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    Home » Soup » Ham Bone Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe

    Ham Bone Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe

    Published: Nov 25, 2024 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Transform your holiday leftovers into a cozy, comforting meal with this Ham Bone Vegetable Soup Slow Cooker Recipe! Packed with potatoes, beans, and colorful vegetables, this hearty soup is easy to prepare, bursting with flavor, and the perfect way to repurpose your Easter or Christmas ham.

    Bowl of ham bone soup loaded with veggies, next to parsley and a spoon.

    Original post: January 2016 | Updated: November 2022 and November 2024

    Why This Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup Recipe Works

    • Great use for your leftover Christmas ham so it doesn’t go to waste!
    • We typically enjoy a huge ham every Easter and sometimes for Christmas dinner. This is hands-down my favorite way to use a leftover holiday ham bone.
    • It’s such an easy soup to prepare and has tons of flavor. 
    • This slow cooker soup is packed with potatoes, beans and vegetables, making it a complete meal made with very little effort. 
    • The best part about this delicious soup is that your slow cooker does the heavy lifting so you can kick your feet up and relax after a big holiday.

    Recipe Ingredients for Ham Bean Soup

    Ham bone – Use one leftover cooked ham bone for this soup, preferably with a bit of meat still to the bone. It’s ok if the bone extends beyond the top of your slow cooker. You can wrap it with foil as it cooks.

    Potatoes – For best results use russet potatoes, but substitutions are Yukon gold or red potatoes.

    Carrots – Load up on fresh carrots!

    Corn – This ingredient isn’t essential, but adds a nice texture, flavor and color to the dish. Canned corn can be replaced with equal amounts of frozen corn.

    Beans – Kidney beans are the perfect addition to this recipe, but you can swap this variety out for pinto beans, navy beans, white beans, great northern beans, cannellini beans or any other hearty variety that holds its shape well in soup.

    You may use dried beans for this recipe. Dry beans should soak overnight and according to package directions before using.

    Tomatoes – A can of diced tomatoes adds a ton of flavor, plus some extra juices to the dish.

    Chicken Bouillon Cubes – Use 6 cups water + 2 bouillon cubes, or 48 oz chicken broth, chicken stock, ham stock, ham bone broth or vegetable stock.

    Toppings – Before serving, garnish the soup with freshly grated black pepper, chopped fresh parsley, fresh thyme or Parmesan cheese.

    How To Make Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup

    Step 1

    Place the following ingredients into a 6-quart crock pot:

    • 1 leftover hambone (fully cooked and preferably with a bit of meat still attached)
    • Kidney beans
    • Potatoes
    • Carrots
    • Corn
    • Diced tomatoes
    • 6 cups water + chicken Bouillon cubes
    Ham bone soup ingredients packed into a slow cooker.

    Step 2

    Cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours. Toward the end of cooking (approximately one hour before it’s done), place ham bone on a cutting board and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.

    Ham bone on cutting board with meat removed.

    Step 3

    Remove the meat from the ham bone and add it to the crockpot. Give the mixture a good stir and discard bone. Serve when soup is warmed through.

    Recipe Notes for Leftover Ham Bone Soup

    • If you’d like to make this soup without a ham bone, replace it with up to 3 cups diced ham.
    • Add extra veggies and potatoes to the mixture for an extra hearty ham soup, such as celery, onions, sweet potatoes, canned beans, green beans or your favorite vegetables.
    • Minced garlic or garlic powder would be delicious additions to this dish.
    • For a thinner consistency and less chunky soup, use a potato masher to break down the potatoes and veggies once you have removed the ham hock from the crockpot.
    • Ham hocks and ham shanks are not the same thing as ham bones, although both will work for this recipe. Not as much meat will come off the bone, but you’ll still get plenty of flavor. 
    • If you are unable to find a ham bone at the store, you’ll likely be able to find a hock or a shank at your local butcher or grocery store.
    • Add a couple bay leaves to the pot for an added touch of flavor. Just remember to pull it out before serving!

    Can You Freeze Ham on the Bone

    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 or airtight container. If using bags, squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing. Make sure the container is completely sealed. Freeze for up to 6 months for best results.

    How To Thaw a Ham Bone

    As a general rule you should thaw ham bones before using them in recipes, 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 container holding 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.

