Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Bean Soup takes just minutes to prepare and cooks effortlessly in your slow cooker all day long!

Ingredients

• 1 bag 15 Bean Soup (Ham Beans)
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth (can substitute water, beef or vegetable broth)
• 1 leftover ham bone with meat (or ham hocks, diced ham or 1 pound cooked sausage)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Optional: Hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse beans and drain.
2. Sort any unwanted debris and set seasoning packet aside.
3. Place beans (set the flavor packet aside for later use), onions, ham bone, broth/water, garlic and chili powder in a 6-quart slow cooker.
4. Cook on HIGH for 5 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours) or until beans are tender.
5. Once tender, remove the ham bone (if used), chop any meat left on the bone and add it back to the pot.
6. Stir in diced tomatoes, ham flavor packet and lemon juice. Add hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste, if desired.
7. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Notes

15 Bean Soup can be found in the dry bean section of most grocery stores.

Be sure to wait until beans are fully cooked and tender before adding tomatoes or lemon juice.

Can substitute water or other broths instead of chicken.

Any kind of sausage, beef or chicken works great as well.

Lifting the slow cooker lid can add significant time to cooking.