Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Ham
131 Comments Jan 01, 2022
Updated Nov 19, 2024
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This recipe is sponsored by Hurst’s® HamBeens® 15 Bean Soup® though all opinions are mine alone.
Leftover Ham? Look no further than this recipe for Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with ham! This is a classic recipe with added kale to make it a complete meal! Add some garlic bread, and you are good to go!
This recipe uses some of that leftover ham from the holiday and turns it into a delicious soup along with Hurst’s Ham Beens 15 Bean Soup mix. The colors of this soup are beautiful, Christmas colors from the red tomatoes and the green kale. The soup turns out a bit creamy, with some of the beans breaking down into the broth after the long 6 hour cook time.
Suppose you have leftover turkey instead; head over to my Cajun 15 Bean Soup with Leftover Turkey recipe. Both of these soups transform the leftovers into something different flavor-wise and are both very comforting.
Ingredients
- 15 bean Soup Mix – This mix is found in the same section of the store as the other dried beans, if you are unsure that your store carries them you can look up locations here.
- Vegetables – Onions, carrots, celery and garlic flavor this 15 bean soup. Chopped Kale and diced tomatoes are added at the end of the cooking time.
- Seasonings – Bay leaf, dried thyme, dried basil and the included ham seasoning packet that comes with the beans.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice added at the end of the cooking time brightens up the flavor of the beans, try it!
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Rinse and sort beans, discarding any debris. Add the beans to the crockpot. Save the ham flavor packet for after the entire cooking time is up.
Step Two – Add ham, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, thyme, and water. Stir. Add the bay leaf on top of the soup.
Step Three- Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
Step Four -After the cooking time, I add lemon juice, Italian diced tomatoes, and a few cups of chopped kale. I love the added kale in this recipe. The kale takes about 20 minutes to soften at the end of the cooking time of this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use a lean ham in this recipe, and you have healthy soup. It is full of vegetables and even healthy kale.
Drain off part of the liquid, then take a cup of beans out and smash, add back into the soup.
Yes! 15 bean soup freezes very well. Add to airtight containers or freezer ziplock bags. Freeze for up to three months.
There is no need to soak the beans before cooking. Though, be sure to cook them on high to ensure they cook up nicely.
15 ham and bean soup is excellent with biscuits, garlic bread, or cornbread. It’s a very hearty complete meal.
Yes! Use one large ham bone (or two small) in place of the diced ham in this recipe. If you use a ham bone, you will want to degrease the beans after cooking. Degrease the beans by laying a paper towel over the beans in the slow cooker, soaking up the grease. Discard the paper towel and serve!
You can use chicken broth in place of water for extra flavor if desired. You can even use four chicken bouillon cubes with the water if desired.
Add two teaspoons of chili powder to this recipe at the beginning of cooking.
Yes! The cajun 15 Bean Soup mix works well with this recipe.
I hope you give this recipe a try now or after Christmas with your leftover ham. What a great meal this is to have simmering away the day after the Christmas festivities. Hurst’s Hambeens has many more recipes like this one on their site, and you can find them here. I hope you have a great holiday, and let me know if you try this recipe.
More 15 Bean Soup Slow Cooker Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Cajun 15 Bean Soup with Turkey
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken 15 Bean Soup
- 15 Bean Soup with Ham and Collard Greens
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Chili
- Slow Cooker Pizza 15 Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Smoked Turkey Cajun 15 Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Vegetarian Cajun 15 Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Taco 15 Bean Soup
Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 20 oz. Hurst’sⓇ HamBeensⓇ 15 Bean Soup mix, (save ham flavor packet to add a the end of cooking time)
- 2 cups diced ham, (leftover ham works great!)
- 1 small yellow onion,, diced
- 2 carrots,, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs,, peeled and diced
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 8 cups water, or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
Add these ingredients at the end:
- 14.5 oz. can Italian flavored diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1/2 lemon,, juiced
Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans, discarding any debris. Add the beans to the slow cooker. Save the ham flavor packet for after the entire cooking time is up.
- Add ham, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, thyme and water. Stir. Add the bay leaf on top of the soup.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- After the six hour time is up remove the bay leaf. Add the lemon juice, diced tomatoes and chopped kale. Stir. Replace the lid and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes more.
- Add the ham flavor packet and stir once more. Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
This recipe is sponsored by Hurst’s® HamBeens® Cajun 15 Bean Soup® though all opinions are mine alone.
This recipe is a keeper! I was a little bit leery of the cook time since the beans don’t soak overnight, but they came out perfectly. The only real changes I made to the recipe was I didn’t use ham, but added smoked salt to get the flavor. I also made it with vegetable broth instead of water or chicken broth. Perfectly delicious vegan soup that we’ll make again.
This is a very easy and very good soup recipe.
I used andouille instead of ham (and no ham packet). I did 50/50 water and vegetable broth. No carrots-didn’t have any. It makes enough for 40 million people 🙂 so off to the freezer most of it will go, but it’s really good and very easy to make!
Made this some time back after I saw your website. Delish & family loved it. It was a little salty though I did not add salt. I guess it was the ham, I don’t know what I did wrong,
You could use only half of the seasoning packet if it is too salty.
Perfect! I used smoked turkey and cut out the tomatoes.
Hi going to try this 15 bean slow cooker soup w ham. Will it work w a pressure cooker ?
Yes, it would, but I have not tested, I apologize.
Can overnite soaked beans be used for this recipe
Yes, but it’s not necessary to soak them. If you do soak them you will not need to cook as long.
First 15 bean soup that I like, no love! Every time my husband would make this on the stove I hated it. I found your recipe and made it and it is absolutely yummy! Thank you so much for the recipe and will make again. Did not taste like cardboard!
My husband said this was the best soup he ever ate. I threw a big ham bone into the pot and skipped the flavoring packet. I love the kale in it and the lemon is essential. I also added Cajun seasoning and a little hot sauce. Delicious and so easy!
This is my first time making 15-bean soup and it was excellent. I didn’t have celery and I used chicken instead of ham. The only ingredients I used at the end were kale and the ham packet and of course I adjusted the amount of seasonings to my taste. This is the best online recipe that I’ve tried.
So glad to hear!
Why do you put the tomatoes last on this recipe but not on your Chili recipe?
After making 15 bean soup for a while, I’ve had no problem adding the tomatoes at the beginning.
I really don’t have to soak the beans? I’m skeptical…
No! Works great without soaking.
Can I used Spinach instead of Kale??
Yes, spinach would work very well. It won’t need to be cooked long though, just stirred in and then serve the soup.