Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

This easy Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup recipe is a comforting slow cooker soup recipe that is hearty, wholesome, and fairly healthy. It’s so very easy to make and incredibly flavorful.

A homemade soup is most welcome on any chilly day, whether it’s snowy or rainy. I find the best soups are simmered at length, so the flavors have time to sneak out and soak into each other. Yet who has time for that?

Most of my favourite soup recipes are slow cooker soups, such as Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup and Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup is packed with wholesome yet simple ingredients like navy beans, tender ham, vegetables, and seasonings.

Perfect for using up leftover ham or leftover holiday ham, it’s also a recipe you can make anytime. While you can easily and affordably buy a bone-in ham (ham hock) from the grocery store, you can use boneless if needed.

As a bonus, and unlike many ham and bean soup recipes, you don’t have to soak the beans in advance!

This best crockpot ham and bean soup is great when served with cornbread, crusty bread, or dinner roll for dipping.

Ingredients and Notes

As always, the full recipe is on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

1. Rinse the navy beans under cold water and remove any debris or stones. No soaking is needed when using a slow cooker.
   
   
2. In a large slow cooker – combine the navy beans, chicken broth, diced onion, diced carrot, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
   
   
   
   
3. Place the leftover ham bone with meat into the slow cooker, submerging it in the bean mixture. If using diced leftover ham, add it to the slow cooker as well for extra flavor and texture.
   
   
   
   
4. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook the soup on low heat for 9 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Cooking times may vary depending on your slow cooker.
   
   
5. Once the beans are tender and the flavors have melded together, carefully remove the ham bone from the soup. Use a pair of forks to shred any remaining meat from the bone and add it back to the soup for extra flavor.
   
   
6. Ladle the hot ham and bean soup into bowls and garnish each serving with freshly chopped parsley.
   
   

What to Serve with Ham and Bean Soup

As I already mentioned, this easy slow cooker ham bean soup is great when served with crusty bread or dinner roll for dipping.

You can also serve with a side of cornbread, the sweet flavor and texture contrasts beautifully with the savory soup.

For side dish options, you can’t go wrong with a simple tossed salad too.

Storage

Fridge Leftovers:

Transfer the soup to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag for storage. Divide the soup into smaller portions if desired for easier reheating later.

Store the soup in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freezer Leftovers:

If you’re not planning to consume the soup within a few days, you can freeze it for longer-term storage and later use.

To do so, ladle the cooled soup into freezer-safe containers, leaving some space at the top to allow for expansion. Alternatively, you can freeze individual portions in resealable freezer bags.

Frozen soup can typically be stored for up to 3 months without significant loss of quality.

Reheating:

When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen soup, transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove, until heated through.