There’s something special about a pot of soup quietly cooking all afternoon. The warmth, the smell filling the kitchen, and the simple comfort of a meal made from humble ingredients.

This Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup is an old-fashioned recipe made with dried beans, a ham bone, and a few pantry staples. As it slowly cooks, the ham bone flavors the broth and the beans become tender and hearty.

It’s the kind of meal that has fed families for generations — simple, filling, and incredibly satisfying.

Best of all, this recipe does not require soaking the beans, making it easy to start in the morning and enjoy by supper.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made with simple pantry ingredients
• A perfect way to use a leftover ham bone
• No soaking required for the dried beans
• Thick, hearty, and comforting
• Even better the next day

Tips for the Best Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

Add salt at the end.
Salt added too early can slow the softening of beans.

Mash some beans for thicker soup.
This creates a creamy texture without flour.

Don’t open the lid often.
Slow cookers lose heat each time they’re opened.

What to Serve With Ham and Bean Soup

This hearty soup pairs beautifully with simple breads:

• garlic bread
• cornbread
• homemade biscuits
• buttered toast

Storage

Refrigerator:
Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Freezer:
Freeze up to 3 months.

Ham and bean soup often tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.

Jana Rae

Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

This old-fashioned crockpot ham and bean soup is made with dried beans, a ham bone, and simple pantry ingredients. A hearty slow cooker soup that cooks all day and tastes like home.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs

Servings: 6 people

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Calories: 240

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb dried beans navy, great northern, or pinto beans
• 1 ham bone
• 1 small onion chopped
• 7 –8 cups water
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• Optional: A few slices chopped ham lunch meat for extra flavor.

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Method

 

1. Rinse the dried beans thoroughly and remove any debris or damaged beans.
2. Add the rinsed beans, ham bone, chopped onion, water, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, paprika, and bay leaf to the crockpot. Stir gently to combine.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5–6 hours or LOW for 8–10 hours, until the beans are tender.
4. Remove the ham bone from the crockpot. If there is meat attached, shred it and return it to the soup.
5. Stir in the butter, vinegar, and sugar. Cook for another 10–15 minutes.
6. Taste the soup and add salt as needed.
7. For thicker soup, mash about 1 cup of beans with a fork and stir them back into the soup before serving.

Notes

Add salt at the end of cooking. Salt added too early can slow the softening of dried beans.

If the soup becomes too thick, stir in ½–1 cup hot water until it reaches your desired consistency.

For thicker soup, mash about 1 cup of beans and stir them back into the pot.

A ham bone adds the most flavor, but chopped ham can also be used if you don’t have one.

Ham and bean soup often tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.

Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

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