Bean And Ham Soup In Crock Pot

Bean and ham soup is a hearty crock pot recipe that is slow-cooked all day for a delicious dinner recipe. Warm up on a cold night with this easy bean soup recipe.

Slow cooker bean and ham soup is a great way to use up leftover ham from Christmas or Easter. Or make this hearty soup recipe whenever by using a smaller-sized ham from the store.

In this article we will talk about

• how to make crock pot bean soup with ham
• if soaking the beans is necessary
• to use water or broth
• what type of beans to use in this recipe
• is this recipe freezer friendly

How To Make Bean And Ham Soup

Making bean soup in the crock pot does take a little planning ahead. The night before I like to soak my dry beans in chicken broth. That way the beans will cook up tender.

So the question of whether or not to soak the beans is yes, this recipe requires that the beans soak for at least 6-8 hours. The dried beans will become larger and tender as they soaking.

I also prefer to soak my beans in chicken broth rather than water. I feel that the chicken broth will add even more flavor to the soup. Check out our Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth for a homemade broth recipe.

With the dry beans being soaked overnight, the next morning I'll start by adding more chicken broth. Since the beans will absorb a good amount of the broth. I like to make sure there is enough liquid to cover the beans and the rest of the ingredients.

Adding peeled and finely chopped carrots, cubed ham, diced onion, minced garlic, and a blend of seasonings into the crock. Give everything a stir and place the lid on to the slow cooker.

This soup is a great way to use leftover ham from Christmas or Easter dinner. Or you can use a smaller ham or ham steaks.

Turn the slow cooker on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. About an hour before the soup is done I like to use a potato masher to mash some of the beans. By mashing some of the beans it will help to thicken the soup up a bit.

This hearty soup is great for cold winter's nights to warm up with.

Navy Or Northern Beans

So you may be wondering what type of dried white beans to use, navy or northern? I used northern but I have also used navy beans. Both navy and northern beans are white in color, however, they differ in size and shape.

Northern will hold their shape better and are larger in size. This is why I like to use northern in this soup. The choice is up to you whether you prefer to use navy or northern.

Tips

Do I use water or broth ~ To use water or chicken broth is totally up to you. I do recommend store-bought chicken broth or chicken bone broth in this recipe. I feel the broth adds to the flavor of the soup much better than water would.

Does this soup have Ham Or No Ham~ Again this is up to you to choose to turn this into bean and ham soup or just bean soup. I feel this soup recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham from a holiday celebration. The ham adds even more flavor to the soup as well.

Is this soup freezer-friendly ~ Bean and ham soup is freezer-friendly. I do recommend chilling in the fridge before freezing it. Divide the soup into single soup portions for easy lunch ideas.

Take out the night before to thaw out by lunchtime. The soup can be reheated in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, or placed back into the crock pot to warm up.

Bean and ham soup in the crock pot is a great way to take the chill out of a cold winter's night.

My Creative Manner is answering the question "what's there to eat" with simple recipe creations ~ Jen

Other My Creative Manner recipes you may enjoy are:

• Homestyle Baked Beans
• Slow Cooker Beef Roast
• Crock Pot Peanut Clusters
• Crock Pot Taco Meat

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