by Holly
Bean Soup is an easy and inexpensive dish and one of our all-time favorite foods to come home to on a chilly day.
This “no-soaking required” Ham and Bean soup takes just minutes to prepare and cooks effortlessly in your Crock Pot all day long!
This easy recipe is quick to prep and delicious, the perfect way to use up any leftover ham and a great way to feed a crowd!
I am excited to have partnered with Hurst’s HamBeens® 15 BEAN SOUP® to bring you this belly-warming bean soup recipe.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Ham & Bean Soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean soup is the perfect family meal!
- Simple and inexpensive, this is a great way to feed a crowd. This simple soup requires very few ingredients, starting with Hurst’s® HamBeens® 15 Bean Soup®, onions and ham.
- You’ll need just a few minutes of prep time and best of all the beans do not require soaking.
- You can use up leftover ham, a ham bone, smoked turkey or a ham hock.
- It’s healthy and delicious, everyone always loves it! This hearty soup is like a big ol’ hug in a bowl!
- This soup freezes and reheats well.
The slow cooker does all of the work creating an easy ham and bean soup that will warm you from the inside out.
Ingredients
BEANS:
Ham and bean soup is the ultimate comfort food and even more so when you have a beautiful mixture of beans! Hurst’s® HamBeens® 15 Bean Soup® is not only my favorite mixture, I know you guys love it just as much as I do!
Hurst’s HamBeens top-notch for both quality and flavor and are easily found in the dry bean section of almost any grocery store (or you can order them online). Along with the beans, a seasoning packet is included in each package of 15 Bean Soup making it simple and perfectly seasoned every time!
SEASONING:
Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup comes with a vegetable-based seasoning packet that really takes this recipe to the next level. It has great flavor, the perfect amount of seasoning, and a hint of smokiness. Adding the seasoning towards the end of cooking gives this soup an amazing flavor boost.
A squeeze of fresh lemon adds freshness. While I use plain tomatoes, you can also use canned tomatoes with chilis to add a little bit of spice or heat to this ham and bean soup!
Ham for Bean Soup
If you happen to have a leftover ham bone from your holiday baked ham, THIS is the recipe you’re going to want to make with it.
If you don’t have a ham bone, ask your local butcher or deli for either ham bones (they are usually really inexpensive) or ham hocks. Our deli down the road sells ham hocks for just a few dollars each. If you don’t have either, leftover chopped ham works beautifully in this recipe too.
No Soaking Required
One thing we really love about this ham and bean soup recipe is that you do not have to soak the beans before cooking.
- Rinse beans well and check for any debris. No soaking is needed when using a slow cooker.
- If you have already soaked the beans, you can reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1 cup.
- IMPORTANT: Add acidic ingredients (such as canned tomatoes or lemon juice) after the beans have softened (these ingredients can sometimes interfere with rehydration).
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup
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Rinse beans and add to the slow cooker with onions, ham, broth and seasonings (per the recipe below).
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Cook on high 5 hours (or low for 7-8) or until beans are tender.
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Stir in remaining ingredients and cook for additional 30 minutes.
Easy peasy! Serve warm with cornbread for dipping.
How to Thicken Bean Soup
This soup comes out very thick and hearty, just the way we love it!
If you prefer a thinner consistency, add one extra cup of broth or water to your slow cooker. If you’d like a thicker bean soup you can remove a cup or so of the beans and blend them and add them back into the soup. You won’t change the flavor this way, just thicken the consistency, the soup will become almost more creamy this way.
We love this Ham and Bean soup served right out of the Crock Pot with a big piece of moist cornbread but it’s delicious served over rice too!
Can You Freeze Ham and Bean Soup?
Yes, not only is it easy, but this ham and bean soup recipe makes a huge batch and it freezes beautifully. That means cook once, have two dinners and lunches all week… count me in!
We freeze this in individual portions so we can easily grab one for lunches and the smaller portions defrost quicker.
More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
- 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili – Game day favorite!
- Slow Cooker Turkey Soup (Cajun Bean) – Perfect for Leftovers!
- Easy Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup
- Crock Pot Ham (Video) – Use leftovers for this ham and bean soup!
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili – Comfort food!
- Crock Pot Italian Bean Soup – so hearty & flavorful
Ham and Bean Soup {Crock Pot Version}
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 package Hurst’s® HamBeens® 15 Bean Soup®
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth can sub water, beef, or vegetable broth for added flavor
- 1 leftover ham bone with meat or ham hocks, diced ham or 1 lb. cooked sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 lemon juiced
- Optional: Hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Rinse beans and drain. Sort any unwanted debris and set seasoning packet aside.
- Place beans, onions, ham bone (or diced ham), broth/water, garlic and chili powder in a 6qt slow cooker.
- Cook on high 5 hours (or low for 7-8) or until beans are tender.
- Once tender, remove the hambone (if used) and chop any meat left on the bone and add it back to the pot.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, Ham Flavor packet, and lemon juice.
- Cook for additional 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
This sounds so good, I want to make it for my family tomorrow night. At first you mention the packet in the beans pack, but you called it a veg pack. At the end you mention a ham pack. Are they both the same thing? I’m just making sure because I’m not good at cooking! Thank you for this recipe.
Great question!! It’s a vegetable-based seasoning that is ham flavored. Enjoy the soup!
Hi Holly: I was going to buy a honey baked ham bone or make your crock pot ham for this and other recipes. Can you tell me if there is any problem with using ham leftover with the “glaze” on it in terms of soup flavor etc? I’ve seen recipes saying to get rid of the “glaze” which would seem to defeat the purpose.
Also, I wondered if you have used the ham base/better than bouillon in any of your ham based soups/chowders? I haven’t purchased but wondered.
Thanks.
