Crockpot Ham & White Bean Soup
This Crockpot Ham & White Bean Soup is an easier, set it and forget it, variation of the classic. It’s super simple with a very short ingredient list. It makes it quite a delightful surprise when you first dig in and discover just how incredibly flavorful it is.
Do any of you other Moms & Dad’s make your kids cook?
Because apparently that is listed under to ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ category on Friday nights.
Ya know, the weekly fend fo yo-self night.
Son # 2 acts like it’s just unconscionable that his mother wouldn’t want to slave over the stove or toil away in the kitchen for him for one evening a week.
Because apparently that’s my job. Ha!
So, fend for yourself night.
Nothing new around these parts, but you’d never know it when listening to the complaining chorus.
Any who, it’s pretty simple make what you want, and leftovers are always divided evenly among the boys.
Sometimes though, one son will decide that’s not sufficient, or maybe he’s just having a golden child moment, and decides he’s going make dinner for everyone.
While years ago that would have been boxed mac and cheese (because that’s where they were at), it’s now an actual meal … something say, like Mom would make.
While I’ve always been adamant that my boys know there way around the kitchen and be self sufficient, I wasn’t satisfied with knowing how to follow the directions on a packet of pasta, or scramble a few eggs.
(Oh, and to make sure we all know/knew what we were doing we took it back to the stone age by deciding against owning a microwave)
Within the past few months or so though, they’ve caught onto a little piece of meal magic though.
The CROCKPOT.
Turns out I’m not the only one who can throw a few ingredients in that sucker and have dinner ready in a few hours.
It’s Friday?
You know where the family recipe books are. Pick one and work together, or there’s always grilled cheese and a can of tomato soup.
Or Ramen noodles.
I did say it was fend for yourself night, didn’t I?
Behold!
The sons did not in fact starve this week!! So we’re here to share their latest creation … crockpot ham and white bean soup.
And it’s good you guys.
Want to know what’s even more ironic?
I made this for them two weeks ago for supper, and you should have heard the resounding complaining chorus.
Because, soup. Of any kind. For dinner.
My, my … how the tables have turned.
See? So Simple- a child can do it.
Have an Instant Pot? Pressure Cook This Ham & White Bean Soup recipe for quicker results!
This soup was made for both the slow cooker & the pressure cooker.
There’s just a couple adjustments to be made when adding it to the Instant Pot.
Add all of the ingredients to the pot, just as instructed for the slow cooker.
Then add two-three additional cups of water.
This is necessary for it to come to pressure and cook properly.
Cook the soup on high pressure for 45 minutes, and allow for a completely natural pressure release.
Once the pressure release is finally done, open the lid & give everything a good stir.
You can serve now, or let the soup rest for 10-15 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it sits.
The soup will be hot, so keep that in mind when serving.
The Beans Shouldn’t Have To Soak, How To Ensure They Cook Properly
Whether you choose to make this in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot, the beans should’ve require a pre-soak to come out perfectly cooked.
To ensure they cook properly, use dry beans that you just recently purchased.
The only time my beans have come out under cooked, it’s been because I used beans from my pantry store that had been in there for quite some time.
They’re still good, but those definitely require a pre-soak before using in virtually any recipe.
The fresher the dry beans, the better the turn out in this particular recipe.
Other Cozy Ham Soup Ideas To Enjoy:
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Crockpot Ham & White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb of dried Great Northern Beans rinsed and sorted through
- about 1 lb of ham large pieces
- 6 cups of chicken stock or broth
- 1 medium white onion diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley to taste
- oregano to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in crockpot, and stir them all together.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
To use this as a freezer meal do you precook it and freeze the leftovers?
Yep, you’ve got it! We let it cool in the fridge in tupperware (we use to go soup containers from Chinese restaurants) and then freeze them in the deep freezer. Thaw in the fridge when ready to use, heat, and eat.
My mother- in – law always added a little baking soda to prevent gas in the stomach. She would also soak her beans and add dumplings. Do you recommend baking soda ?
Peggy, simply soaking them overnight will just easily help ease any future gas issues 🙂
Could I switch out the navy beans for split peas? With the temps dropping, I’ve been wanting split pea and ham soup, but haven’t had the time.
I haven’t tried it personally, but in theory it should work!
Silly question but, What do you mean “rinsed and sorted through” with the beans?
