Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Soup with Ham
Craving a warm, satisfying meal that’s easy to prepare? Look no further than this hearty and flavorful slow cooker cannellini bean soup with ham. Packed with the rich flavors of dried cannellini beans, leftover roasted ham, aromatic herbs, and spices, this recipe is the perfect comfort food for any occasion. There is no need for pre-cooking vegetables or soaking beans. Toss the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do its magic.
This simple yet delicious soup is perfect for a chilly day or a cozy night. Combining cannellini beans, ham, and herbs creates a truly comforting and satisfying dish that your family will love.
The Comforting Power of Bean Soup: A Healthy and Easy Slow Cooker Meal
Bean soup is a classic comfort food that has been enjoyed for centuries. Its hearty, satisfying flavor and thick, creamy texture make it the perfect meal for a chilly day. But beyond its delicious taste, bean soup also offers a variety of health benefits.
Health Benefits of Bean Soup:
- Rich in fiber: Beans are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels, improve digestion, and promote weight management.
- Packed with protein: Beans are a plant-based protein powerhouse, providing a filling and satisfying meal without the added saturated fat found in animal protein.
- Loaded with nutrients: Beans are also a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins.
- Low in calories and fat: Bean soup is a relatively low-calorie and low-fat meal, making it a healthy choice for those watching their weight.
Why Make Bean Soup in a Slow Cooker?
- Easy to prepare: Slow cookers are a great way to make a hands-off meal. Simply toss the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it cook for several hours.
- Flavorful: Slow cooking allows the flavors of the ingredients to meld together, creating a rich and satisfying soup.
- Tender beans: Slow cooking also ensures that the beans are tender and perfectly cooked.
Whether you’re looking for a healthy, satisfying meal or a comforting dish to warm you up on a cold day, bean soup is a great option. And with the convenience of a slow cooker, it’s easier than ever to make this classic recipe at home.
Cannellini Beans: A Versatile Ingredient for Delicious Dishes
Cannellini beans are a type of white bean known for their creamy texture and mild flavor. They are commonly used in Italian cuisine and can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes, from soups and stews to pasta salads and purees.
Dried vs. Canned Cannellini Beans:
Cannellini beans are available both dried and canned. While canned beans are convenient and ready to use, dried beans are generally considered to be healthier as they have a lower sodium content and are often less processed. However, dried beans require a longer cooking time than canned beans.
Why Choose Cannellini Beans for Your Next Meal?
- Versatile: Cannellini beans can be used in a variety of dishes, making them a versatile ingredient to have on hand.
- Creamy texture: Their creamy texture makes them ideal for purees and soups.
- Mild flavor: Their mild flavor allows them to complement other ingredients without overpowering them.
- Healthy: Cannellini beans are a good source of fiber, protein, and essential nutrients.
Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy meal or a hearty and comforting dish, cannellini beans are a delicious and nutritious choice.
Leftover Ham: A Flavorful Addition to Your Soup
Leftover ham can be a great way to add extra flavor and protein to your soups and stews. Instead of discarding the ham bone after roasting your ham or pork shoulder, try using it as a base for a delicious and hearty soup.
The ham bone is packed with flavor and can help to infuse your soup with a rich and savory taste. Simply simmer the ham bone along with your other ingredients in a slow cooker, and let the flavors meld together.
This type of soup is perfect for using up leftover ham and is a great way to enjoy the flavors of a holiday meal all year round.
The ingredients for this comforting soup
Main Ingredients:
- Cannellini beans: These are a type of white bean known for their creamy texture and mild flavor. They are a good source of fiber, protein, and essential nutrients.
- Ham: The recipe calls for leftover roasted ham, which can be diced or sliced and added to the soup. Ham adds a rich and savory flavor to the dish.
- Ham bone: The ham bone can also be added to the soup and simmered along with the other ingredients. This helps to infuse the soup with a deeper flavor.
Vegetables:
- Carrots: Carrots add a sweetness and crunch to the soup.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes add a tangy and slightly acidic flavor to the soup.
- Celery: Celery adds a crisp texture and a slightly bitter flavor to the soup.
- Garlic: Garlic adds a strong, pungent flavor to the soup.
Herbs and Spices:
- Bay leaves: Bay leaves add a subtle, earthy flavor to the soup.
- Rosemary: Rosemary adds a piney, slightly bitter flavor to the soup.
- Tarragon: Tarragon adds a slightly licorice-like flavor to the soup.
- Parsley: Parsley adds a fresh, herbaceous flavor to the soup.
- Noubess Hot and Spicy Original with Herbs blend: This is a proprietary spice blend that adds a touch of heat and flavor to the soup.
Liquid:
- Low-sodium chicken broth or stock: Chicken broth or stock provides the base for the soup and helps to simmer the ingredients together.
