Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup with Vegetables
Slow Cooker Vegetable Ham and Bean Soup Using a Ham Bone
Crockpot bean soup with ham and vegetables is an easy way to turn a leftover ham bone into a hearty, flavorful dinner. The slow cooker does all the work while the ham bone builds rich, savory broth.
There are so many delicious flavors that come from cooking your ham bone in a slow cooker. There is a lot of flavor and the crock pot gives you the set it and forget it cooking time to let dinner make itself.
This recipe isn’t just ham and beans, we are adding some pototoes, carrots and celery to the mix.
What Ingredients are Needed for Bean Soup?
- ham bone
- chopped ham
- pinto beans (can use navy beans)
- water
- chicken broth/chicken stock
- chopped carrots
- chopped celery
- cubed potatoess
- pepper
Can I Use Dried Beans Overnight in the Crock Pot?
This crockpot bean soup uses canned beans for simplicity. If you prefer starting with dried beans, you’ll need to soak them and adjust cooking time accordingly.. We are using a couple cans of pinto beans. If you have navy beans, use those, but we are not starting from dried.
Can I Use a Spiral Ham Bone?
Yes. After making a ham dinner, we will put the ham bone into a freezer bag and it goes in the refridgerator if we are cooking soup soon. If not, we will put it in the freezer for later use. The bone goes into the slow cooker frozen and we allow it to cook through out the day in water and chicken broth for flavor. If there is any ham left on the bone, we also try to use that for our soup. The slow cooker ham cooking time is 6-8 hours, so we start early for dinner.
What Kind of Beans Are Used in Ham And Bean Vegetable Soup?
We use pinto beans as they are versatile in our kitchen recipes for chili, refried beans and other delicious soups. It keeps the food rotating in our pantry. If you want to make a 15 bean soup, do it. If you want navy or northern beans, use those.
How Do I Give My Beans More Flavor?
Adding a chicken broth or vegetable broth with water will give your bean soup more flavor. Allowing the soupto cook all day will infuse the flavors as well. This is a simple recipe, without a lot of seasonins, but you can also add hot sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, a bay leave, smoked paprika or two and brown sugar if you desire.
Can I Use Dried Beans?
You can use dried beans. You must soak dried beans overnight, drain and soak again before using. Drain again and cover with water and heat to begin making bean soup.
Can I Freeze Leftover Soup?
Yes soup can be frozen. Be sure to use a freezer safe container and give your soup room to expand. If you don’t, the top may come off when the soup expands.
Old-Fashioned Ham Bone Vegetable Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone can be frozen when in slow cooker
- 2 cups cubed ham needed if no ham on ham bone
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups peeled and diced poatoes
- 2 cans pinto beans, drained can also use navy or northern beans, drained
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In large slow cooker (oval is best) add the ham bone and water.
- Put the cover on the slow cooker and turn on high heat. Cook the ham bone for 3-4 hours.
- Remove cover and pick any ham off the ham bone.
- If there was no ham on the ham bone, you can add all the ingredients in with the ham bone and cook.
- Add the chicken broth, potatoes, beans, ham, carrots, celery and pepper. If you have other veggies you want to add, add them now.
- After a 2 hours, use a potato masher and mash the potatoes to break them up a bit. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender.
- Serve in bowls with bread and your favorite crackers.
- Any extra soup can be frozen (let the soup cool first. Allow space in the container for the soup to expand as well to keep the top from popping off.
