Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Photo from Dinner Then Dessert

Happy Easter, friends! Around here, Easter pretty much guarantees one thing: ham makes an appearance. And while most people pile it high on a plate, I took a cozier route this year—serving mine up in a bowl as a big, comforting batch of ham and bean soup.

Ham and bean soup has always held a special place in my heart. It was my dad’s favorite, and every time I make it, I can’t help but wonder if that’s part of why I love it so much. Either way, “ham season” (also known as Easter) feels like the perfect excuse to bring it back into the rotation.

I’ve made this soup a handful of times, and it’s usually pretty consistent—but saltiness has tripped me up more than once. This time, I skipped adding any salt altogether and let the ham do all the work. The result? Absolutely perfect. Lesson learned: sometimes less really is more.

As for servings, the recipe claims it feeds 10, but I’d say that’s a bit optimistic—unless it’s part of a bigger spread. As a main dish, it’s closer to 6 or 7 hearty servings. Between dinner, sending some home with a friend, and stocking the freezer, I’d call that a win.

All in all, this one hit the spot. Cozy, flavorful, and exactly what I wanted for an Easter dinner—with the added bonus of leftovers to enjoy all week long.

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Recipe from Dinner Then Dessert

Serves 10

• 1 spiral sliced ham, the leftover bone and 3 cups of diced ham ( I used a ham steak and diced it up)
• 4 cloves garlic , minced (just realized I forgot to add the garlic)
• 1 yellow onion , diced
• 1 1/2 cups carrots , diced
• 1 cup celery , diced
• 3 cans white cannelini beans , drained and rinsed (15 ounce cans) (I used Great Northern beans...which are the same thing basically)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (I did not add rosemary. Not a fan of the flavor)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock ( I used Better Than Bouillon Veggie stock. It gets salt. Thus the no adding salt to this soup)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• chopped parsley , for garnish

In a pot or if your slow cooker like mine has an insert you can brown in, brown the ham bone on high until the sides are caramelized (3-4 minutes on each side).

Add the bone, chopped ham, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, cannelini beans, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, vegetable stock, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Remove the ham bone and discard.

Serve with parsley, optional as a garnish