There’s nothing boring about my basic crock pot ham and beans recipe. It’s is a slow-cooker version of the navy bean and ham soup that I enjoyed so often as a child.

Why mess with a classic when it tastes this good? Along with crock pot pork chops, it’s one of my favorite slow cooker recipes.

crock pot ham and beans

Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

That’s right, there’s nothing new or innovative about this old-fashioned crock pot ham and beans recipe, yet, it’s one of my favorite hearty soups.

These old-fashioned ham and beans are creamy, full of ham flavor, and totally comforting.

When I was a kid, my mom prepared this navy bean soup with ham on the stovetop, but I prefer slow-cooking it in my Crock Pot these days.

My grandpa cooked beans a lot, too. He used an old-fashioned cast-iron bean pot like this one. Doesn’t that just take you back?

I always keep several bags of dry navy beans in my pantry for chilly days when I can make this yummy dish. It’s the best ham and bean soup ever, as far as I’m concerned!

crock pot ham and bean soup

Ham and Beans Crock Pot How-To

To make my easy crock pot ham and beans you’ll just need to have these simple ingredients on hand.

  • dry navy beans
  • ham hocks
  • yellow onion
  • black pepper and salt
  • I like to garnish with green onion!

I highly recommend soaking your beans for this recipe!

Rinse and sort beans. Cover beans with about 2 cups of water and allow to soak overnight or 6 to 8 hours. 

After soaking rinse again. Add the beans to the slow cooker and cover with 6 cups of water. Add the onions and the ham hocks. Cover and cook on low for 5 ½ to 6 hours.

Remove the ham hocks from the pot and remove the meat from the bone and stir back into the bean.  Season with salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook for another 30 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

Serve with a hunk of buttermilk cornbread!

crock pot ham and bean soup with cornbread

What Kind of Ham Do You Put In Beans?

Ham hocks bring so much flavor, but you can also use a ham bone, diced ham, or even leftover holiday ham.

Ham hocks are not loaded with meat. I find that there is enough meat for my bean soup from two ham hocks, but if you’d prefer even more meat, you can add diced ham to this recipe.

Love ham? Don’t miss my ham and noodle casserole.

I hope you’ll try my yummy slow cooker ham and beans. Be sure to leave a comment letting me know how your parents or grandparents prepared beans when you were a kid!

More Old-Fashioned Recipes

bean soup with ham slow cooker recipe

Crock Pot Ham and Beans

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes

Basic ham and bean soup in ther slow cooker is an old-fashioned family favorite recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. bag of navy beans, rinsed and sorted
  • 6 cups of water
  • Ham hocks, about 2 lbs.
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • green onion to garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Rinse and sort beans. Cover beans with about 2 cups of water and allow to soak overnight or 6 to 8 hours. 
  2. After soaking rinse again. Add the beans to the crock pot and cover with 6 cups of water. Add the onions and the ham hocks. Cover and cook on low for 5 ½ to 6 hours. Remove the ham hocks from the pot and remove the meat from the bone and stir back into the bean.  Season with salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook for another 30 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

Notes

Optionally, you can use chicken broth in place of the water for a richer flavor.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 23g

Did you make this recipe?

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