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4.95 from 34 ratings

Mixed Bean and Ham Hock Soup

This simple & delicious mixed bean and ham hock soup is the perfect meal for a cozy night in. Includes Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, & Dutch oven instructions!
Prep Time12 hours
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time15 hours
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 432
Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 20 ounce bag mixed dried beans
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 3 ribs of celery chopped
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 smoked ham hocks
  • salt and pepper to taste
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, soak the dried beans in cold water for at least 12 hours, removing any debris that floats to the top. I usually soak mine for 24 hours. (See Recipe Notes below for a quick soak method)
    20 ounce bag mixed dried beans
  • Heat a dutch oven (or large soup pot) over medium heat. Add in the olive oil, carrots, celery and onion with just a pinch of salt until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, cooking until fragrant for another minute. Add in the chicken stock and ham hocks. Strain the beans from the water and add to the soup. Do not add in any more salt since the beans absorb the salt and can get too salty. I recommend seasoning with salt at the end of cooking.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 medium carrots, 3 ribs of celery, 1 yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 8 cups chicken stock, 2 smoked ham hocks
  • If you are cooking on the stove, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 3 hours.
  • After the soup is done cooking, skim any fat from the top of the soup if desired. Remove the ham hocks, and shred any ham meat. Add the ham meat back to the soup, discard the skin, bone and any fat. Taste and season for salt and pepper.
    salt and pepper to taste
  • Serve warm immediately. Will keep an an airtight container for 1 week.
  • See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and ingredient substitutions.

Notes

Quick Soak for Beans: If you don't have time to soak your beans overnight, you can do a "quick soak" by cooking the beans in unsalted boiling water for 5 minutes, then covering, turning off the heat, and allowing to sit for 1-2 hours.
Slow Cooker:
  1. Add all the soaked beans and raw ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Bean Soup Instant Pot Recipe with SOAKED Beans

  1. Add all the soaked beans and raw ingredients to your instant pot/pressure cooker and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release.

Bean Soup Instant Pot Recipe with UNSOAKED Beans

  1. Add your unsoaked beans and 8 cups of chicken stock to the instant pot/pressure cooker and pressure cook on HIGH for 60 minutes, followed by a quick release.
  2. Open the lid, add all the remaining raw ingredients to the cooked beans and chicken stock, then pressure cook on HIGH for another 5 minutes, followed by a quick release.
Freezing: Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for at least 6 months.
Storage: Store bean and ham hock soup leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 432 | Total Carbs: 85g | Protein: 19.2g | Fat: 10.6g | Fiber: 42.3g | Net Carbs: 43g