Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup

I have a kid who went through a weird phase, not weird in a bad way, just different. He wanted all of his foods to be white. White rice. Plain white noodles (with maybe a tiny bit of butter). White bread. No seeds. Vanilla ice cream. It went on for months. I just kinda  rode it out. I don’t really power trip on food at my house. Everyone is pretty much allowed to eat what they want (as long as the meals are healthy) and as much as they want. We don’t play the “clean your plate” game at my house. 

But one night, I put a bowl of Crockpot navy bean and ham soup in front of him. I didn’t say a single word. He just looked at it. Looked up at me. And said, “This is beige. Not white.” And he pushed the bowl away. I pushed it right back and front of him and said, “Beige totally counts. And if you at least try it, you can have vanilla ice cream for dessert.” So what happened? Two bowls. And just like that, the bonkers white-food-only phase went away.

Imagine this: Navy beans and ham simmering all day long. Smoky ham bone slowly infusing the savory broth with rich flavor. And the tender navy beans softening into creamy perfection. The aroma that fills your kitchen is smoky and hearty and will remind you of home-cooked meals your grandma or mom made.

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Why You’ll Love Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup

Any Crockpot beans recipe is so easy you almost feel guilty for not putting more effort into it. But no guilt allowed here. You’re serving your family a protein-rich, healthy meal that’s also super affordable. About 10 minutes to chop the veggies and the Crockpot does the rest of the work. 6 to 8 hours later, dinner’s on the table. It all cooks in one pot, so there’s practically zero cleanup.

It’s the texture that has people coming back for seconds when you cook Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup. The beans break down and get soft after slow cooking for several hours. Just enough to thicken the broth on their own. You don’t need any sort of thickening agent here. The ham falls right off the bones. Tender shreds that are smoky and salty and absolutely divine.

Ingredients

• Navy beans, washed and any bad beans picked out
• Smoked ham bone
• Onion
• Celery
• Carrots
• Minced garlic
• Pepper
• Bay leaves
• Water

Ingredient Deep Dive

Navy Beans

Navy beans are super small. They cook down into a creamy, almost buttery texture that makes this soup different from other types of bean soup. Because they fall apart somewhat, the broth naturally gets thicker without you having to do anything to make it that way.

If you can’t find navy beans, go with Great Northern beans as a substitution. They’re a little bit bigger but they cook up much the same way. Lima beans are also a great option.

Smoked Ham Bone

The smoked ham bone is what gives you that robust smoky flavor as it cooks low and slow. The smoky-salty goodness seeps out of the bone and into the broth. Seasoning everything around it.

Try to find a bone that still has a lot of meat clinging to it. Because you’re going to shred that meat when it’s done cooking and stir it right back in. If you can’t find a ham bone, a smoked ham hock will give you the exact same results. Or a couple of cups of diced smoked ham if you have some left over from the holidays.

Onion

It’s tempting to skip the onions because a lot of people wonder exactly what they bring to bean soup. Because there’s already so much flavor. The onions melt down during the cooking process until you can barely see them. But if they’re not in there, you’re going to notice it. Onions have a sweetness that only develops after cooking. And when it’s cooked low and slow for hours, there’s an underneath layer with the smoky ham that rounds everything out.

I usually use a yellow onion. White onion is just as good. Dice it up small so it disappears into the broth.

Carrots

Carrots do two jobs in Crock-Pot Navy Bean and Ham soup. They add a subtle sweetness that contrasts and balances out the salty, smoky ham flavor. But they also give you a little bite that adds some texture to this soup. Not to mention the color.

Chop them up into small pieces so they completely cook through. If they’re too big, you risk having some crunchy carrot chunks in what should be a totally tender soup.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup

Step 1: Rinse your soaked beans under cold running water. Pick out any debris or unsightly beans.

Spread the beans out on a cutting board so you can see them all. If any of them are cracked or shriveled up, toss them in the trash. Keep an eye out for tiny little pebbles. You don’t want somebody to bite into a pebble when they’re eating and crack a tooth! And swallowing a pebble is also no fun. 