I personally use leftover glazed ham in recipes all of the time. They may have a little bit of sweetness but for us, it’s not noticeable enough to worry about.
I haven’t used the better than bouillon in years but I do know my sister uses it due to an MSG allergy in her family and she likes it (I can’t say for sure which flavor she uses without MSG). I think it would work just fine in recipes to replace broth or add additional flavor.
I just made this soup and I’m sure when it’s done it will be delicious. Unfortunately 8 hours on low was not enough. The beans are still hard and I’ve turned it to high. This will definitely not be today’s dinner as I had planned. My daughter had to go out and buy dinner because everyone was hungry. I’m a little disappointed…….
That’s definitely disappointing Sandi. Did you add any of the acidic ingredients to the slow cooker (tomatoes/lemon)?
How much diced ham would you use?
I would suggest about 2-3 cups
I would like to make this to take to a neighbor and then also have a good amount left for my family. If I doubled the recipe would it be too much for the large crock pot?
Yes, it would likely be too much for a large slow cooker as this recipe fills it almost ¾ full. This can be cooked on the stovetop as well and if you have a large enough pot it could be doubled.
Soak the beans 8 hours or overnight.
Drain water and add fresh broth/water.
Follow the recipe above simmering about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are soft.
Add tomatoes/lemon and simmer 30m more.
Hope that helps!
Happy New year! I’m currently making this right now and I cannot wait to try it. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
This soup was excellent! Delicious! Made it from leftover ham bone from Xmas. Didn’t even need to add the flavor packet because it was so rich from the ham. I did soak the beans overnight and cooked soup slowly in my Le Creuset pot. Warning, some Beano might be needed though! You won’t want to stop eating it!
If I don’t have a way to juice a lemon, can I submit with lemon juice from a bottle and if so, how much would I use?
Hi Jennifer, there is about 3-4 tablespoons of juice in a lemon. You can also follow this guide on how to juice a lemon without a lemon press.
Yeah… thanks for adding the info “if you already soaked your beans”… Because remembering to soak the beans is half the battle. Then finding a recipe… then finding a recipe you DON’T have to soak the beans. lol BUt…if you do. It’s not all bad. Can’t wait to eat this!
Hope you loved it Andrea! :)
My favorite left over from Christmas was my Granny’s Ham Loaf with glaze. it is so different and easy to make and tastes good cold for sandwiches or for another leftover meal. Very few people make it anymore but very festive for the holidays or Easter.
That sounds yummy Linda!
So good. I used smoked ham hocks and followed the recipe the rest of the way. I highly recommend it. Slow cooked on low for 9 hours.
It’s a great recipe. As all good cooks do, a few minor changes to make it there own. But what I would like to know is how can anyone get this prep time to 10 minutes. Takes longer than that just to peel the garlic. More like an hour. But no matter what it takes it’s all worth the effort. All ingredients in plus whatever else you want, cook for 8 hours it’s great.
I have a picky eater in my house who doesn’t like tomatoes. Would it be better to buy tomato sauce or just blend up the diced tomatoes to achieve the same taste and consistency?
Hi Cassie, I have not tried this soup with tomato sauce. I imagine it would change the texture of the sound but I would lean towards the diced tomatoes to get a similar consistency! Enjoy.
Cassie, I am making this soup right now and instead of tomatoes, I’m going to mash up some pork and beans to give it a little of the tomato flavor because it’s packed in tomato sauce and by mashing the beans up, it will thicken up the soup.
I added my diced fire roasted tomatoes with everything else so they would cook down. My daughter doesn’t like tomatoes. Still waiting to try this soup, looks and smells delish!
What seasonings would you suggest if I didnt get the 15 bean?? I’m using a mixture of great white northern, pinto and red lentil.
The seasoning packet can be replaced with bouillon cubes (your favorite flavor).
I added the tomatoes before beans were tender… is this going to ruin the soup?
Hardly! Your tomatoes may be a bit more tender than expected but this soup will still taste delicious Chelsey!
Prepared this using my Thanksgiving honey baked ham bone…it was excellent!
I have made this before but i lost my recipe. I have never added tomatoes or lemon juice..do they have to be added?
You could leave them out if you prefer Samara, but we think they add the perfect finishing touch to the soup.
Making this now O can’t wait to try it. I’m not a huge artificial flavorings person we had a ham bone with meat on it left over from our Thanksgiving. I’m planning on omitting the Beans ham flavoring Packet. Any tips or suggestions if doing that and I’ve added lemon juice. I just wanted to the natural flavor from the ham bone.
You can leave it out and proceed with the recipe as written. You might like to add in a bit of Italian seasoning, salt and/or pepper for flavor. Enjoy!
Like your recipes , easy.
I feel silly for asking… but I bought ham hocks just for this recipe and it doesn’t say if I should cook them first (and in what manner should I cook them) before putting everything in the crockpot … sorry! Rookie here
Great question Christina. Ham hocks often come smoked, does it specify on the package you bought?
No, just “pork hocks”. They are definitely raw…
I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker with raw hocks, I’ve only used smoked so I can’t say for sure.
From what I can see, I think the hocks may need a bit longer than the beans. If you’d like to pre-cook them, I would suggest simmering them in water with some seasonings/onions/bay leaf etc for about 90 minutes. I hope that helps and please let me know how it goes for you!
No need to pre-cook! It cooks right in with the beans and seasons them perfectly! It’s what I use as well
Thank you so much Summer, I haven’t tried it with raw before but I will for sure!
Looking forward to cooking this recipe! But I am curious if I buy diced ham from the store does the ham need to be cooked ahead of time?
Great question Emily. No need to cook diced ham ahead of time. Enjoy the soup recipe! We sure do!
Nice one Holly. Hope l can find all these ingredients in our local Nigerian markets.
We hope so too Elizabeth! Enjoy.