15-Bean Soup with Ham (Printer-Friendly)

A comforting mix of tender beans, smoky ham, and vegetables slow-cooked for rich, savory flavor.

# 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 beans, discarding any debris or broken beans.
02 - Place the beans in the bottom of a large slow cooker (6 quarts or larger). Add the ham bone on top of the beans.
03 - Add diced onion, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes with juice, and minced garlic.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and water until ingredients are just covered.
05 - Sprinkle in smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper, and add the bay leaf. Do not add salt yet.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
07 - Remove the ham bone and let it cool slightly. Shred any remaining meat and return it to the soup. Discard the bone and bay leaf.
08 - Stir well, taste, and season with salt as needed. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Your kitchen will smell incredible for eight hours straight, like comfort itself is simmering on your counter.
  • This soup costs almost nothing to make but tastes like you spent all day fussing over it.
  • It's the kind of dish that gets better as it sits, so leftovers are genuinely more delicious than day one.
02 -
  • Never add salt to beans before they're fully cooked or they'll stay tough and bitter no matter what—this isn't folklore, it's pure chemistry.
  • The longer this soup sits, even overnight in the fridge, the better it gets as flavors mellow and meld together into something almost unrecognizable from day one.
03 -
  • If you don't have a ham bone, a ham hock or even smoked turkey leg works beautifully and might actually be easier to find year-round.
  • Taste the soup before serving and adjust seasoning boldly—people are often too timid with salt, and this soup can handle a generous hand.
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