Easy Slow Cooker White Bean and Ham Soup

It’s soup season. And what could be easier or more delicious than a white bean and ham soup?

There are nights when dinner has to happen in thirty minutes or not at all. This white bean and ham soup is what I make on those nights.

It starts with a can of white beans and whatever ham you have on hand — leftover holiday ham cut into chunks, a thick-cut ham steak from the grocery store, or even good-quality deli ham in a pinch. A handful of vegetables, some chicken broth, a bay leaf, and twenty-five minutes on the stovetop. That is the whole story. The result is a bowl of soup that tastes slow-cooked without a single hour of actual waiting.

I have been making some version of this white bean and ham soup since the early days of the blog, and it has earned its place in the weeknight rotation the old-fashioned way — by being genuinely good every single time. On nights when the slower crockpot version is not an option, this is the one I reach for.

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Which White Beans Work Best

This is one of those recipes where the bean choice actually matters, and the good news is that all three of the main white bean options are excellent here. Use whichever you have or whichever you prefer.

Cannellini beans are my first choice when I want a creamy, velvety texture. They are larger than the other white beans and break down just slightly at the edges during cooking, which gives the broth a natural richness without any cream. If you have ever had a Tuscan white bean soup at a good Italian restaurant, cannellini beans are almost certainly what made it taste that way.

Great northern beans hold their shape a little better and have a mild, slightly nutty flavor. They are a good middle ground if you want a heartier soup with more distinct beans in every spoonful.

Navy beans are the smallest of the three and cook up the softest. They absorb the savory ham flavor quickly and make the soup feel a little more like the classic diner-style ham and bean soup many of us grew up eating. Any of the three work beautifully here, and a mix of two is never a bad idea.

What You Need

The ingredient list is short. Two cans of white beans, drained and rinsed. One to two cups of chopped cooked ham. One medium yellow onion, diced. Three cloves of garlic, minced. Two or three stalks of celery, chopped. One large carrot, peeled and chopped. Four cups of low-sodium chicken broth. One bay leaf. A sprig of fresh thyme if you have it, dried thyme if you do not. Olive oil for the pot. Salt and black pepper to taste. Fresh parsley to finish.

Nothing in that list requires a special trip to the grocery store, which is part of what makes this soup so useful on a Tuesday.

How to Make It

Warm a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook for five or six minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the chopped ham to the pot and stir it into the vegetables. Let it cook for two or three minutes so it picks up a little color and the flavors start to come together.

Pour in the chicken broth. Add the drained beans, the bay leaf, and the thyme. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes. The broth will deepen in color and the beans will absorb the savory flavors from the ham.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Taste for salt and black pepper — the ham brings its own saltiness, so start conservative and adjust from there. If you want a thicker soup, use the back of a spoon to mash a cup or so of the beans directly in the pot, or use an immersion blender on a small portion. Stir in a handful of fresh parsley and serve hot with crusty bread.

A Few Tips

Leftover holiday ham is the best ham for this soup, and January is honestly the best time to make it for exactly that reason. The ham that has been sitting in a zip-lock bag in the freezer since Christmas was waiting for this pot. Cut it into rough cubes, nothing too precise, and let the soup do the rest.

A ham steak from the grocery store is the year-round solution. Look for a thick-cut version rather than thin sandwich slices, which tend to shred rather than hold their shape in the pot. Cut it into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the vegetables.

The soup keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days and freezes beautifully for up to three months. The broth thickens as it sits — add a splash of chicken broth when you reheat it and it comes right back. This is one of those soups that is genuinely better the next day, which makes it very useful for Tuesday night dinner on a Sunday afternoon.

A side of cornbread is never a wrong answer. Neither is a good piece of crusty bread with a little butter.

If you have more time on the weekend, the easy crockpot ham and bean soup is the slow-cooked version with a ham bone or ham hocks and dry beans — a different recipe entirely, and worth every hour it takes. And if you are building out your cold-weather soup collection, the fall and winter soup roundup has more than twenty recipes worth making on repeat.

Do you keep canned beans in the pantry for nights like this? I am always curious what other people reach for when dinner has to come together fast. Drop a comment below.

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Easy Slow Cooker White Bean and Ham Soup

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Description: A hearty, deeply flavorful slow cooker ham and bean soup made with a leftover ham bone or ham hocks, great northern beans, and simple vegetables. No soaking required. Perfect for a chilly day.

 

• Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

1 pound great northern beans, rinsed and drained (navy beans or cannellini beans also work)

1 large ham bone or 2 ham hocks

4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

7 to 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or water, or a combination)

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and black pepper to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

Instructions

1. Place the rinsed dry beans in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.

2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.

3. Nestle the ham bone or ham hocks into the center of the vegetables.

4. Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs.

5. Pour in the chicken broth until everything is just covered, about 7 to 8 cups.

6. Cook on high for 6 to 7 hours, or on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender.

7. Remove the ham bone or hocks. Pull the ham meat from the bone and discard the bone, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Return the ham meat to the pot.

8. If the broth is thinner than you like, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the beans directly in the pot to thicken.

9. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.

 

Notes

Notes

Bean options: Great northern beans are my first choice. Navy beans and cannellini beans (white kidney beans) both work well. A bean soup mix also works — skip the seasoning packet if included.

Ham options: A leftover holiday ham bone adds the best flavor. Two ham hocks are an excellent substitute and widely available at the grocery store. If the bone is not very meaty, add a cup of extra chopped ham at the end.

No soaking required: Dry beans go straight into the slow cooker. If you prefer a quick soak, soak overnight in cool water, drain, and proceed.

Make ahead: This soup is better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Add a splash of broth when reheating if needed.

Instant Pot method: Sauté vegetables first using the sauté function. Add remaining ingredients and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Natural release 15 minutes, then quick release.

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 hours
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: American