This ham bone soup with potatoes recipe is the perfect way to use up your leftover holiday ham! Packed with many delicious flavors, your crock pot will do all the work for you.
Original post: January 2016 | Updated: April 2021
Why This Recipe Works
We typically enjoy a huge ham every Easter and sometimes on Christmas. One of my absolute favorite things to do with the leftover carcass is to turn it into the most flavorful, multi-textured, colorful ham soup.
This recipe is loaded with potatoes, beans and other veggies, to make it a complete meal requiring very little effort. Let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting, especially if you’re tired after a big holiday.
Recipe Ingredients
Ham bone – Use one leftover cooked ham bone for this soup, preferably with a bit of meat still attached. Make sure the entire bone fits into your crock pot and that the cover is able to fit over it.
Potatoes – Russet potatoes are my favorite type of potato to use in this soup recipe, but possible replacements would be Yukon Gold or Baby Red potatoes.
Beans – Kidney beans taste great as part of this recipe, but you can definitely swap this variety out for pinto, navy or any other hearty bean that holds its shape well in soup.
How To Make Ham Bone Soup with Potatoes in Your Slow Cooker
STEP 1
Place the following ingredients into a 6-quart crock pot:
- 1 leftover cooked ham bone (preferably with a bit of meat still attached)
- Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
- Carrots, peeled and sliced
- Corn
- Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- Diced tomatoes
- Water + chicken Bouillon cubes
STEP 2
Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours or High heat for 5-6 hours. One hour before soup is done, remove the ham bone and let cool on a cutting board for 15 minutes.
STEP 3
Remove the meat from the ham bone and add it to the crockpot. Discard bone. Serve when soup is warmed through.
Recipe Notes
- Replace the water and Bouillon cubes with two 32-oz. containers of chicken broth or stock, if desired.
- Canned corn can be replaced with equal amounts of frozen corn.
- Ham hocks are not the same thing as ham bones, although ham hocks will still work with this recipe. You won’t get as much meat from the bone, but you’ll still get plenty of flavor from it. If you are unable to find a ham bone at the store, you’ll likely be able to find a ham hock or even a smoked ham hock (even better!).
- Add a bay leaf or two to the pot for an added touch of flavor. Just remember to pull it out before serving!
Ways To Use Up a Ham Bone and Leftover Ham
- Use your leftover ham bone to make this comforting, hearty Ham Bone Soup in your Instant Pot! Pressure cooking this meal allows you to get dinner on the table in less than an hour and it tastes like it has been simmering in a slow cooker all day long.
- Ham, split peas and an assortment of delicious carrots, peas and celery are the perfect combo in this hearty, comforting and traditional ham split pea soup. A truly savory soup will satisfy and fill you up.
- These delicious, baked Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches are also known as Tailgate Sandwiches because they are the perfect game-day party fare. They are bursting with flavor and gooey cheese!
- These delicious ham and cheese pretzel bites are the PERFECT party or game day food! Don’t be intimidated by the cooking process. It’s way easier than it looks! You will not be disappointed.
FAQ About Ham Bones
Broth made from animal bones is very good for you! It can help to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation within the body.
If you are the lucky recipient of a Christmas or Easter dinner ham bone, but you will not be able to use it in the following 3-4 days, freeze it! Place it in a resealable freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing it.
Make sure the bag is completely sealed. Double bag for an added measure of freshness.
Thaw ham bones before using it in a recipe, although it is possible to use a frozen ham bone when time is limited. Allow extra time for cooking if you use a frozen bone.
When defrosting the bone first, place the entire plastic bag containing the bone in a bowl or sink filled with cold water until it has thawed. It can also defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator, but will take more time.
Ham bones are great when used to make soup such as ham and potato soup or split pea and ham soup. They can also be used to make ham broth, which can be used as a base for any soup.
Related Recipes
Ham Bone Soup With Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone cooked, with remnants
- 2 Russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 5 carrots peeled and sliced
- 15 oz corn drained
- 15 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 6 cups water
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a 6-quart crock pot. Cook on Low for 8-9 hours or High for 5-6 hours. One hour before soup is done, remove the ham bone and let cool on a cutting board for 15 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the ham bone and add it back to the crockpot. Discard bone. Serve when soup is warmed through.
Notes
- Replace the water and Bouillon cubes with two 32-oz. containers of chicken broth or stock, if desired.
- Canned corn can be replaced with equal amounts of frozen corn.
- Ham hocks are not the same thing as ham bones, although ham hocks will still work with this recipe. You won’t get as much meat from the bone, but you’ll still get plenty of flavor from it. If you are unable to find a ham bone at the store, you’ll likely be able to find a ham hock or even a smoked ham hock (even better!).
- Add a bay leaf or two to the pot for an added touch of flavor. Just remember to pull it out before serving!
How can I make in on the stovetop, or in the oven?
You can add your ingredients into a dutch oven and cook this over the stove easily! However, the steps are a little more involved as you might choose to brown your cook your bones first. If you cook it on the stove, it can be cooked low and slow over 10-12 hours.
This was delicious! It made quite a bit for our family very tasty and flavorful most certainly a hearty soup! Do you think this could be frozen and reheated to be equally the same or close to…. especially with potato and beans?
You can definitely freeze this either in a ziploc bag, in portions or in a big tupperware. Just be sure to leave space at the top for the soup to expand. When you are ready to reheat, you can put it on the stove top to reheat or leave it in the fridge to thaw and then warm. Thanks for reaching out with a good question!
Instead of canned beans, can you use dry beans? As I figure with all the liquid, they would cook right along in the soup but wanted to make sure.
Hi Tonya, dry beans are great to use! I would check the directions of the bag you have to see how much water is needed and the timing. Great question!
Can you used canned pintos instead of kidney beans?
Can this be done in the pressure cooker???
Hi Christy, I imagine that it can! I haven’t bought one yet though so I don’t have any recommended recipes.
Just put this soap together using the ham bone from Easter dinner. Easy and smells delicious!
I hope it turned out great, Jill! We LOVE this soup!
Megan
So good! My husband hates my cooking, so since he loved this he claimed to have made it! Great, easy to make soup! Just my style, only it tasted amazing!
Yum! I love a ham soup and this one looks packed full of veggies just the way I like it!
I love soups that you can just dump into the crockpot and forget about! This one looks so cozy and perfect for those chilly winter nights!
I know exactly how you feel! The post-holidays rush is even crazier than the holiday season sometime. Phew! So glad you managed to survive though–here’s to a happy 2016, and this soup!!