Crock Pot Ham Bone Vegetable Soup

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, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and optional ¼ 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

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Don't toss that ham bone. Follow these easy step by step photo instructions for some great crock pot ham bone vegetable soup.

4 from 33 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 10 mins

Servings #/Adjust if desired 8 servings

Ingredients

US CustomaryConvert to Metric

• ▢ 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
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ 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, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and optional ¼ 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:

1. Your ham bone should have some meat on it. You may add other ham if you think you need to.
2. 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.
3. Use all low sodium products and do not add salt unless you are sure you need it.
4. 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.
5. You may serve hot out of the pot or refrigerate overnight and scrape off any solidified fat.

Nutritional information on this recipe is very dependent on the ham and fat. So you have my best guess.

Have More Questions?Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don't miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

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

Calories : 200 kcalCarbohydrates : 23 gProtein : 16 gFat : 6 gSaturated Fat : 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat : 1 gMonounsaturated Fat : 1 gCholesterol : 36 mgSodium : 890 mgPotassium : 512 mgFiber : 5 gSugar : 6 gVitamin A : 2600 IUVitamin C : 11.6 mgCalcium : 50 mgIron : 1.1 mg

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course :Soup

Cuisine :American

Originally Published April 13, 2013