For my Slow Cooker Ham Bone Bean Soup mixed beans, lentils, peas and barley are slow cooked with a smoked ham bone, vegetables and spices, making a hearty dinner that feeds a crowd. Don’t forget to spice it up with a bit of Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce, too. Purely optional, but highly recommended. 🙂
It’s slow cooker season over here at Chez Aladin and with a sprinkling of some rain and the fact I had a ham bone in my freezer, decided soup was on the menu last week. Bust out some crusty french bread and the Tabasco, it’s time to eat some Slow Cooker Ham Bone Bean Soup!
This is one hearty and satisfying soup. It makes quite a bit, enough for twelve servings or more. We ate it two nights in a row it was so good, and then I froze the balance for another time.
MY LATEST VIDEOSSomedays I am feeling like I just want a really good dinner without a lot of fuss and work. Out comes the trusty slow cooker from the cabinet and in a bowl of water go the beans to soak over night. Simply cover your beans with cold water by 2 inches and allow to soak overnight to rehydrate. Don’t add any salt, the smoked ham does that for you. In the morning drain the beans, rinse and drain again.
If you didn’t think ahead and forgot to soak the beans overnight, you can always do my quick soak method as described on a post in Tips & Tricks.
The bean mix I used here are white and red beans with green split peas and barley. Feel free to use black beans, lentils, Green split peas, pinto beans, small white, red lentils, yellow split peas, adzuki beans and pearl barley. I get my ham bone from my local grocer’s meat department. Ham bones are meaty and the smoked flavor is just amazing.
Into the slow cooker went a chopped onion, the smoked ham bone, bay leaves and beans and I added chicken stock to cover by an inch. I tried to keep the spices to a minimum and used a couple bay leaves. The star is the amazingly smoky ham bone with plenty of flavor and meat on it. Place the lid on and start your slow cooker for 6 hours. Forget about it and go on with your day!
I started my 6-quart slow cooker and after 4 hours added a good heaping tablespoon of Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce for that kiss of tasty, garlic enhanced heat and the chopped the carrots and celery. Stir as best you can to mix in and cover again. Continue cooking in slow cooker for remaining 2 hours. I like to add the vegetables later so they are still al dente, with a little texture, not mushy. BUT if you like feel free to put in all at once with the bean and ham bone and keep it simple.
I had the pleasure of attending the Tabasco Tastemakers event down on Avery Island, Louisiana, home of Tabasco. That was an incredible experience and I was gifted with so many different flavors of Tabasco upon my return home. I think the Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce works wonderfully in this Slow Cooker Ham Bone Bean Soup.
If you’d like to read about that trip, you can read all about it and where I used their Tabasco Sweet & Spicy Pepper Sauce in my Cold Lentil Salad with Butternut Squash and Asparagus, their Tabasco Habanero Sauce in my No Churn Mango Ice Cream. and the incredible Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce in my Shrimp Posole Verde.
After the the ham and beans have cooked I gently remove the ham bone and allow to cool. I remove the meat easily and discard the bone. Rough chop the ham meat and place it back in the slow cooker and mix to incorporate completely with the beans and vegetables.
This amazing soup fills your home with a wonderful aroma and satisfies your hunger with some good, rib sticking, hearty soup. The flavors are wonderful, the vegetables and barley perfectly cooked. The peas and some beans break down to thicken the soup and the smoky ham adds the special salty goodness that only ham can do.
Serve with some more Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce for extra seasoning and garnish with chopped parsley. I love that Tabasco sauces don’t cover up, but enhance, whatever they get dashed on. Enjoy!
Disclosure: I am proud to be a part of #TabascoTastemakers and am sharing this post in partnership with Tabasco. All content and opinions are my own. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands with you that I believe in, and I hope you enjoy my recipe. Thanks for supporting the companies that continue to make Kevin Is Cooking possible.
For my Slow Cooker Ham Bone Bean Soup mixed beans, lentils, peas and barley are slow cooked with a smoked ham bone, vegetables and spices, making a hearty dinner that feeds a crowd. Don't forget to spice it up with a bit of Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce, too. Purely optional, but highly recommended.
