Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup with Beans
User Reviews
5
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Servings
6
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Calories
352 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
American
Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup with Beans
Description
This soup starts by slow-cooking a ham bone with carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, dried white beans, and water to extract rich flavor. After removing and shredding the ham meat from the bone, some is crisped in a skillet for added texture and returned to the slow cooker along with the vegetables.
The soup broth is prepared separately by sautéing onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter, then adding milk and thickened with a milk and cornstarch mixture to achieve a creamy consistency. This broth is added to the slow cooker along with spinach and stock powder, then cooked further to meld flavors.
The resulting soup combines the smoky ham flavor with tender beans and green spinach in a creamy base. Variations in ham bone contents affect the broth color and flavor intensity.
Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, and the recipe suggests adjustments with canned beans or thickening agents depending on desired texture. The soup can be frozen, but thickening agents may need to be reapplied upon reheating.
Ingredients
Homemade Ham Broth:
- 1.2kg / 2.4lb ham bone OR store bought ham hock / meaty bone (Note 1, leftover
- 2 carrot peeled cut into 3 chunks
- 1 celery cut into chunks, stalk
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 3 thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1.5 - 2 cups White beans no need to soak (Note 2, dried
- 2 litres / 2 quarts water (8 cups)
Ham Bone Soup:
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter or oil
- 1 onion , chopped
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 3 celery chopped, ribs
- 2 carrot chopped
- 2 cups milk , any fat %
- 2 tsp Vegeta stock powder Note 3, or other stock powder
- 60 g / 2 oz baby spinach (Note 4)
Thickening
- 1/2 cup milk any fat %, extra
- 1/3 cup cornstarch or cornflour
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
- Use a meaty ham bone or ham hock for best broth flavor; leftover ham can be added to increase meat content.
- Dried white beans (cannellini or navy) can be used without soaking due to slow cooker cooking time.
- Stock powders such as Vegeta or bouillon cubes can substitute for added flavor.
- Fresh or frozen spinach works for the greens component.
- Slight broth color variations depend on ham bone composition.
- Soup is creamy but not overly thick; extra cornstarch and milk can be added to thicken further.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days; when freezing, add thickener again when reheating as it loses power after freezing.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition 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% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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