first boiled the ham bone and while it was cooling I removed the grease from the water the water and prepared the veggies and let them sit in iced water while I washed and prepared dried beans and let them cook for about 30 minutes in about 4 cups of the water the ham bone was in added the veggies cooked on medium for 3 hours added the ham and cookked another 30 min. The ham remained flavorful and the beans and veggies absorbed the flavor. it was gteat
DrDan
Looks great. Thanks for the variation.
DrDan
Trudith
I searched high and low for a ‘suitable’ recipe for an inherited Ham Bone, I had already created my version when I, found this site. I used the “Bob’s Red Mill” 13 Dry Beans for the soup. I washed them, rinsed, and pressure cooked them for 5 min. on high. Then let them sit for 1 hour in the cooker. I chopped the Onions (2), Carrots (2), Potatoes (2), 1 Roma Tomato, and Celery (3 stalks), sauteed them in Olive Oil, put beans first, then veggies, and the sauteed Ham Bone into the pot with 2 cups of H2O. I added a pinch of salt, Italian herbs, Pepper, and two Bay leaves. Then I added a 10 oz. can of Rotel Tomatoes & Chilies. This filled my 4 qt. ‘slow cooker’. My Home is now fragrant with the odors of this Soup, cooking on high, and showing promise of a very delicious Soup.
I meant to get this done before Ash Wednesday, but today was the first time I had the energy and time to do it.
I know it is going to be delicious!
DrDan
Sounds great. A good soup just makes the home smell great…
Thanks for the note and please report how it comes out…
DrDan
Janice
This was a really good recipe. First time I made a soup with ham bone and it was great. My family is not
a fan of kidney beans so I didn’t put them in. Thank you so much.
DrDan
It is a shame that most of us (me included) have tossed the ham bone out. It should be used.
Thanks for the comment.
DrDan
Sue L.
P.S. Using dried beans soaked overnight would also reduce the sodium level a decent amount. But adds an extra step.
DrDan
Thanks for the notes…I have dry beans in the pantry and I have plans. I do think the salt level is highly variable in hams. I think try to decrease it as much as possible and you can always add some back later by taste.
DrDan
Sue L.
After reviewing a couple of recipes to find a use for a leftover ham bone I decided to go with yours (in part because I liked its simplicity and in part because I had all the ingredients at home). Turned out very well – and we have tons of leftovers. As always, I did make modifications, which I share here:
1. Following comments about salt, I used 32 oz of low sodium broth and 16 oz of water.
2. Forgot to add the onion but it seemed okay without it (I wouldn’t leave the onion out in the future).
3. Added 2 bay leaves and a large pinch of thyme. Used fresh garlic (2 cloves) and a fresh hot pepper (about a half), both chopped, instead of the garlic powder and pepper flakes.
4. At the same as adding the meat from the bone back to the soup, I also added some fresh chopped collards and spinach (about a cup), because I had them on hand. A little later I also added about 3/4 c. ditalini pasta. These additions increased the hardiness of the soup, I think.
Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper (for those infrequent times I have a ham bone to use).
DrDan
Thanks so much for the modifications, it should help others dive in…. How was the salt for you?
DrDan
Sue L.
Salt level was fine. But the ham that provided the bone wasn’t too terribly salty, as hams often are. Also, using low sodium broth and water helped, I think. As Boholistic Mom noted, I do think one could forgo broth altogether. In that case, I might increase the veggies and herbs a bit. Inspired by the origins of the recipe (per David Philipp), I might add a teaspoon or so of Herbes de Provence next time.
Susan
Thanks. I like this recipe and everything you’re saying makes sense. The “salt” thing is what I’m trying to avoid.
David Philipp
One of our favorite recipes. Since we don’t eat pork, we make it with smoked turkey you can get at Whole Foods and Amish markets.
Actually the recipe is from Provence in France, where it is called a “Garbure”. Usually served with a crouton and shredded gruyere cheese which is browned under a broiler. A little red wine is poured into the remainder of the stew at the bottom of the bowl to finish it. (This information is courtesy of Jacques Pepin).
Also we use dry beans and soak overnight before starting the crock pot.
DrDan
Thanks for the note. I like this soup a lot but the fat and sodium are issues. The smoked turkey would be a great substitute.
Also great stuff on the origin of this recipe.
Thanks
DrDan
Twila
I have never really cared for traditional ham and bean soups, but I really liked this one, and it was a huge it with my family!
DrDan
It is a “change of pace” so to speak. I do like a bean soup but I need to not do the same thing over and over.
Thanks for the note
Dan
DrDan
Two suggestions. First read the comment from Boholistic Mom (up two). Skip all broth and just use water. That should help. My second suggestion is a water bath. Hams have variable about of salt so the amount of salt that will remove is also variable. Just cover with water and soak for a few hours. Do this in a refrigerator. You could rinse and repeat this several times allowing the water to pull more salt out of the ham. The ham would also pull some water in but we are making soup so do we care…
Also you are right, the soup mix didn’t help.
Regard
DrDan
Neil C
Very good but also very salty. I added a couple of tbls of chicken soup mix from a bulk bin. Maybe that was the source of the salt, I don’t know but if I could delete some of the salt I’d definitely make it again. Suggestions?
Boholistic Mom
When you are using a ham bone, you have no need for broth. You can actually make a broth with the ham bone by adding water instead. That way you leave out all the extra additives in the commercial broth and easily make your own in the crock pot as you go.
DrDan
I do like that idea… I have a ham bone with my name on it at home now so I think a New Years cooking is in order. A recipe update may be in order soon.
Thanks
Dan
Ruth Hoernig
I found your blog about six months ago and I really love your recipes, photos, and rating system. Made hambone soup today and it was just delicious. The only modification I made was to use only 32 ounces of broth and 17 ounces of Trader Joe’s turkey gravy, because that’s what I had.
Chris
That reminds me…I have no clue what happened to my ham bone from the one we did before Easter. Time to dig into the freezer! I hope someone didn’t throw it out, that would be criminal!
Dan Mikesell
Many will just toss it because they have no idea what to do. But a few veggies and some broth and you can get a couple of nice meals with minimal work.
Jess
This looks great! I had a ham not too long ago that I was unsure what to do with and this would have been wonderful. Can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you for sharing. :)