15 Bean Soup with Ham (Stovetop + Crockpot)
This 15 Bean Soup with Ham is a comforting, delicious soup that can be made on the stove top or in the crock pot and perfect for a chilly day! It’s also the perfect use for leftover holiday ham, but you can also use smoked andouille sausage, too–it’s super versatile!!
Warm, comforting, EASY TO MAKE soups are the name of my game come fall and winter! This Vegetable Beef Soup , Chrissy Teigen’s Chicken Noodle Soup and this really simple Bean Soup with Ham (if you only want to use one type of bean) are three of my go-tos! If I want something creamier, it’s doesn’t get any better than this Velveeta Potato Soup with Bacon!
This easy bean soup recipe is super flavorful and healthy to boot! The recipe combines a rich blend of Hurst’s beans (15 different bean varieties to be exact!) that are simmered with veggies, ham and and flavorful broth.
Serve this soup up on it’s own, with crackers, garlic bread or even a nice green salad!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Delicious, flavorful soup that is easy to make in the crockpot or on the stove!
- Leftovers keep well in the freezer for to 3 months!
- Hearty, healthy soup that’s perfect for chilly days!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this 15-Bean Soup with Ham:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Hurst’s HamBeens: This bean blend can be found at any major chain grocery store (such as Wal-Mart, Safeway, etc.) near the other dry beans. If you can’t find the Cajun blend, the regular 15 Bean Blend works just fine, too!
Ham: This recipe is perfect for using up leftover ham. However, if you don’t have leftover ham, you can use a ham steak, chopped into small pieces. You can also buy 1-2 ham hocks (or use a leftover ham bone) and use that in the soup to get that yummy, smokey flavor.
HOW TO MAKE 15 BEAN SOUP WITH HAM: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Cook up your veggies 6-8 minutes until soft: onion, carrot, celery and garlic.
Step 2: Add ALL remaining ingredients. Give everything a big stir, and bring to a boil.
Step 3: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until beans are soft. Discard thyme and bay leaves. Serve immediately!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- If you want a thicker soup, simmer with the lid OFF for the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Note that the soup will continue to thicken as it cools.
- The soy sauce and the seasoning packet contain salt, so no need to any additional salt until you taste it!
⭐️ CONFIDENCE TIP ⭐️
Adding soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce gives soups a rich, deep flavor that plain salt doesn’t give. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste, and add more if needed.
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: Leftovers are fantastic! Store leftover soup in an airtight container (my favorite glass containers) in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheating: The starches from the beans will thicken the soup as it sits in the fridge. If you want thinner soup, add a splash of chicken stock when reheating. Reheat the soup in a small saucepan on the stove on in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully! To freeze, make sure soup has cooled to room temperature. Store it flat in a freezer bag or in a freezer proof container for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy the soup again, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then follow reheating instructions above.
ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Here are some great additions to this soup:
Spice: If you need a spicy kick, add some red pepper flakes, chili powder and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the soup.
Bell Peppers: Red and green bell peppers, although not “traditional,” are delicious and add even more veggies to this soup!
Here are some substitutions to this soup:
Ham: If you don’t have any leftover ham, you can use a ham hock to get that nice, smokey flavor. You can also buy a ham steak and cut it into small pieces. OR smoked (cooked) andouille sausage works beautifully, too!
Bean Soup Blend: If you can’t find the Cajun type of the 15 bean blend, or if you don’t want the extra spice, the regular 15 bean blend works just fine, too!
Thyme: No fresh thyme? 1 tsp of dried thyme work just fine!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, you don’t HAVE to soak the beans. It will not affect the taste or flavor of the soup at all. However, soaking them will cut down the cooking time. If you don’t soak the beans, plan on adding at least another hour to the stove top cooking time. If you are making this soup in the crockpot, you do not need to soak the beans since they’ll be cooking in the slow cooker for about 8 hours.
If you want a thicker soup, there are a few things you can do:
1) Reduce the amount of chicken stock or cooking liquid by 1-2 cups.
2) Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch + 2 tablespoons of COLD chicken stock in a small bowl. Add it to the soup and bring it to a boil. Soup should thicken up in a few minutes.
3) You can also simmer the soup with the lid OFF for the last half hour of cooking.
Crusty bread or even some garlic bread is really all you need! A nice simple salad is also a great addition!
Hurst’s bean blend includes a variety of different kinds of beans. According to their website, the 15 bean soup mix includes: northern beans, pinto beans, large lima beans, yellow eye beans, garbanzo beans, baby lima beans, green split peas, kidney beans, cranberry beans, small white beans, pink beans, small red beans, yellow split peas, lentils, navy beans, white kidney beans and black beans.
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TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!
Crockpot: Not only is it pretty, I love the simplicity and how it’s nice and bright white inside!
Dutch Oven/Stockpot: If you are cooking this on the stovetop, this dutch oven is perfect for soups and stews!
Garlic Chopper: I couldn’t live without this thing!
Ladle: My favorite….for serving this delicious soup!
I hope you love this 15 Bean Soup with Ham! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
15 Bean Soup with Ham
Ingredients
- 1 20 oz. package Hurst HamBeens Cajun Soup Blend + seasoning packet regular blend (non-Cajun) is fine, too!
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken stock or chicken broth See Note 1
- 1 1/2-2 cups leftover ham, chopped
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 tsp dried
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Remove the seasoning packet from the beans and set aside. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let the beans soak for 8 hours or overnight (See Note 2).
- When you are ready to make the soup, drain water and set beans aside. Discard soaking liquid.
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. When pan is hot, add olive oil. Saute the onions, carrots, celery for 6-8 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the chicken stock, leftover ham, black pepper, drained beans, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, soy sauce, seasoning packet, and diced tomatoes. Give everything a big stir to combine and bring soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft (You will need to add about one hour or more if beans have not soaked). Note: If you want a thicker soup, remove the lid during the last 1/2 hour of cooking.
- Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the soup. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread!
Crockpot Method
- **If you are using a crockpot, you do not have to soak the beans overnight!
- Add all ingredients to the crockpot. Give everything a big stir to combine.
- Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours until beans are soft.
Easy and delicious, this one is a keeper. I know I’m going to make it over and over again!
I e made this soup several times and it’s become a favorite! So hearty and delicious!
This is another lever of comfort food!! It is AHH-mazing!
Love this inexpensive soup! Perfect for feeding a hungry family on a cold winter’s day! Will definitely make it often over the winter!
Perfectly comforting!! I love how versatile this meal is! Thanks!
Such a great winter soup with all those beans and veggies! Should be easy to make it vegetarian too 🙂
Now this is my kind of comfort food. Such a great budget friendly recipe too.
Such an easy, flavorful Crockpot recipe. I love bean soup because there is always leftovers that taste even better the next day!
Ham and bean soup is one of my all time favorite recipes. I love that you used that 15 bean mix. It gives it so much more variety.
I always hunt for a good soup recipe. It is always helpful. This 15 bean soup looks absolutely incredible!
I love how this soup is loaded with beans and leftover ham! I can eat this all year round and I can’t wait to give this a try!