Slow-Cooker White Bean and Ham Hock Soup

 

Hearty and warming, this comforting soup is great for an easy supper, and leftovers keep great for lunches later in the week. And, if you’re lucky enough to have ham left over from Christmas dinner, you can omit the ham hocks from this recipe and stir in some diced ham in the last 20 minutes of cooking. If you have the bone from a bone-in ham, even better. Add it to the slow cooker to cook with the beans and broth.

 

Slow-Cooker White Bean and Ham Hock Soup

 

Ingredients

 

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 lb. (1 kg) smoked ham hocks
• 3 cans (each 15 oz./470 g) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) chicken broth
• 1 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

 

1. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly tender, 5 to 7 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if they begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker and add the ham hocks, beans and broth.

 

2. Cover and cook on high heat until the ham is cooked through and the beans are just beginning to break down, about 4 hours.

 

3. Transfer the ham hocks to a cutting board. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the meat, discarding the fat, skin and bones, and chop the meat into bite-size pieces. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir into the beans. Cover and cook on high until the beans are creamy but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes.

 

4. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the parsley and a few grindings of pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

 

 

 

Discover new ways to plan easy meals with the magic of the slow cooker in our Slow Cooker Cookbook.