Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup with Beans

Name: Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup with Beans
Yield: 6 serving
Ingredients: 1.2kg / 2.4lb leftover ham bone; 2 carrots; 1 celery stalk; 2 garlic cloves; 3 sprigs thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1.5 - 2 cups dried white beans; 2 litres / 2 quarts water; 2 tbsp (30g) butter or oil; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 3 celery ribs; 2 carrots; 2 cups milk; 2 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder; 60 g / 2 oz baby spinach; 1/2 cup Extra milk; 1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch

User Reviews

5.0

102 reviews

Excellent

Servings
6
Calories
352 kcal
Course
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine
American

Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup with Beans

Kai Walton

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Recipe video above. This is a Ham Bone Soup made using the slow cooker which is the most effortless way to cook leftover ham bone. Set, forget, fall apart meat, flavour infused soup!You'll love the creamy broth (but no cream!) and tender beans that absorb the flavour. Leave some of the ham tender and juicy, pan fry some to make it crispy. It's the best of both worlds!

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Ingredients

Servings

Homemade Ham Broth:

1.2kg / 2.4lb leftover ham bone OR store bought ham hock / meaty bone (Note 1)
2 carrots , peeled cut into 3 chunks
1 celery stalk , cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves , minced
3 sprigs thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1.5 - 2 cups dried white beans , no need to soak (Note 2)
2 litres / 2 quarts water (8 cups)

Ham Bone Soup:

2 tbsp (30g) butter or oil
1 onion , chopped
2 garlic cloves , minced
3 celery ribs , chopped
2 carrots , chopped
2 cups milk , any fat %
2 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder (Note 3)
60 g / 2 oz baby spinach (Note 4)

Thickening

1/2 cup Extra milk , any fat %
1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch

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Instructions

Ham Broth:

Place the Ham Broth ingredients in the slow cooker. Slow cook for 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.
Remove ham bone. Shred meat and discard bone. Return half the ham to the slow cooker (remainder is pan fried).
Discard thyme sprig.
Remove then chop carrot and celery, return to slow cooker.

Crispy Ham:

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add half the ham and cook until golden and crispy.
Transfer most to slow cooker - hold back a few for garnish.

Soup Broth:

In the same skillet, melt remaining butter. Add onion and garlic, cook 1 minute.
Add celery and carrot, cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Add 2 cups milk, stir.

Soup Thickener:

Mix cornflour and extra Milk. While stirring, pour into skillet. Mixture will thicken quickly.
Once very thick and paste-like, scrape into slow cooker.

Finish Soup:

Add Vegeta into slow cooker. Stir to dissolve paste.
Add spinach, push down into liquid.
Slow cook 30 minutes on low or 20 minutes on high until spinach is wilted and broth is heated and slightly thickened.
Serve garnished with crispy ham and a sprinkle of parsley, if desired!

Notes

Leftover Ham Bone - If your ham is looking a bit skimpy, you might want to buy some ham to dice up and throw into the soup. If the bone won't fit into your slow cooker, try break the knuckles with your hands or take it to your friendly butcher to cut in half (or dig out your saw). Can also use store bought ham bone / hock.
White beans - More beans = chunkier soup. Great northern, cannellini, navy. No need to soak because we're using the slow cooker.
Canned beans will also work but dried is better because it absorbs more flavour as it cooks and you can control the texture better. Stir drained canned beans into the soup when you add the shredded ham back in. May need extra cornflour to thicken broth (as dried beans soak up more liquid than canned)
Vegeta is a type of stock powder sold in supermarkets. Vegetable or chicken stock powders will also work nicely here, or crumble in a bouillon cube.
Greens - about 2 to 3 handfuls. Or use chopped normal spinach, silverbeet or kale.
General: - Soup colour will differ depending on your ham bone. More skin (leathery brown stuff) = browner broth (and more flavour) = off white soup. Less skin = whiter soup. - Soup is not intended to be a really thick soup as I find it makes it too heavy (it's quite rich). But if you want a thicker broth, simply add more cornflour/cornstarch mixed with equal amount of water/milk - add a bit at a time, as soup heats it will thicken.
Storage - store in fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you freeze, cornflour will lose it's thickening power so you'll need to add more when reheating to re-thicken soup (see Note 5). Works perfectly, I tried it.
Nutrition is a guide only. It's virtually impossible for a non-scientist to calculate the nutrition in the ham bone broth, I've done my best!

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 352cal (18%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 21g (42%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 38mg (13%) Sodium 574mg (24%) Potassium 1139mg (33%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 8130IU (163%) Vitamin C 9.9mg (11%) Calcium 232mg (23%) Iron 4.6mg (26%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 352 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	352cal	18%
Carbohydrates	44g	15%
Protein	21g	42%
Fat	10g	15%
Saturated Fat	5g	25%
Cholesterol	38mg	13%
Sodium	574mg	24%
Potassium	1139mg	24%
Fiber	13g	52%
Sugar	9g	18%
Vitamin A	8130IU	163%
Vitamin C	9.9mg	11%
Calcium	232mg	23%
Iron	4.6mg	26%