When my kids were little and I was home with them all day, I was always hunting for a supper that stretched a long way without tasting like it was stretching. 16 bean soup in the crock pot was the answer. A bag of beans cost next to nothing, it fed all of us with leftovers, and it was one of the few things my kids asked me to make again. The ham bone is what makes it. Every holiday I set one back just for this soup, and after a long slow cook that bone turns a pot of plain dried beans into something rich and smoky. You soak the beans the night before, load everything in the next morning, and supper takes care of itself.
16 Bean Soup With Leftover Ham Bone
This is a dump-and-go recipe once the beans are soaked. Everything goes in the crock pot at once, the lid goes on, and you walk away. By mid-afternoon, the whole house smells like a ham bone has been working all day, which it has, and nobody has to ask what is for supper.
It tastes better on day two, once the beans have had a night to soak up all that broth, so I never mind making the full pot. Serve it with a pan of Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe, and you have supper for a crowd for just a few dollars.
Do you want more hassle-free slow cooker recipes? Try my Easy Crockpot Skyline Chili Recipe and Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup.
Great soup on a cold snowy night! I didn’t make it in the crockpot since I had already soaked the beans overnight but I followed the recipe for the seasonings. Great flavor!
—Sandy
Ingredients You Will Need
To create a delicious 16 bean soup, you’ll need these basic ingredients that might already be in your pantry.
- 16 Bean Soup mix: I buy Goya 16 Bean Soup Mix from Walmart. Throw the seasoning packet away. This soup builds its own flavor with smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and the packet only gets in the way of that.
- Yellow onion: For the best flavor of this recipe, a medium to large onion is best. Make sure that it’s fresh. The smell should be slightly sweet and should feel heavy.
- Garlic: To make your soup taste more aromatic, choose larger garlic cloves. Make sure that they’re firm without any green sprouts to avoid imparting a bitter flavor.
- Carrots: Medium-sized carrots are the best for this recipe because they taste sweeter than their larger counterparts. You’ll want them fresh with green tops and a vibrant orange color to ensure freshness.
- Celery: Choose firm, crispy celery stalks to get that delightful crunch. They should have a bright green color with a tightly packed base.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: A 15 ounce can, juices and all. Do not drain it, because the juice carries a good bit of the flavor. The fire-roasted kind adds a smoky edge that works with the ham bone.
- Ham bone: This one is optional, but it is where most of the flavor comes from. I save mine from a Spiral Ham In A Crock Pot With A Homemade Glaze or a Glazed Ham With Marmalade and freeze it until I am ready to make soup. Look for a bone with some meat still clinging to it. If you do not have one saved, the meat counter at the grocery store will usually have them.
- Chicken broth: To choose a high-quality chicken broth, chicken should be on top of the ingredient list and not fillers like chicken flavor. I like to use the carton broth because it’s easy to pour but you can choose canned broths if you want a more concentrated flavor.
- Herbs: You’ll need bright, greenish-brown dried oregano with a strong aroma. If possible, use a whole, unbroken bay leaf to keep the aromatic oils intact. For garnish, look for fresh, bright green parsley to make sure that it’s fresh.
- Spices: Look for fresh ground cumin with a rich, reddish-brown color and an earthy aroma. The ground chili powder should have a slightly smoky aroma with a deep, red color. As for the smoked paprika, make sure that it has a distinct smoky aroma to tell that it’s fresh.
- Red wine vinegar: A darker vinegar brings more depth. Most bottles run 5 to 7 percent acidity, which is what you want here. That one tablespoon at the end is what wakes the whole pot up, so do not skip it.
Variations and Substitutions
These are the swaps I have actually made in this soup, so I know they work.
- Mix your own beans: If you cannot find a pre-mix, put together your own from dried beans you already have. Use different colors and sizes so it still looks like bean soup in the bowl.
- Beef broth: Use beef broth in place of the chicken broth for a deeper, heartier base.
