Crockpot Navy Bean Soup
Looking to add some delicious and hearty soups to your meal prep for the cooler months of the year? I know I absolutely love a good soup on those fall and winter days when the cravings for warm comfort food are too hard to resist!
The great thing about this Crockpot Navy Bean Soup is that it’s a filling meal for the whole family that’s not only incredibly easy to prepare in the crockpot but it also uses healthy ingredients. In other words, it’s a guilt-free meal that is sure to be enjoyed by everyone.
Even better is the fact that you can either meal prep ahead of time or make and serve that same day, only requiring 10 minutes of your time while the crockpot does the rest. So get on with your busy day or lay back and relax while this delicious and wholesome soup cooks away in your crockpot!
TIPS FOR MAKING CROCKPOT NAVY BEAN SOUP
- You could use ham hocks (pork knuckles) in place of the ham shank, though there is usually more meat on ham shanks for the soup.
- Soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and 3-6 months in the freezer if stored correctly.
- The canned beans will already have a high sodium content which is why this soup doesn’t require much (if any) seasoning. If you do add salt, use it sparingly and add to taste.
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Crockpot Navy Bean Soup
- Place onions across the bottom of the crockpot.Pour entire contents of white beans, including the liquid, over the onions.
- Layer remaining vegetables, garlic, and herbs over the beans.
- Place ham shank on top.
- Pour water into the crockpot and cover with lid. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. When the ham shank begins to pull apart and the bones slip out easily, the soup is done.
- Remove ham shank from the soup; allow to cool just so that it can be handled. Remove bones and trim away excess fat and skin from the meat.
- Chop the meat into bite sized pieces and return meat to the slow cooker.
- Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprigs.
- If you’d like to thicken the soup a bit, mash some of the beans a bit with a potato masher and stir.
WHY IS THIS SOUP CALLED NAVY BEAN SOUP?
- This crockpot cooker style soup is not just delicious comfort food to be enjoyed on chilly winter days. It actually gets its name from “Navy Beans” used by the U.S Navy in the 19th and 20th centuries as a great source of nutrition during their long sea voyages.
- With a high nutritional value, low cost and long storage life, this soup was an ideal meal for the sailors during that time and has now become a well-known dish in most American households today!
CAN I FREEZE THIS NAVY BEAN SOUP?
- Yes, you can. I love soup because it freezes so well – usually for 3-6 months. Once made, let it cool down to room temperature and then divide it into individual airtight plastic bags to store in the freezer.
- To reheat, simply place it in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it on your stove to serve for the following day’s dinner.
CAN I USE DRY BEANS INSTEAD OF CANNED BEANS?
- This Crockpot recipe doesn’t call for soaking beans prior to cooking with them as I use canned beans. If you wanted to use dry beans instead of canned beans then you should:
- Wash and rinse your beans well;
- Quick-soak your beans by placing them in a pot with sufficient water to cover the beans with an inch of water above. Then bring it to a boil for several minutes, followed by soaking for 1 hour.
- Drain the water once the soaking is done and then add your beans to your Crockpot where you’ll start to add your other ingredients to make the soup.
- Dry beans that haven’t been well soaked can give rise to digestive sensitivities so best to do so if you opt to use them.
CAN I USE DIFFERENT CANNED BEANS?
- Yes, you could try canned cannellini beans, pinto beans, or red kidney beans.
Other Delicious Crockpot Meals To Try
- Creamy Crockpot Spaghetti
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Crockpot Whole Chicken with Stuffing
- Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Crockpot Navy Bean Soup
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup yellow onions diced
- 30 oz. cans of white beans undrained - I used 2 -15oz cans
- 1 ham shank
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Place onions across the bottom of the crockpot.
- Pour entire contents of white beans, including the liquid, over the onions.
- Layer remaining vegetables, garlic, and herbs over the beans and place ham shank on top.
- Pour water into the crockpot and cover with lid.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. When the ham shank begins to pull apart and the bones slip out easily, the soup is done.
- Remove ham shank from the soup; allow to cool just so that it can be handled. Remove bones and trim away excess fat and skin from the meat. Chop the meat into bite sized pieces and return meat to the slow cooker.
- Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. If you’d like to thicken the soup a bit, mash some of the beans a bit with a potato masher and stir.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Is this 1 Can of beans or 2? it shows 2 and says cans in the directions but the ingredients only say 1 can. Thanks.
Hi Karen!
It is 30 oz of beans. So you could do 2 15oz cans or the large 30oz. I will make a note of that in the recipe card to clarify.
Thank you!
Question: If we are using the crock pot, why don’t we use dried beans? Wouldn’t they cook in 5 or 6 hours? Just curious.
OMG – just delicious! I had to tweak a few ingredients. Couldn’t get a ham shank/hock so I used a large smoked pork chop and some garlic sausage. So good & easy in the slow cooker. Even better the next day! Thank you. 😋
So happy you loved it Gayle!
No flavor. I added additional spices or it would’ve tasted like water and vegetables
Sorry there wasn’t enough spices for your liking.