I am of the belief that often the more simple food is the best. In the cold weather months, rustic recipes always tug at my food sensibilities like an irresistible child begging for me to come along on one of their meanders. I’m never disappointed. Hearty flavors, chunky textures and some healthy, whole ingredients always lead me where I want to go.
Soup is definitely a favorite at this time of year. I really could eat it for every meal. Over the winter holiday we had a ham for one meal. After enjoying the initial meal, nibbling on the ham itself, making it into several dishes, we were down to the bone and small pieces of meat that would not amount to anything on their own.
A favorite thing I’ve begun to do especially after Easter when we often have ham, is to make Ham Stock. If you’ve never made it you really must. It is a luscious broth that elevates any soup. However on this occasion I really wanted to make some ham and bean soup with the help of my slow cooker. Black Beans are another favorite which also partner beautifully with ham.
I made a simple soup with the ingredients for a from-scratch broth, black beans, the ham bone and favorite spices. The aroma as it simmered throughout the day was spicy and soul-warming. It’s not a heavy soup but dense with the vegetables, beans and ham. The flavors however are similar to a chili so it’s a great soup to layer on some toppings such as diced cilantro, sliced jalapenos, a dollop of sour cream, or grated cheese. It’s a healthy, satisfying soup.
Eat it ‘as is’…
With spicy, ‘skinny’ toppings….
Or, ‘the works’…..
Slow Cooker Black Bean & Ham Soup with Cumin
Ingredients
- ½ large Red Onion , chopped
- 2 stalks of Celery , diced
- 1 large Carrot , scrubbed and diced
- 1 large ham bone or 2 ham hocks
- 1 25- ounce can Black Beans (or 2 ½ cups homemade Black Beans), rinsed and drained
- 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock or Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground Coriander
- Garnish options: chopped fresh Cilantro , sliced jalapeno peppers, sliced red sweet pepper, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place the onion, celery and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the ham bone or ham hocks. Pour black beans over the ham bone, followed by the stock and spices. Cook on low for 8 hours. When ham meat is cooked, strip it from the bone and add it back into the soup (discard the bone).
Kelly @ Nosh and Nourish says
I could eat soup every day too!!! And this one looks delish. Love your skinny topping option vs. the works!! I would throw on a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Toni Dash says
Glad to find a kindred soup spirit Kelly! Great idea about the yogurt. I’m keeping my portions ‘skinny’ to recover from the holidays an that offers a perfect middle ground.
Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says
there is nothing more satisfying than a hearty, but simple chunky soup like this. It is what my soul begs me for during the winter and your photos have me so hungry right now.
Toni Dash says
I could not have said it better Amanda! Thanks for your nice compliment about the photos too!
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
Toni, this soup looks absolutely awesome!! I love a healthy, hearty soup that you can tailor a bit with some yummy toppings. Pinning!!
Toni Dash says
Kristy I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for sharing it too.
Valerie Hoff DeCarlo says
This looks great! Have you ever tried getting a Ham Bone from Honey Baked? They’re around $2.29 per pound and SUPER meaty. I made ten quarts of Split Pea soup with one last week!
Toni Dash says
Wow Valerie, what a great tip! I have not ever done that but now recall someone else mentioning that. Perfect solution if holiday ham leftovers aren’t available; thank you!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Love how full of flavor this soup is!
Toni Dash says
Me too Melanie AND that its really all natural flavors and some spices. So simple but so delish!
Shea Goldstein says
This looks amazing! I could eat black beans everyday 🙂
Steph says
Hi there! Wondering how you could change the recipe around to use dried beans?
Toni Dash says
My approach Steph would be a two step process. If you wanted to use the slow cooker exclusively, I’d cook the beans first (I found this instructional article on The Kitchn regarding cooking dried beans in a slow cooker you might enjoy) then add the volume of beans called for into the recipe as written. Or you could make beans from scratch traditionally on the stove and add them to the recipe instead of canned beans. The part that becomes tricky with an already established slow cooker recipe and using dried beans are the liquid levels to each cook the beans adequately and maintain the flavor balance of the recipe. Having never prepared the recipe with dried beans I would not be able to rework the recipe without doing it myself first. I did a quick internet search and noted slow cooker chili recipes using dried beans. Maybe you could experiment using one as a guide with some of the soup ingredients? Do let me know if you do it how it turns out and how you approached it!
Manda @ Domestic Soul says
I had a leftover ham bone from one of those spiral hams that Trader Joe’s come out with around the holidays and I was looking for something to do with it. Usually I just throw together a lentil soup, but I was hoping to try something different. I came across your recipe a few days ago and made it yesterday. I’ve been eating it all day today! It’s delicious and super easy to make. This is definitely a keeper. I’m going to have to score a few more ham bones to make a couple more batches 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
– Manda