- 2 cups Bean Mix (See Note 1)
- 2 lb smoked ham bone
- 5 leaves bay
- 1 onion chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 carrots chopped
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 1 tbsp Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce
- Parsley for garnish
- Soak the beans overnight in cold water, covered by an inch. Rinse the next day and set aside.
- In a slow cooker add the ham bone, chopped onion and bay leaves. Add the soaked beans and cover with chicken stock.
Cook for 6 hours on HIGH. At the 4 hour mark I like to add the chopped celery, carrots and one tablespoon of Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce. Stir as best you can to mix in and cover again. Continue cooking in slow cooker for remainder of time.
- Remove bay leaves and ham bone. Discard the bay leaves and bone. Chop ham meat and add back to the slow cooker. Mix to incorporate and season if needed.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with fresh cornbread.
***If you're converting meat from a slow cooker to an Instant Pot, follow this rule: if the meat dish cooks in eight hours on low or four hours on high in the slow cooker, it will cook in 25-30 minutes in the Instant Pot. Make sure the Instant Pot setting reads "sealing" and not "venting" to ensure it's cooked properly.
1. Feel free to use all or a mixture of Black beans, Lentils, Green Split Peas, Pinto Beans, Small White Beans, Red Lentils, Yellow Split Peas, Small Red Beans, Adzuki Beans and Pearl Barley as long as they are 2 cups dry total. Soak for at least 8 hours and drain.
Kevin, I made this soup for last night’s dinner and it is SUPERB! I cannot stop thinking about it. Normally I improvise when I cook, adding ingredients–here I did nothing different (other than I could not find the Garlic Tobasco sauce so I omitted it). I had baked a plain ham last weekend specifically because I wanted to make this recipe! Ha! I used a 15 Bean Mix for my beans and it was the perfect combination. Thank you for a delicious recipe that I will make again for sure!!
Love reading comments like this Lisa! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know. 🙂
My god, this sounds so fantastic. Slow-cooked soups like these are the best. I just want to grab a spoon and dig in.
Thanks Jeff, this one is lovely, especially if you can find a smoked ham. Love that subtle flavor.
This is one of my favorite comfort foods and something I was looking forward to making. Unfortunately, at the end of our party recently, my “sweet” Rhodesian Ridgeback just couldn’t stand smelling the left over ham. She nicked it and unfortunately, when my husband made dog food, they all got our leftovers😘. Time to get back to training!
Oh no! That Ridgeback has some good taste in table snacking! 🙂
This is just the kind of thing I’m craving right now as the weather transitions to spring.
I hear you, it’s been soup and chili season around here Marissa!
Do I cook for 6hrs on high or on low.
Hello Jean! That would be 6 hours on HIGH. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
LOVE a good ham and bean soup, but it’s so hard to get one that doesn’t bore. Thank goodness this recipe looks anything but that– so many flavors in there! Definitely trying this recipe soon!
Tasty goodness awaits you Karly! 😉
Oh my goodness, that smoked ham bone looks amazing. Could you please close your eyes for a sec – I’m going to steal it:) And this soup is so comfort and delicious – like everything you need in one bowl on a chilly day!
Haha Ben! Wish we were neighbors, I’d share! 🙂
My youngest dog is a Newfie mix and is a world class sloberer (is that even a word?) with one heck of an appetite – we feed him dinner and he’s hungry 30 minutes later, drooling and slobbering as he watches us eat our dinner – and tonight I know how he feels! Kevin, my daughter and I just had dinner and I’m drooling at this flavor packed soup! I have yet to pull out my slow cooker – so thanks for the inspiration to do so!
Funny Shashi, when ever I come home from Costco with a rotisserie chicken they sit patiently on the carpet just outside the kitchen giving me the stare down. Waiting. An waiting. They kill me, then I cave. What can I say, they are so fun! 🙂 Break out that slow cooker, just not and Christmas decorations yet… Thanksgiving time first! 😉
YES! Hooray for slow cooker season! Not only that, but ham bone soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. I’ve been compiling a list of easy recipes that I can make once the baby comes, and even make before-hand and freeze. This will be perfect! Thanks for another great recipe, Kevin!
Thanks so much Kathleen. YES, this freezes well and makes a large batch so you’ll be set!
It’s the season of the slow cooker as I taste and test other recipes and know dinner will be a good tried and true one waiting for us later. 🙂
Kevin, this soup looks so incredibly hearty and comforting! I have not made homemade bean soup with a ham bone in quite a while, so you are inspiring me to break out the old slow cooker and get a move on! Thanks for sharing!
Glad I was there for the assist Mary Ann. Dust that slow cooker off and take a look around here. I have plenty for you to try, your tummies filled and happy. 🙂
When it comes to make dinner, I’m all about NO fuss – I’ve recently started using my slow cooker to it’s full potential, and this is definitely going on my list of recipes to try this winter! Looks so warm and hearty – not that we need it in our San Diego weather, but it’s fun to pretend it gets cold here, right?! 😉
Yes, this unpredictable San Diego can be dark and cloudy one day with a slight drizzle and you see UGG boots everywhere and people drive crazy, or it’s 94°F the next. This however was the perfect companion when it actually rained the other day… albeit for an hour. Ha! Thanks Rachel, enjoy! 🙂
That looks so good. The pictures are excellent too, they really capture the soup and make me sooo hungry. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks so much Ronnalyn! This is one of those soups to warm the soul, enjoy!
Hey Kevin! Ham and bean soup is my favorite of all soups! Our best friend always gifts us a large ham before
Christmas and the meaty bone always ends up in a soup pot! I use a 16 bean mix that I get at my local store and you are so right that you need a nice crusty loaf of bread! It’s gotten really chilly here lately and we’ve closed the windows (but haven’t turned on the heat yet)!
Now that’s a nice gift from your best friend Dorothy! Does your friend raise and smoke them? I can’t find my usual 16 bean mix any more in the market and just make my own up. I love barley in the mix, one of my favorite grains. Thanks too, because while reading your comment it reminded me to feed my sourdough starter! Bread might be happening today or tomorrow! 🙂
Talk about the perfect recipe for the cold weather! My family has been making “lima beans with ham” for as long as I can remember. This smoked ham bone soup with beans and barley is the perfect update to a classic, so thanks, Kevin! I also love the added Tabasco. Good call, for sure. Have a great week, friend.
Thanks Sally, this is perfect for this time of year and family get togethers right? Happy holidays! Oh, don’t forget some crusty bread to help slurp this all up! 🙂
Now THIS is what I call cozy, stick-to-your-ribs soup!! This soup looks absolutely delicious and jam PACKED with flavor Kevin! Love all the beans, barley and OF COURSE that ham bone! My dad used to make a soup like this, but I haven’t had it since he passed away. I can’t WAIT to try yours, buddy… with a loaf of crusty bread and a million dashes of Tabasco of course! Pinned! Cheers!
It’s so good and the peas and beans start to break down and thicken it. I’m honored you’d try it since the last was your dad’s version. Splash on that Tabasco and raise that spoon to dad! Cheers and keep good thoughts.
P.S. Whenever I see those commercials on TV I think of you and your dad’s story you posted. Thanks again for sharing that part of yourself. You still are a great daughter! 🙂
This sounds like my kind of comfort food! We always save ham bones, too, and I think I’ve actually got one stashed away in the corner of the freezer right now. I need to pull that bad boy out and drop it into the slow cooker! This soup is pretty much perfection for a chilly weekend day…especially a chilly weekend day that you spent outside raking leaves!
I just love the smokey aspect it adds to the beans and barley. Plus the added benefit of the leftover ham meat!
Strange thought as I pictured you raking leaves and when ever I see them out here on the West Coast they use blowers. Silly things, it just moves them to another place (or other’s yard) and doesn’t solve the problem of removing them in the first place!
