15-Bean Soup Smoky Ham (Printable)

Slow-cooked blend of beans, smoky ham bone, and vegetables offering deep, comforting flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 (20 oz) bag 15-bean soup mix, rinsed and sorted

→ Meats

02 - 1 leftover ham bone with some meat attached

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 cups water

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - Salt to taste

# Directions:

01 - Rinse and sort the beans, discarding any debris or broken beans.
02 - Place the beans in the bottom of a large slow cooker (6 quarts or larger). Add the ham bone on top of the beans.
03 - Add onion, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes with juice, and garlic to the slow cooker.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and water.
05 - Sprinkle in smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper, and add the bay leaf.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
07 - Remove the ham bone and let it cool slightly. Shred any remaining meat and return it to the soup. Discard the bone and bay leaf.
08 - Stir well, taste, and season with salt as needed. Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's practically hands-off once you've chopped the vegetables, meaning you can forget about it while it works its magic for eight hours.
  • The combination of fifteen different beans creates this natural creaminess without any cream, making it feel indulgent but actually quite nourishing.
  • One ham bone stretches into an entire pot of soup that feeds a crowd, so it's thrifty in the best possible way.
02 -
  • Never salt the soup or beans before they're fully cooked, as salt draws water out of the beans and can leave them grainy or tough even after hours of cooking—this is one of those rules that seems arbitrary until you've already made the mistake.
  • The ham bone is doing two jobs at once: flavoring your broth with its smokiness while also thickening it naturally through collagen release, so don't be tempted to skip it even if your ham was store-bought.
03 -
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking beans around the seven-hour mark so they don't turn into mush; if it runs cool, you might need the full eight hours or even thirty minutes more.
  • Freeze this soup in individual portions using ice cube trays or portion containers so you always have a quick lunch or emergency dinner waiting in the freezer.
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