This delicious 15 Bean Slow Cooker Soup is easy to put together, packed with veggies, and slow cooks to perfection in as little as 6 hours for a great family meal!
20ounces15 Bean Soup mix, rinsed and soaked overnightI use Hurst's HamBeens Brand
5cupschicken brothor vegetable broth
14.5ouncesCanned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oreganoor use plain diced tomatoes
5.5ouncesV8 vegetable juicethis is the small can
2cupsfrozen chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery blendin the freezer section of the store
1cupchopped carrots
2teaspoonsjarred minced garlic
1teaspoonblack pepper
1teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoondried rosemary
1poundsmoked ham hocksor use a ham bone
salt (added after the soup has cooked!)see Step 4.
Instructions
Place all ingredients except for the ham hocks in your slow cooker. Give it a good stir to thoroughly blend. Then place the ham hocks on top.
Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
Remove the ham hocks and pick the meat off. Put the meat into the soup.
Taste test for flavor! This is the time to add salt, a little at a time, to get the taste to your preference. I usually add ½ teaspoon of salt at a time until it reaches my taste preference.
Notes
You can skip the thyme, rosemary, and pepper and use the seasoning packet that comes with the dried beans if you don't want to throw it out.
Prep your ingredients the night before you plan to cook the soup by soaking the beans and slicing the carrots.
This soup will thicken considerably the next day and will take on more of a "stew" consistency. It's quite good, but if you want it soupier, simply add some chicken broth.
Soaking the beans is optional but I always soak them to help prevent them from bursting open while being in the slower cooker for an extended amount of time.