Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

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!

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, and you can 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.

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

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