Soup Beans

This Soup Beans recipe is just 4 ingredients and has so much flavor. It's easy to meal prep for a busy week right in the slow cooker. The ham hock adds a smoky flavor that makes these tender beans so decadent and rich.

Soup beans are one of our family's favorite meals, this recipe has been passed through my family for generations. It’s comforting, healthy, and so easy to make with 4 ingredients. It’s just that simple.

This truly is a hands-free recipe from start to finish. You soak the beans overnight, then add them to the slow cooker and let it do the work for you. It’s a foolproof recipe that’s guaranteed to work. Plus, it’s ideal to make ahead to let the flavors develop.

You can customize to your liking with additional vegetables and spices. For more easy slow cooker recipes try Slow Cooker Pork with Apples, Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti, and Crockpot Sloppy Joes.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• Easy 4 ingredient stew. It’s just that simple, with 4 ingredients you can have a homemade recipe that’s so comforting on the table for your family.
• Customize with veggies as desired. You can add whatever fresh veggies you want to these Soup Beans; carrots, celery, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, would all be delicious!
• Perfect for meal prep. We love to make a big batch of these soup beans and freeze half of them to eat at a later date. It makes busy weeks or weekends so much easier.
• Slow Cooker Dream. These Soup Beans are truly a hands-free recipe, you soak the beans overnight then let the slow cooker do all of the work for you. It doesn’t get much easier.

Ingredients

Recipe amounts and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

• Dried pinto beans: We use dried here and soak them overnight, you could use canned beans too as a shortcut, we just love the way dried beans thicken this soup so nicely.
• Ham hock: Adds the smoky flavor in each bite.
• Onion powder: Gives an onion sweetness throughout the stew.
• White beans: Adds another hint of tender beans. We use canned here since they are smashed and used as a thickener for the stew.

TOOLS YOU'LL NEED 

• 6 Quart or Larger Crockpot
• Can Opener

How to Make Soup Beans

1. Rinse and sort the beans for any pebbles. Add them to a large bowl and cover with 6 cups water. Sit in the refrigerator overnight to allow the beans to absorb the liquid and become tender. 

2. Next day, drain the beans in a colander. Add them to a Crockpot along with 8 cups of water, the ham hock, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until they're tender. 

3. Remove the ham hock and pull the meat away from the bone.

4. Roughly smash the white beans with a fork. Add them and the ham to the Crockpot, stir and allow it to cook 15 minutes on high heat. 

5. Ladle into bowls and serve with cornbread or hoecakes, sliced onions, kraut and wieners, fried potatoes, salmon patties and/or greens.

Pro Tips

• Be sure to soak your beans overnight. We always do this right before we go to bed. In the morning, you can prep them in the crockpot to cook over the day.
• Mashed canned beans acts as your thickener. No need to use flour to thicken this stew, just simply mash canned soft beans together and add to the stew at the end of cooking. It adds a nice creaminess and flavor.
• Swap the beans. You can change out the pinto beans if desired and use black, navy, or white.
• Add some veggies and herbs. Jazz this stew up as much as you desire, add fresh thyme or rosemary. Root veggies like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes are also so delicious in this soup.
• If you don’t want to soak the beans overnight, you can do a pre-soak. Simply boil them in water for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and let them cool in the water. After an hour of soaking, drain and rinse.

Make Soup Beans on the Stovetop

To make stovetop soup beans, follow the pre-soak instructions, then add all of the ingredients to a large stockpot on high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender.

Storage

Allow the soup beans to cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  Microwave or reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.

Freezing these stewed beans is also great. You can freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature on the counter or in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.

What to Serve with Soup Beans

Soup beans pair so nicely with many things to make them a full meal. Try serving with our Southern Cornbread Recipe, or Jalapeno Cheese Bread, or Pimento Cheese Cornbread.

FAQs

More Easy Soup Recipes

• Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup
• Easy Vegetable Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup