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Ham and Bean Soup Recipe – Easy Slow Cooker Dinner for Families

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This hearty ham and bean soup is the ultimate comfort food, made effortlessly in the slow cooker with pantry staples and leftover ham. Perfect for chilly days, it’s a family-friendly, protein-packed meal that’s easy to customize and great for meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ham bone or 2 cups diced cooked ham
  • 1 pound (16 oz) dried Great Northern beans, rinsed and picked over (navy or cannellini beans work too)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth (or water with bouillon cubes)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
  • 1 small parsnip, peeled and diced (optional)
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
  • Crusty bread or cornbread, for serving

Instructions

  1. Chop the onion, carrots, celery, and (if using) parsnip. Dice the ham if not using a bone. Rinse the beans under cold water and pick out any stones or broken beans.
  2. Place the ham bone or diced ham, beans, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and any extra veggies into the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth, add the bay leaves, thyme, pepper, and smoked paprika if using. Stir well.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until beans are tender and broth is rich. If beans are still firm at 7 hours, cook another 30-60 minutes.
  4. If using a ham bone, remove it with tongs, shred the meat, and return it to the soup. Discard any fatty bits or gristle. If using diced ham, skip this step.
  5. For a creamier texture, remove 1-2 cups of soup and blend until smooth, then stir back in. Or use an immersion blender to pulse the soup a few times.
  6. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt if needed and extra pepper or parsley as desired.
  7. Ladle hot soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with crusty bread or cornbread.

Notes

Wait to add salt until the end, as ham can be salty and beans may toughen with too much salt early on. For a vegetarian version, skip the ham and use vegetable broth with smoked paprika or liquid smoke. Soup thickens as it sits; add broth or water to thin if needed. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: ham and bean soup, slow cooker soup, leftover ham recipe, family dinner, easy soup, comfort food, meal prep, beans, hearty soup, winter recipes

Find it online: https://yumnode.com/ham-and-bean-soup-recipe-easy-slow-cooker-dinner-for-families/