15-Bean Soup Smoky Ham (Printable)

Slow-cooked 15-bean soup rich with smoky ham and seasoned vegetables for a hearty dish.

# What you'll need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 (20 oz) bag 15-bean soup mix, rinsed and sorted

→ Meats

02 - 1 leftover ham bone with some meat attached

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 cups water

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - Salt to taste

# Method:

01 - Rinse and sort the 15-bean soup mix, discarding any debris or broken beans.
02 - Place the cleaned beans in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Position the ham bone on top of the beans.
03 - Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, canned diced tomatoes with their juice, and minced garlic to the slow cooker.
04 - Pour the chicken broth and water over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
05 - Sprinkle smoked paprika, dried thyme, and ground black pepper over the mixture. Add the bay leaf.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours, or until the beans are completely tender.
07 - Remove the ham bone from the soup. Allow it to cool slightly, then shred any remaining meat and return the shredded meat to the soup. Discard the bone and bay leaf.
08 - Stir the soup thoroughly, taste, and add salt as needed. Avoid adding salt during cooking to prevent tough beans.
09 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve immediately. Optional garnish with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Eight hours of hands-off cooking means you set it in the morning and come home to a pot of liquid gold.
  • The smoky ham bone creates a depth of flavor that feels impossibly rich for something so simple to make.
  • A single pot feeds a crowd and actually tastes better the next day, making it perfect for batch cooking.
02 -
  • Never salt your beans before they're done cooking; salt can toughen the skins and leave you with crunchy beans after eight hours of cooking.
  • If your ham bone has almost no meat on it, the soup will still be delicious, but save your last honey ham bone from a holiday dinner because that's when it's most flavorful.
03 -
  • If you don't have a 15-bean mix, build your own blend of whatever dried beans you have on hand—pintos, blacks, kidneys, and chickpeas all work beautifully together.
  • The ham bone needs at least a little meat on it; if you're starting with a completely bare bone, consider adding a ham hock or a few slices of bacon for that smoky anchor.
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