Not silly at all. Rinsing removes any dirt, and their can be pea sized stones in bags of beans so it’s always best to look through them beforehand to save your teeth!
Yes, baking soda does help remove some of the ‘gas.’
Put it in the last hour of cooking, when the beans are softer and more receptive to it.
Good to know, Vicki. Thanks for the tip!
So it’s five hours in and my beans are still pretty hard. Should I turn the heat up to high at this point? Thank you 🙂
You can, it won’t hurt them any!
Hi, do I put raw ham in the crockpot with the beans or does the meat have to be cooked first?
Mine’s usually cooked since it’s leftovers, but raw ham works just as well! It’ll cook in the liquid.
I want to try this recipe with left over turkey after Thanksgiving.
What do you think?
Turkey would work, just wouldn’t be *as* flavorful. Another good substitute is smoked turkey legs or andoullie sausage.
My inlaws are from the hills of west by god Virginia. They always called this “soupbeans and corn bread”. Always used great northern beans as they are a bit smaller. To serve, a piece of corn bread is crumbled in a bowl, ladle in the soup and sprinkle diced sweet onion on top. Warms the body and soul.
Can this be cooked on a high heat?
Yep, just halve the cooking time!
I added Bay leaf and some Cajun spice’s to it and then it was delicious !!
Glad you enjoyed it, Savannah!
I cooked this over night on low. Smelled great, but all the broth was gone!
Still tastes reallllly good. Will add more broth next time.
Oh no! Those beans must’ve really been thirsty 🙂 Sometimes I do have to add a teensy bit more as it cooks too. So glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this for years, but use a bay leaf instead the oregano. Try it. I also put in a few chopped carrots and one stalk of celery for extra appeal.
The bay leaf sound interesting. I’ll have to give it a try!
I add chopped carrots and potatoes with a little leftover bacon. So easy and yummy.
Carrots & especially bacon sound yummy!
My kids and I are eating a lot of soup these days, and I wanted to try them on bean soup (they are 5 and 7, and beans are an uncertain subject. In chili, yes! In tacos, no! So, soup? Let’s see). Wanted it for lunch, and didn’t have 4 or 8 hours, so I threw it all in the pressure cooker and upped the broth to 8 cups. 30 minutes at pressure, cool slowly, and poof! Soup. Yum.
I’m so glad you were able to make it work for you, Deborah! I’m (hopefully) getting one for Christmas, and this is on the top of my list to adapt for the pressure cooker.
Made the soup just like it was. Found it to be very bland.
Sorry you had that experience, Sherol. While we don’t find that to be the case, this is a very forgiving dish and can easily be seasoned to your own preferences.
COULD I MAKE THIS USING THE 15-DIFFERENT KIND OF BEANS, THE CHICKEN BROTH, HAM AND ONIONS?… I THINK IT WOULD BE OK, DO YOU? THANK YOU!…
I know what they are, but haven’t used them myself. My guess would be yes, but you’d probably need to increase the cooking time.
CAN THIS BE MADE WITH ANY BEANS? TY,,,
We’ve usually use great northern, but have also used navy and black eyed peas with equal success.
Making this right now as I speak. I want to add diced carrots and celery and I’m wondering at what point should they be added to the 8 hour cooking process?
Sorry I didn’t see this yesterday, Crystal. I was out of the office due to family/holiday commitments. I’d add them at the beginning, but if you want them to have a more firm texture, I’d add them half way through.
I added them about halfway through. Turned out perfect, just enough bite with no mush. Your recipe was a hit, No leftovers even. What I found different about yours was the chicken broth, it added a deeper level of flavor. I’ll be using it again, thank you
Would this work with butter beans?
Yes, but those I would soak first as they take longer to soften when cooking.
How long does it have to cook on high ?
4-6, depending on creaminess/desired consistency.
I am cooking this now and added potatoes. Do you think it’s good with potatoes added?
I think it would be tasty with potatoes, and it’d fill the soup out a bit more for a meal.
Did you get your pressure cooker for Christmas ?
I did!
How long to cook in a pressure cooker?
Cindy, I’m not really sure. I just got one for Christmas though and plan to figure it out soon. I’ll update the recipe when I do!
can you use the northern white beans in a jar instead of the dried and would that change the cooking time
In theory you could, but it wouldn’t really need to cook much and the beans wouldn’t absorb all the flavor as they hydrate. I wouldn’t recommend it.