Step 2: Layer the beans and the chopped veggies in the bottom of your Crockpot.

Put the beans in first so they’ve got the most contact with the liquid. Then scatter your diced onions and chopped carrots on top of the beans.

Add the sliced celery at this point too. The veggies settle into the beans while everything’s cooking.

Be sure and keep the pieces fairly small and consistent in size so everything softens at the same rate.

Step 3: Add the water and your seasonings to the Crockpot. Then nestle the ham bone down into the center of all of this.

You need four to five cups of water to cook your beans.

I usually go about an inch and a half from the top of the Crockpot. Toss in your bay leaves and give one good stir.

Then press the ham bone down into the middle. Your kitchen will start to fill up with the smell of that smoky ham and garlic within about an hour.

Step 4: Turn the Crockpot to low and cover it with the lid. It’s going to cook for 6 to 8 hours. 

Now all you have to do is walk away and let the Crockpot do its thing. After about six hours, go check on it. The beans should be soft enough at this point to press between your fingers with no resistance. If the beans or veggies still feel firm, put the lid back on and let it cook another hour.

Step 5: Pull the ham bone out carefully and place it on your cutting board. Use a fork to shred all of the meat off of it. Add that decadent shredded ham back into the Crockpot.

Let the ham bone cool for just a few minutes before you start shredding it. You want the meat to pull apart easily into soft and tender pieces. Then drop all the shredded ham back into the pot and stir. Then let it sit with the lid off for about ten minutes.

THANKS FOR PINING!

Pro-Tips & Technique

The best thing you can do to make your Navy Bean and Ham soup turn out perfectly is to soak the beans overnight. Navy beans are small but they’re a hearty bean. If you don’t soak them, they take a lot longer to soften up. And sometimes they never fully get there. So put them in a pan or bowl and cover them with a few inches of water before you go to bed. By morning, they’ll be nice and plump. Ready to cook down in half the time. 

If you want a super creamy consistency, scoop out about a cup of the beans with some broth. Mash them up with a fork and stir them back in. That thickens it all up without changing any of the flavor.

Serving & Pairing

I love to serve any type of beans with cornbread. Specifically, homemade buttermilk cornbread. But any kind of hearty bread will be so perfect with this bean soup.

If you want something green, feel free to add a big bowl of green salad to the table and let people dig in as they want. For dessert you can’t go wrong with a piece of Dutch apple pie.

FAQs & Troubleshooting

Why is it called navy bean soup?

I actually had to Google this. Turns out the U.S. Navy served these beans on ships during long deployments because they were cheap and stored really well. Like all dried beans do.

Can I use canned beans instead of dried?

Absolutely you can. You’ll want to drain them and rinse them very well first to get rid of that canned taste. To do this, prepare everything exactly according to the directions. But don’t add the beans until the last two hours of your cooking time. That way, they won’t completely fall apart.

What if my beans didn’t soften all the way?

This usually happens if you don’t soak them overnight. But if the beans have been in storage for a long time, they can also take a lot longer to get soft. There’s nothing wrong with the beans. You just have to cook them a little longer. Add more water to the pot and keep cooking.

How do I store leftovers?

Let them get to room temperature and put them in a sealed container in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to four days. And you can freeze leftover navy bean with ham soup also. It’ll keep for four months in the freezer. Set the container in the fridge and let it thaw overnight before you reheat it.

How do I reheat Navy Beans and Ham Soup? 

The best way is to put your beans in a saucepan and heat them up on the stovetop but the microwave works just as well. As the bean soup sits in the fridge, it’s going to get a little thicker, so add a splash of broth to warm it up.

Other Delicious Crockpot Meals To Try

Crockpot Pepper Steak – It has quickly become one of my go-to steak recipes because it is so amazing!

Crockpot Lasagna – A delicious slow cooker meal with the best sauce ever.

Garlic Roasted Chicken in a Crockpot – It will fill your table with unique flavor and textures.