Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
15 Comments Jan 10, 2021
Updated Dec 19, 2022
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Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup is made with dry beans and flavored with a ham hock. Flavorful and makes a wonderful hearty dinner.
Black beans aren’t used enough in recipes! Whether you make this black bean soup, kielbasa black bean soup, or my refried black beans, your family will love it!
Table of Contents
If you love ham and beans, you will love this easy black bean soup recipe. It’s not like chili; it has more of a soup consistency and is great on a cold winter or fall night.
This recipe is one of my oldest recipes, a recipe I received from a co-worker when I was a mail carrier. We often took turns bringing in a crockpot of food for a potluck.
How to make black bean soup:
- Dried Black Beans – No need to soak; see my full recipe in the recipe card for this info.
- Ham Hock – This flavors the soup with an AMAZING smoky flavor. Shred the meat off the bone at the end of the cooking time.
- Vegetables – Onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro. Use an extra jalapeno if you want this spicy.
- Broth – Can use chicken broth or water with 3 small chicken bouillon cubes.
- Seasonings – Chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
How can I thicken black bean soup?
- After the cooking time is up, take about 1 cup of the beans out into a small bowl.
- Using a potato masher or fork, smash those beans in the bowl until smooth.
- Add back to the soup and stir, and your soup will be thicker.
What can I use instead of a ham hock?
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 cups diced kielbasa
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 package hot dogs, sliced
- 1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled.
- 1 pound crumbled or sliced chorizo
How can I make this vegan?
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
- Omit the ham hock.
- Add 1/4 tsp. of liquid smoke to add flavor.
How should I serve this black bean soup?
- Top with cheese and cilantro.
- Serve with tortillas and/or tortilla chips.
- Ladle over steamed white rice.
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Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried black beans
- 6 cups chicken broth, (or use 6 cups water and 3 small chicken bouillon cubes)
- 14 oz. petite diced tomatoes, (or a 16-oz. jar of salsa)
- 1 large ham hock
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp. jalapeno, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro , chopped (WAIT TO ADD) Serve on the side if anyone does not like cilantro.
- ¼ tsp. salt , to taste (WAIT TO ADD)
Serving suggestions:
- cheddar cheese
- steamed rice
- tortillas
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and add them to the slow cooker. No need to soak. If you want to soak the beans overnight, you can, but drain the beans before starting the recipe.
- Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, ham hock, onion, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder, onion powder, and pepper. WAIT TO ADD THE CILANTRO AND SALT.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Remove the ham hock onto a plate, remove any meat you can find off the ham hock, shred and put into the beans. (note that sometimes there is no meat on a ham hock, do fret, your beans are fine without this).
- Add the cilantro, stir
- Taste for salt, adding the desired amount.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- After the cooking time is up, take about 1 cup of the beans out into a small bowl.
- Using a potato masher or fork, smash those beans in the bowl until smooth.
- Add back to the soup and stir, and your soup will be thicker.
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 cups diced kielbasa
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 package hot dogs, sliced
- 1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
- Omit the ham hock.
- Add 1/4 tsp. of liquid smoke to add flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
What other black bean recipes can I make in my slow cooker?
- Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Black Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Refried Black Beans
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili – Recipe from Gimme Some Oven
- Slow Cooker Beef and Black Bean Chili – Recipe from Martha Stewart
Can I cook on low instead of high. If yes how long ?
It will take a good 9-10 hours on low! I hope this helps!
WOW… This was really good. Everyone liked it. I made some sweet cornbread and poured it over the cornbread in my bowl. My wife said I was nuts for doing that. She tried a spoon full and now she does it.
Great idea! I will have to try that.
Since I am a green salsa fan, I added that instead of salsa and red tomatoes. Plus dried jalapenos because thats what I had on hand. Used 3 cloves of garlic, because beans are so bland. LOL. I added a guajillo pepper and removed it half way because its very hot.
This will be perfect for the cookout on Memorial Day and a pitcher of Sangria. Cilantro lime rice on the side.
Thanks for the reminder to break out the crock pot and use it! Its been cool out so it didn’t overheat the condo!
Sandy
Like the idea of serving with a scoop of rice, we normally just have crusty bread with it. I also usually don’t add meat to my black bean soup but if I do, it’s small diced pieces of ham. I always add a sweet potato though. Absolutely going to try this version minus cilantro – I’m one of those people LOL
Truly a great recipe. I did alter one thing–instead of the canned tomatoes I added a can of Rotel diced tomatoes(the one with cilantro and lime juice). We sided cheese-jalapeno bread and it is the perfect meal for cold Seattle nights! Thank you, looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
I have been making Black Bean Soup for years. I do tge quick soak of the beans, instructions on the bag. Then I use 1 bottle of beer in a large measuring cup, fill the rest with chicken broth. I use a boneless Cottage Butt ham. I also add Cumin and crushed Red Pepper flakes instead of the jalapeño. I use VIGO Yellow Rice to serve it over along with diced onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese and cilantro.
Absolutely delicious and easy in a crockpot!
Thank you for the tips! All great ideas.
I use a cottage ham because it offers more flavor. Also add celery & canned tomatoes with jalapeños. Thanks for the recipe.
This soup is wonderful! My family members were fighting over the leftovers! I made it with the ham bone from our NYE ham. Makes me want to buy a ham just to make this! Perfect recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Chicken??This i do have on hand but doesn’t sound that good, should I switch up with some different ingredients, seasonings etc. and keep receipe intact? Capich
This looks like my kind of soup! Love the scoop of rice added in!
I cannot wait to see your cookbook! I love the flavors in your soup and that it is a 10 hour slow cook ! Sounds delicious.
Thanks for bean soup lovely