Leftover Ham and Bean Soup Slow Cooker Recipe Easy Cozy Comfort Meal
A cozy, easy slow cooker soup that transforms leftover ham and dried beans into a flavorful, comforting meal perfect for chilly nights.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus optional bean soaking time)
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (slow cooker low) or 4-5 hours (slow cooker high)
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 15 minutes (including prep, excluding overnight soak)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups dried Great Northern beans (soaked overnight or quick-soaked)
- Leftover ham bone with meat (about 2 lbs)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Rinse 1 ½ cups dried Great Northern beans and soak them overnight in a large bowl with 4 cups cold water. For a quick soak, boil beans for 5 minutes, then cover and let sit for 1 hour.
- Remove any large chunks of ham meat from the leftover ham bone and set aside. Keep the bone intact.
- Dice 1 medium onion, peel and slice 2 carrots, dice 2 celery stalks, and mince 3 garlic cloves.
- Drain soaked beans and add to slow cooker along with ham bone, reserved ham meat, chopped vegetables, minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tsp dried thyme.
- Pour in 6 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water to cover ingredients. Add more water if needed.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours until beans are tender and broth is flavorful.
- Remove ham bone and bay leaves. Shred any remaining meat from the bone back into the soup.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in 1 tsp smoked paprika if desired.
- Serve warm with crusty bread or a simple side.
Notes
Soaking beans is recommended to reduce cooking time and improve texture. Hold off on adding salt until the end to avoid oversalting due to salty ham and broth. For a thicker texture, mash some beans before serving. Can be adapted for vegetarian by omitting ham and using vegetable broth with smoked paprika and liquid smoke.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 ½ cups per s
- Calories: 280
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 22
Keywords: ham and bean soup, leftover ham recipe, slow cooker soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe, cozy meal, slow cooker ham soup