Slow Cooker Ham and 15 Bean Soup

This Ham and 15 Bean Soup is super easy to make in your Slow Cooker. A great way to use your leftover Ham Bone.

Ever wonder what you can do with your leftover ham bone? How about a Ham and 15 Bean Soup in your Slow Cooker?

My mother-in-law was the first to share her recipe with me many years ago. I have since taken some liberties to make it my own. The beauty of this recipe is it can be easily changed to suit your tastes.

I prefer to use Chicken Broth when making this recipe but you can easily substitute for Beef Broth, Vegetable Broth or just plain water. You can also add other vegetables like carrots and/or celery.

An alternative to using chicken broth is Better Than Bouillon. I often use it when I don't have broth on-hand.

We prefer a little kick in most of our dishes but feel free to omit the crushed red peppers if you don't like your soup to have a little heat!

Depending on the brand of 15 bean soup you use, it may contain a small packet a seasoning. Its use is totally optional.

🍲 15 Bean Soup

If you are not familiar with 15 Bean Soup, it may contain the following variety of beans: Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Yelloweye Bean, Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split Pea, Kidney, Cranberry Bean, Small White, Pink Bean, Small Red, Yellow Split Pea, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney and Black Beans.

🍖 Frozen Ham Bone

If you put your ham bone in the freezer like I often do, I would suggest heating it up in the microwave for a few minutes before adding it to the slow cooker.

💭 Slow Cooker Tip

Try to resist as much as possible the temptation to open the lid while it's cooking as the slow cooker loses heat. By just opening the lid to stir the contents can make the internal temperature drop by 10°F to 15°F.

If you've ever wondered what part of the pig Ham comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?

If you enjoyed making this delicious soup or prefer a different kind of soup, make sure you check out my awesome collection of Soup & Chowder Recipes.

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Ham and 15 Bean Soup recipe in your Slow Cooker (see recipe card for quantities): 15 Bean Soup, Chicken Broth, Yellow Onion, Garlic Cloves, Juice from 1 Lemon, Ham Bone and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.

🥣 How to make Ham and 15 Bean Soup

In a colander, rinse beans thoroughly. Discard any unwanted debris.
Add the beans to the slow cooker with the chicken broth, onions, garlic, and hambone.
Stir to combine. Set the slow cooker on high and cook for 6 hours. Check to see if the beans are tender.
After the beans are tender, remove the hambone (leave any ham in the pot), stir in the lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes.
Cook for an additional 30 minutes then keep warm until ready to serve.

📖 Recipe