So my husband loves soup. He tells me this slow-cooker bean & ham soup turned out delicious. Then he called me awesome. So this one’s a winner. Prep. time: about 20 minutes. Costs less than $10. Feeds 6 – 8.
For slow-cooker bean & ham soup, you’ll need:
- 1 1/2 cups small white beans, soaked overnight in cold water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
- 1/2 pound ham steak, cubed and the skin edge cut off
- 3/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, peeled & chopped into cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried-leaf thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
For slow-cooker bean & ham soup, follow these directions:
- In a large bowl, add beans and enough cold water to cover by at least two inches. Let stand overnight. Ā (And if you forget to do this the night before, you can do the quick method, which is to put the beans in a large pot, cover with hot water by at least two inches, & bring to a rapid boil on the stove. Let it boil for two minutes, then remove from heat, cover & let it sit for an hour).
- Drain beans & rinse with cold water.Ā Pick out any loose skins you see.
- In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the ham, onion, celery, & carrots, stirring often until browned, about five minutes or so. Add the garlic & cook for another minute, stirring often.
- Add all the ingredients from step 3 into the slow-cooker, making sure to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet into the slow-cooker.
- Add the chicken broth, water, tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper, & bacon to the slow-cooker and stir.
- Add the beans to the slow-cooker & stir.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on LOW or 5 hours on HIGH.
- Using a large spoon, crush some beans against the side of the slow-cooker, enough so that you get the consistency you like, then stir.
- Enjoy!
Please keep in mind that cooking times may vary so the first time you make a recipe, keep an eye on the slow-cooker. You may need to adjust the amount of cooking time.
For more delicious slow-cooker recipes, click here.
I think I agree with your husband: you are awesome! This soup recipe looks delicious, and your photo above is very nice, too. Happy Sunday!
Hi Amy! *waves*
Awww, you are fabulous!! It really turned out great & thanks for the compliment about the photo. Here’s something I learned: taking a decent photograph of soup is HARD! š Happy Sunday right back!
That looks tasty. I might have to try that for dinner this week. I ALWAYS forget to soak my beans the night before. I’ll have to try the quick method š
Hi Sarah!
I forgot to soak them too! Quick method worked great. Let me know if you give it a try. Cheers!
The photo makes it look sooo yummy! I’ll have to try the recipe.
Hi Toni! *waves*
It really turned out delish. Let me know if you give it a try. Cheers!