How to Make Cannellini Bean Soup: A Simple and Delicious Recipe
This cannellini bean soup is incredibly easy to make, requiring minimal prep time and effort. Here’s how to do it:
Instructions:
- Gather ingredients: Gather all ingredients and measure them out.
- Start with beans: Place the dried cannellini beans in the slow cooker.
- Add ham bone: Place the ham bone on top of the beans.
- Layer vegetables and herbs: Add the diced ham, carrots, tomatoes, celery, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, tarragon, parsley, and Noubess spice blend to the slow cooker.
- Pour broth: Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients.
- Cook: Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 hours.
That’s it! Your delicious and hearty cannellini bean soup is ready to enjoy. Serve hot and savor the comforting flavors of this easy-to-make dish.
Tips and Notes for Cannellini Bean Soup
Make-Ahead Tip:
- No need to soak beans: While soaking beans overnight can help them cook faster, it’s not necessary. If you choose to soak them, do so for at least 8-12 hours.
Ingredient Variations:
- Other bean options: Feel free to experiment with different types of beans, such as regular white beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, kidney red beans, black beans, navy beans, etc.
- Canned beans: For convenience, you can use canned beans. However, keep in mind that the cooking time will be shorter.
- Fresh tomatoes: Using fresh tomatoes will add a richer flavor to your soup compared to canned tomatoes.
- Leafy greens: Add a boost of nutrients and freshness by stirring in leafy greens like spinach or kale towards the end of cooking.
- Additional vegetables: Feel free to add other vegetables to your soup, such as cabbage or frozen peas.
Slow Cooker Tips:
- No need to precook: You can add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker raw and let them cook together.
- Use leftover ham: If you have leftover ham bone, ham hocks, or ham shank from a holiday meal, they can add a rich flavor to your soup.
Enjoy your delicious and hearty cannellini bean soup! These tips will help you customize the recipe to your preferences and make the most of your slow cooker.
How to Serve Cannellini Bean Soup
There are several delicious ways to serve cannellini bean soup:
- Classic: Serve the soup as is, hot and hearty.
- Hearty: Serve the soup with a side of white rice for a more filling meal.
- Creamy: For a smoother and silkier texture, puree half of the cooked beans in a blender. Then, stir the pureed beans back into the soup and serve.
- With bread: Serve the soup alongside toasted or plain bread for dipping.
Enjoy your cannellini bean soup! These serving suggestions will help you customize the dish to your preferences and create a satisfying meal.
Looking for more soup recipes? try these!
- Creamy Chickpeas, Kale and Andouille Sausage Soup
- Calabaza Squash Soup with Beef and Veggies
- Green Peas Puree, simple and delicious
Here’s the recipe:
Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Soup with Ham
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Cannalleni Great Northern or navy beans
- 1 large smoked ham bone ham hock, or ham shank
- 1 to 2 cups diced ham or a few ham slices leftover roasted holiday ham
- 1 ½ cup diced carrots
- 2 Tomatoes (medium to large) roughly chopped
- 2 medium stalk celery sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 fresh tarragon sprig
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tbsp Noubess Hot and Spicy Original with Herbs blend
- 7 – 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
Instructions
- Sort through the beans and remove any debris or stones. Give them a quick rinse and then add them to the slow cooker.
- Nestle the ham bone/hock/shank and slices or diced ham in the center of the beans
- Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and slice the carrots and add to slow cooker
- Add diced fresh tomatoes, thyme, sage, tarragon, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and Noubess Hot and Spicy Original Sauce.
- Carefully pour chicken broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours until the beans are tender.
- Remove the ham bone, hock or shank. Pull any ham meat from the bone, shred, and set aside. Discard the bone and any fat or cartilage.
- Return shredded ham to the soup and stir and Serve
- If the mixture is too thin or clear, do this:
- Take at least 1 cup cooked beans with liquid and puree in a blender (make sure the beans and liquid have cooled down before adding to the blender.) You can also use an immersion blender to puree the beans.
- Add cooked beans from slow cooker to a large pot. Add bean puree and bring to boil.
- Add the shredded ham (from the bone) along with any additional diced ham into the soup. Allow the mixture to cook for a few more minutes.
- Remove from stovetop and serve!
Notes
tips and notes
- No need to soak the beans. But if you prefer, you can soak them in water overnight (at least 8-12 hours)
- Other types of beans: regular white beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, kidney red beans, black beans, navy beans, etc..,
- Canned beans: use only for convenience. Cooking time will be shorter
- No need to precook the vegetables. Add everything to the slow cooker and let the ingredients do their part.
- Use leftover holiday ham bone, ham hocks, or ham shank
- Add leafy vegetables such as spinach, or kale
- Add other types of vegetables such as cabbage, frozen peas,
- Us fresh tomatoes for a richer flavor
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Corn Allergy:
Always choose ingredients without corn or corn derivatives.
Originally published on December 14, 2019. Revised and published.
you left the tomatoes off of the ingredients list
Thank you for letting us know. The recipe has been updated.