- A little heat: Cayenne pepper or diced jalapeños, added in with the rest of the seasonings, if your family likes some kick.
- Spinach: A few handfuls of fresh spinach stirred into the finished soup.
- Sweet potatoes: Diced sweet potatoes, added with the carrots and celery. The sweetness plays against the smoky ham.
- Butternut squash: Diced butternut squash works the same way as the sweet potatoes.
How To Make 16 Bean Soup
You can’t imagine how easy it is to make this flavorful dish. Here are the steps:
1
Soak Beans
In a large pot, place the beans and rinse with water until all the debris is removed. Next, fill the pot with water, covering twice the amount of beans. Soak overnight at room temperature or in the fridge for the best results.
Do you have to soak them? I soak overnight nearly every time, because the beans cook more evenly and the soup is ready when the recipe says it will be. When I am short on time, I use the quick soak method down in my tips instead, and it has never let me down.
2
Drain Soaked Beans
After the required soaking time has elapsed, it’s time to drain the soaking water. Set a colander or strainer in the sink, then slowly pour the beans to drain the water. Rinse the beans under cold running water and shake off any excess water.
Once done, add the drained beans into the pot of your slow cooker.
3
Add Vegetables And Aromatics
Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery into the pot of drained beans. Next, add the bay leaf, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and tomatoes. Make sure that you include the juice of the tomatoes to enhance the soup’s flavor.
4
Add Broth And Ham
Now, add the ham bone and pour the chicken broth into the pot. Using a spoon, stir to combine all the ingredients.
5
Slow Cook And Serve
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Once the largest beans are tender, lift out the ham bone, pull off any meat still clinging to it, and stir that meat back into the soup.
Fish out the bay leaf and throw it away. Finish with a splash of red wine vinegar, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
Serve it hot with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley on top.
My Favorite Slow Cooker Tools
Gina’s Tips For Recipe Success
- If you have a limited time for soaking the beans, try this quick-soak method. Bring the beans to a boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Let the beans sit covered for another hour.
- Consider setting a colander or strainer in the sink to catch any beans that might pour out while draining them.
- To bring a more robust flavor, sauté your onion and garlic in olive oil before slow cooking.
- Allow the soup to sit for 15 minutes before serving to help the flavors meld and to cool down the serving temperature safely.
- If you like to thicken your soup, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to puree the soup a bit.
If you make this 16 bean soup, come back and leave a star rating. It helps other folks find the recipe, and it tells me which ones your families are really making.
16 Bean Soup Easy Crock Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound 16-bean soup mix, (bag) seasoning packet discarded
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small
- 2/3 cup celery, diced small
- 1 ham bone, fat removed, optional, plus any leftover ham, diced
- 64 ounces chicken broth, (two 32 ounce boxes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 15 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Beans:
- Rinse the beans in a large pot filled with water. Remove any debris or discolored beans.1 pound 16-bean soup mix
- Cover the beans with twice the amount of water and soak overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Cook the Soup:
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans.
- Add the beans, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, ham bone, chicken broth, bay leaf, tomatoes (with juices), smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and black pepper to a slow cooker. Stir to combine.1/2 cup yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 cup carrots, 2/3 cup celery, 1 ham bone, 64 ounces chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, 15 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Set the Slow Cooker:
- Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
Finish the Soup:
- Check that the largest beans are tender. Remove the ham bone (if used), shred any remaining meat from the bone, and stir it back into the soup.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. It could be a choking hazard. Stir in the red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, Salt
Serve:
- Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.Parmesan cheese, Fresh parsley
Great soup on a cold snowy night! I didn’t make it in the crockpot since I had already soaked the beans overnight but I followed the recipe for the seasonings. Great flavor! I forgot the red wine vinegar & parmesan at the end but I didn’t really miss it. And I didn’t add any salt since the ham had plenty.
Snow!This GA girl is jealous. I’m so happy you enjoyed the bean soup! Keep warm.