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:
If you’ve tried this CROCKPOT HAM & WHITE BEAN SOUP, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
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
I halved the recipe to use in my mini slow cooker! Will be making this as more of a side to along along with collard greens, corn bread and ribs!
4Sons, You sound like a lovely person! I’ve read through your comments and all of your responses are just so kind…
I have printed out the recipe and will try it tomorrow. At first, I was thinking it sounded sort of bland and boring, but, after reading the comments and remembering that I tend to lean toward recipes that don’t have a lot of zip in them, I decided to give it a whirl. I will let you know how we like it! Thank you!
Carol, you are just the sweetest! Thank you so much! It does seem like it would be a bit boring at first read, but it ends up being shockingly flavorful!! I can’t wait to hear your review, and hope you find many more recipes to love on our site 🙂
I am going to try this tonight but I want to add potatoes but I don’t want them to mushy so when during the cooking should I put them in? Thank you…Carley
Oops I meant to say when during the cooking should I put them in? Thank you Carley
This sounds so yummy. Would you know how many calories are in a serving?
It’s about 6-8 servings for us, depending on how hungry we are and how much cornbread we eat with it, lol. At 6, each serving would be about 425 calories.
Can i use pinto beans? Do i need soak them….I just have a bag of those instead of northern white beans…
You sure can, but if that’s what you’re using I would suggest going ahead and giving them a good soak beforehand.
I have an instant pot that I’m pretty new at using. I’d love too hear some opinions on how long to cook this in the IP and the method used with the IP.
Does anyone know how to use hamhocks? That’s the way my Mom made her bean soup.
My Grandma and Mother still use them. I keep them stocked in my deep freezer. You can totally sub them for the ham in this recipe if that’s what you’d prefer 🙂
This looks wonderful!! Thank you!
What size crockpot is this recipe for?
Thought it was time to finally comment. I’ve been making base version of the soup for years. I always go to this page because it’s so simple! Typically add a couple carrots and celery too to get some veg in each serving. But this is soooo yummy!! Fills our belly’s and and is the ultimate comfort food!
It’s one of my favorite Fall soups for so many reason, but a big part of it is the simplicity. Great idea with the carrots and celery! On top of the extra flavor it’s always good to get some extra veggies in.
Hi 4sonsrus!
I am just seeing this recipe now. Oh boy I can’t wait to make it. It is just myself and I live in SW Florida so soup is not the norm but it sounds so yummy that I will turn down the A/C very cold and enjoy. My question is did you ever get the chance to try it in the pressure cooker yet? If so, how did it come out and please tell me the cooking details. Thank you and happy holidays!
Kris, we are actually testing it this week! I will have the post updated with Instant Pot cooking instructions by Monday.
How would I cook this if I did soak my beans overnight? Wanting to cook this today and my beans have been soaking since last night.
You’d just cook it as already written, just keep an eye on it for doneness.
Wow, I love it! Ham and white beans combination, that’s great.
Can you use beef bone broth instead of chicken broth and I’m using pinto beans
You can absolutely use a different broth, beef or even vegetable will also work. You can switch up the beans too. I just can’t guarantee a different dry bean will cook soft in the same amount of time.
Ok thanks.
This was delicious! I don’t think I ever used oregano in ham and beans before, but it was great. I’ll definitely make it again.
Made multiple times throughout the winter, always a hit!
It’s the best way to warm up from the inside out on cold Winter nights!
This soup looks so yummy! I am definitely going to try it out. Can this be made on the stove top? Would I have to soak the beans first?
I had to use navy beans. Hope it turns out.
Navy beans will work just fine!
Can I use it on high..? For a shorter cooking time?
You can, but you may want to soak your beans first to ensure they’re nice & soft when the soup’s done.
Can you sub the stock for just water? Is it best to soak the beans over night?
Hello! Can you use canned white northern beans in this? I use the canned in other recipes, and have never used dry beans.
You could try it! Canned beans would need a much shorter cook time.
Hello, when you say “to taste” on the parsley and oregano, just how much do you use? Thank you!
I probably use 1/2 – 1 tsp of each, if I had to guess.
hello, Did you presoak the beans before putting them in the crockpot.thanks
I do not, but you can if you prefer that. I know if your beans are on the older side, they may need a presoak first.