Slow Cooker Ham Bean Soup (Printable Version)

Tender ham and creamy beans combine with carrots and celery in a slow-cooked, hearty dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound cooked ham, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Beans & Legumes

06 - 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Spices & Seasonings

08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
12 - Salt to taste

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Add the diced ham, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and beans to the slow cooker.
02 - Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
03 - Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors meld.
04 - Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
05 - Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers, if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's genuinely effortless once the slow cooker takes over, freeing you from the kitchen for most of the day.
  • The flavors deepen and meld in a way that tastes like you've been simmering this for ages, even though the hands-on work is minimal.
  • One pot means one pot to clean, and the result feeds a crowd without any fussing.
02 -
  • If your soup feels too thin at the end, scoop out a cup of it, mash the beans in that cup with the back of a spoon, and stir it back in—this thickens without flour or cream and takes two minutes.
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans; it removes excess sodium and prevents the soup from tasting metallic or overly salty.
03 -
  • Brown the ham cubes in a hot skillet for two minutes before adding them to the slow cooker if you want deeper, richer flavor and don't mind that extra step.
  • Use a smoked ham hock instead of diced ham for an even more intensely flavored broth, then shred the meat once it's fall-apart tender.
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