us.recipes
All recipes

Slow-Cooker Senate Bean Soup

A slow-cooker soup of navy beans, smoked ham hocks, butter and onion with carrots, smoked paprika and a russet potato that gets mashed at the end to thicken the broth.

Cook about 6 hrTotal 6 hr 15 min

From NYT Cooking by Sarah DiGregorio

soupbeansslow cookeramericandinner
Illustration of Slow-Cooker Senate Bean Soup
Illustration

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried navy beans or small white beans, rinsed
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 medium smoked ham hocks, about 1 1/2 lb total
  • 1 small red or yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
  • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 8 cups water

Steps

1Combine everything in the slow cooker

  1. Add 1 lb dried navy beans, rinsed, to a 6- to 8-quart slow-cooker.
  2. Add 5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped.
  3. Add 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced.
  4. Add 2 medium smoked ham hocks (about 1 1/2 lb total).
  5. Add 1 small red or yellow onion, finely chopped.
  6. Add 1 medium russet potato, peeled and quartered.
  7. Add 1 tbsp butter.
  8. Add 1 tbsp kosher salt.
  9. Add 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika.
  10. Add 1 tsp dried thyme.
  11. Top with 8 cups water.
  12. Add several generous grinds of black pepper.
  13. Cook until the beans are very tender and creamy, about 6 hours on high.

2Finish the soup

  1. Pull out the ham hocks and put them on a cutting board to cool a bit.
  2. Using a fork, mash the potato pieces against the side of the slow-cooker.
  3. Stir well to break down some of the beans, too.
  4. Stir in 1 tbsp cider vinegar.
  5. Pull the meat off the bones.
  6. Add the meat back into the soup.
  7. Discard the bones.
  8. Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.