Description
A hearty slow cooker soup made with beans and smoked ham hock, perfect for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium-large)
- 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup diced celery (about 3 sticks)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 small cloves)
- 3 (15 oz) cans navy, cannellini or great northern beans (a mix is also fine; rinsed and drained)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2–3 sprigs thyme (OR 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1–½ pounds smoked ham hock (OR 1 pound ham, cubed)
- 1 dried bay leaf (optional)
- salt, pepper, chopped parsley (optional and to taste)
Instructions
- Prep: This recipe works best in a 6-8 quart slow cooker. Get your ingredients ready.
- Soften the vegetables (optional, but tasty): Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5–7 minutes, until softened and starting to brown a little. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. This step adds extra flavor, but if you’re short on time, you can skip it and add the vegetables straight to the slow cooker.
- Add everything to the slow cooker: Transfer the vegetables to your slow cooker. Add the beans, broth, thyme sprigs, ham hock (or cubed ham), and bay leaf if using. Give it a gentle stir. Don’t worry if it looks plain at this point – it will cook down and come together as it simmers.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. The soup is ready when the vegetables are tender and the broth tastes rich.
- Remove the ham hock: Take out the ham hock and thyme stems. Pull the meat off the bone, discarding any fat or gristle, and return the meat to the soup. If you’re using cubed ham, just give the soup a good stir and move on.
- Thicken the soup (optional): If you like a thicker soup, use an immersion blender to blend 1–2 cups of the soup, then stir it back in. This step is optional – the soup is good either way.
- Season and serve: Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, with chopped parsley on top if you like.
Notes
- This recipe can easily be adapted for other beans.
- Adding a splash of vinegar before serving can enhance the flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 50mg