    What To Serve With Ham

    Ham is a quintessential comfort food, but what do you serve alongside this savory star? Read on for 19 perfect ideas about what to serve with ham.

    What To Serve With Soup

    Soup is an easy, comforting meal to prepare for dinner any time of the year. But what do you serve alongside it? Click over for 33 delicious ideas about what to serve with soup. Here are a few other great ideas:

    • Roasted Veggies
    • Hash Brown Casserole
    • Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower
    • Slow Cooker Vegetables
    Close up top view of a loaded bowl of ham and vegetable soup with potatoes.

    What To Do With Ham Bones

    • 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.

    Best Ham Recipes

    • Pressure Cooker Ham
    • Best Slow Cooker Ham
    • What to Serve With Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

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    Ham Bone Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe

    Transform your holiday leftovers into a cozy, comforting meal with this Ham Bone Vegetable Soup Slow Cooker Recipe! Packed with potatoes, beans, and colorful vegetables, this hearty soup is easy to prepare, bursting with flavor, and the perfect way to repurpose your Easter or Christmas ham.
    5 from 3 votes
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    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours hours
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 252kcal
    Author: Megan Porta

    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
    • 30 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed
    • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
    • 6 cups water
    • 2 cubes chicken bouillon

    Instructions

    • Place all ingredients in a 6-quart crock pot. Cook on Low for 8 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

    • If you’d like to make this soup without a ham bone, replace it with up to 3 cups diced ham.
    • Add extra veggies and potatoes to the mixture for an extra hearty ham soup, such as celery, onions, sweet potatoes, canned beans, green beans or your favorite vegetables.
    • Minced garlic or garlic powder would be delicious additions to this dish.
    • For a thinner consistency and less chunky soup, use a potato masher to break down the potatoes and veggies once you have removed the ham hock from the crockpot.
    • Ham hocks and ham shanks are not the same thing as ham bones, although both will work for this recipe. Not as much meat will come off the bone, but you’ll still get plenty of flavor. 
    • If you are unable to find a ham bone at the store, you’ll likely be able to find a hock or a shank at your local butcher or grocery store.
    • Add a couple bay leaves to the pot for an added touch of flavor. Just remember to pull it out before serving!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 985mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6570IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg
    Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deborah McNary

      December 30, 2024 at 11:22 am

      Can this soup be pressure canned?

      Reply
    2. Rich

      September 21, 2023 at 12:24 pm

      How many pounds is good for the ham bone? I buy mine fresh from Honeybaked Ham and then can be from 3-7lbs.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        September 25, 2023 at 6:25 pm

        Whatever you have will work. No magic size! You have more flavor, you might want to make a bigger amount and freeze some for later though. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Michelle

      April 22, 2022 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this soup twice, and it is seriously delicious!!!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        April 22, 2022 at 8:52 pm

        Agreed! So glad you tried it and loved it! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    4. Miriam

      December 19, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      How can I make in on the stovetop, or in the oven?

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        December 22, 2020 at 11:23 pm

        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.

        Reply
    5. Heather

      April 16, 2020 at 8:16 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        April 18, 2020 at 3:17 am

        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!

        Reply
    6. Tonya

      January 02, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        January 03, 2019 at 2:44 pm

        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!

        Reply
    7. Melisa

      December 27, 2018 at 6:28 pm

      Can you used canned pintos instead of kidney beans?

      Reply
    8. Christy

      April 07, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      Can this be done in the pressure cooker???

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        April 07, 2018 at 9:02 pm

        Hi Christy, I imagine that it can! I haven’t bought one yet though so I don’t have any recommended recipes.

        Reply
    9. JILL

      April 18, 2017 at 10:11 pm

      Just put this soap together using the ham bone from Easter dinner. Easy and smells delicious!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        April 24, 2017 at 9:22 pm

        I hope it turned out great, Jill! We LOVE this soup!
        Megan

        Reply
    10. Shelly

      January 02, 2017 at 2:31 am

      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!

      Reply
    11. Julie

      January 12, 2016 at 10:54 pm

      Yum! I love a ham soup and this one looks packed full of veggies just the way I like it!

      Reply
    12. Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven

      January 08, 2016 at 12:49 pm

      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!

      Reply
    13. Ala

      January 08, 2016 at 7:08 am

      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!!

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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