This Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Ham and Kale is a nutrient-packed, easy, hearty, cheap, and delicious recipe! It's a great way to use up leftover ham or a ham bone, with a vegetarian option too.
Before making this soup, soak the beans. Put beans in a container and cover with double the amount of water, as well as 1 tablespoon of salt, and allow to soak in the refrigerator overnight.
Discard any seasoning pack that comes with the soup mix.
When you are ready to cook, drain and rinse the beans very well.
Add all ingredients, including a pinch of salt and some pepper, except parsley to your slow cooker.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours.
Stir in the parsley, along seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Notes
Don't like kale? Substitute with spinach or another leafy green. If you use baby spinach, I recommend adding it at the end when you add the parsley.
If the soup seems too thin, you can thicken it by either cooking it longer or using an immersion blender to blend just a little bit of the soup in the crockpot. Or, use a potato masher to mash up some of the beans directly in the soup.
To make this in your instant pot or pressure cooker, add all ingredients except parsley and cook on manual on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow to naturally release pressure for at least 10 minutes. Add parsley when it's done. If you like, you can use the sauté setting to sauté the veggies in 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter before adding the remaining ingredients.
To make this on the stovetop, add all ingredients except parsley to a large pot and cook on low covered for about 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Stir in the parsley.
You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Vegan or vegetarian? Omit the ham and make sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken. I recommend adding some smoked paprika for a smoky taste without using ham.
For a gluten-free version, please ensure that your bean soup mix doesn't contain barley and that you are using a GF ham.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.