Ham Hock 15 Bean Soup

This hearty Ham Hock 15 Bean Soup combines a smoked ham hock, mixed beans, carrots, celery, and herbs in a rich, savory broth. After soaking and boiling the beans, the slow cooker takes over. Serve it with crusty bread for a cozy fall dinner, then save a few portions for another day.

I first made this soup years ago after finding a bag of mixed beans at the grocery store - the kind with fifteen different colors, shapes, and textures. It felt like a little science experiment in flavor.

That combination of smoky ham, tender beans, and vegetables is what keeps me coming back to this recipe. It's a simple meal to plan for a day at home, with enough to enjoy again for lunch.

Why This Soup Works

The smoked ham hock flavors the broth as it cooks, while some of the smaller beans soften and help thicken the soup. Carrots add sweetness, and celery, onion, garlic, and dried herbs round out the savory base.

The ham hock is mainly there for flavor. If you like a meatier bowl, add the optional diced cooked ham near the end. A ham steak or leftover cooked ham works well for this.

Quick Tips & Variations

• Season gradually. Smoked ham and bouillon both add salt. Start with the smaller amount of bouillon, then taste before adding more or salting the finished soup.
• Add tomatoes after the beans soften. Acidic ingredients can delay softening. Stir in the diced tomatoes once the beans are tender, then continue cooking until everything is hot.
• Adjust the thickness. Mash a spoonful of fully cooked beans and stir them back in for a thicker soup. Add a little hot water for a brothier bowl.
• Add some heat or greens. Try a pinch of red-pepper flakes, or stir in a handful of spinach near the end and let it wilt.

Read Next: Instant Pot Pork & Bean Soup - another hearty bean soup for your dinner rotation.

Choosing a Ham Hock

Choose a smoked ham hock for this recipe. It contributes smoky flavor and richness as it slowly cooks with the beans. Look near the smoked meats, or ask at the meat counter.

Once the meat is tender, lift the hock out of the soup and pull off any usable meat. Discard the bone, skin, and tough pieces, then return the meat to the pot. Remove the bay leaves before serving, too.

Choosing and Preparing the Beans

Use 1 pound of dried 15-bean mix. Check the bag's weight rather than assuming every package contains a pound. This recipe uses its own bouillon and herbs, so set aside any seasoning packet included with the beans.

Soak and boil before slow cooking. Mixed-bean blends often contain kidney beans. Sort and rinse the beans, soak them in plenty of water overnight in the refrigerator, then drain. Cover with fresh water and boil vigorously on the stove for at least 30 minutes before draining and adding them to the slow cooker. Soaking alone is not enough.

The FDA's guidance on kidney beans recommends soaking for at least 5 hours and boiling in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. A slow cooker should not be used for that initial cooking step.

How to Make Ham Hock 15 Bean Soup

1. Prepare the beans. Follow the soaking and stovetop-boiling directions above before starting the slow cooker.
2. Build the soup. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic, smoked ham hock, and prepared beans to the slow cooker. Add the dried herbs, bay leaves, bouillon, and water. Hold the tomatoes until later.
3. Cook until tender. Cover and cook on HIGH until the beans are creamy inside and the ham hock meat pulls away easily. Cooking time varies with the bean mix and slow cooker; use tenderness as your guide.
4. Finish the soup. Remove the hock, discard the bone and tough pieces, and return the meat to the soup. Stir in the tomatoes and optional diced cooked ham. Continue cooking until hot throughout, then remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning.

Waiting to add the tomatoes helps the beans soften first. Hurst's bean-cooking tips also recommend adding acidic ingredients after the beans are tender.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating

Divide leftover soup into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Keep it at 40°F (4°C) or colder and use within 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze individual portions for up to 3 months for best quality, following FoodSafety.gov's soup-storage guidance.

Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until the soup reaches 165°F (74°C) throughout. The beans absorb broth as they sit, so stir in a splash of water if needed.

More Soup Recipes

If smoky ham and tender beans are your kind of comfort food, try my Chunky Split Pea Soup with Ham, too. For a pressure-cooker option, my Instant Pot Pork & Bean Soup is another cozy dinner.