I can understand why you guys ate this two nights in a row, Kevin! Looks so comforting, hearty and tasty! We do a split pea soup with ham and dumplings around here and it’s a ‘stick to your ribs’ kinda soup. Perfect for this time of year. The slow cooker wins again! Love the addition of the Tabasco in there. I don’t think I’ve tried that flavour before. Pinned, of course. Happy Monday!
Dumplings! Love them and you’ve now set my mind thinking of them… Hmmm, dinner possibilities. 🙂
The flavors of Tabasco are all just so good. Hopefully you can find this one near you. Happy Monday indeed. It was light out at 5:45 am when I took the boys out for their park time. Perfect start to the day, though it will be dark earlier, it’s a nice change.
HI Kevin, I am a little confused about the ham bone cooking. I have leftover ham and ham bone and was wondering if I should not cook it for as long as the recipe states or if your smoked ham bone is essentially pre-cooked as well? Don’t want to over cook it and make it tough or anything. Thanks, this looks delicious!
Hello Laverne. I usually pick up a chunky ham bone from Honey Baked. They slow smoke each ham for up to 24 hours so these are already cooked. I have never used one otherwise (uncooked) and don’t feel like the resulting slow cooked ham meat is overly tough, just fall apart tender. Thanks for stopping by!
Yum!! I just bought a slow cooker the other day so may use this recipe as my first ever cooking experience with the cooker 🙂
Just one question Kevin, what sort of beans can I use if I can’t get hold of ten bean mix? Will any other beans do? Just want to make sure I get it right
Hello Joana and thanks for stopping by – perfect timing! Any bean mix or your favorites will do really. I mix and match all the time.
There s something magical that happens when split peas break down into a thick, creamy soup, especially when all the ingredients are just layered into a slow cooker.
I so agree and can’t believe I missed responding to you. Apologies and hope things are well Charles. It’s a rainy day here in San Diego and think might have to happen. Again. 🙂
i am making your soup today. Do I need to put the slow cooker on low or high?
Hi Karen, thanks for visiting the site and trying out the recipe. I would follow the manufacturers directions for your slow cooker. Mine has a 4, 6, 8 hour setting and there is no Low or High setting. I believe the Low would be for longer, 8 hour slow cooking and the High would be for the 4-6 hour range – BUT that is my guess, NOT an exact. Let me know how it turns out and have a great weekend.
I can’t find the ten bean mix anywhere except online. I need to make this in about 3 days and do not want to pay the extra ten dollars for shipping. So what type of bean do you think is best for this soup if I could only pick one? Or even two beans?
Sarah, feel free to use any beans you like as in Black beans, Lentils, Green Split Peas, Pinto Beans, Small White Beans, Red Lentils, Yellow Split Peas, Small Red Beans, Adzuki Beans and Pearl Barley. Small white and red beans would be my go to though if nothing else is available nearby. I get them at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Sprouts. Some markets have them in the dried bean section in mixed bags. Let me know how it turns out and have a safe and Happy New Year!
Hello, this sound amazing and I hope to make this very soon, but I would like to know if it’s ok to freeze this with all the beans and veggie? or sorry what do you recommend when freeze homemade soup?
Thank you
Mary Ann
Thanks Mary Ann for stopping by the site. I always have leftovers and sometimes you need to freeze them. This one is just fine to freeze, have done it numerous times. I try not to keep things in the freezer longer than 2 months myself. Have a great day!
Nothing like a good hearty soup this time of year! Looks delicious!
Thanks for stopping by Annie! Your Roasted Squash recipe looks fantastic. Next time you stop by and comment, click the Comment Luv box and it will show YOUR most recent post, too!
I should have known better than to open up this post when I’m hungry! This soup looks amazing, Kevin…pretty much exactly what I want on a cold day. And that cornbread? I think I could eat an entire pan of it. Now I’ve got soup on the brain…so I think I might need a big bowl of this soup to magically appear in my kitchen in oh, maybe 5 minutes?
Thanks David. Wish I had the Star Trek transporter for you, but alas I do not! Stay warm out there.