Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup

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Slow cooker 15 bean soup is a flavorful, budget-friendly family meal. This helpful recipe includes both vegetarian and meat options, plus instructions for
Instant Pot 15 bean soup.

Bowl of 15 bean soup with carrots and spinach

Have you seen 15 Bean Soup at the grocery store but never picked it up because you weren't quite sure what to do with it?

Me too!

Turns out, there are lots of ways you can turn that bag of dried beans into delicious, flavorful soup! I love using the slow cooker for bean soup, especially when I'll be out of the house all day. But if you prefer a pressure cooker, I've got you covered too.

Reasons to Buy Dried Bean Blends

The most common blend of dried beans I see at the grocery store is Hurst's HamBeens 15 bean soup, but it's not the only blend. There are also 13 bean soup blends out there. Really, any dried bean soup mix will work with this recipe.

Dried beans blends, like 15 bean soup, are:

Very affordable
Provide a flavorful, protein-rich blend of beans
Sold in most grocery stores
Easy to make in your slow cooker or pressure cooker
Versatile - Make it vegetarian or with meat
Makes a big batch of soup (8+ servings)
Leftovers freeze well

What is 15 Bean Soup Mix?

Buying a bag of 15 Bean soup means you get a blend of dried beans with different flavors, textures and sizes.

The blend usually includes: Northern, navy, white kidney, pinto, large lima, baby lima, yellow eye, garbanzo, green split pea, yellow split pea, lentil, kidney, cranberry, small white, pink bean, small red, black.

This blend of beans makes delicious soup and is also really good in chili.

Add More Veggies

You can make a basic vegetarian version of this soup with just onion/celery/carrots + the bag of beans. However, you can also add extra veggies for more flavor.

In a slow cooker, I add most types of vegetables half way through the cooking time (potatoes) or at the very end of the cooking time (greens) - otherwise the veggies get over-cooked and mushy.

I wait to add tomatoes until the very end of the cooking time because acidic ingredients, like tomatoes, can prevent beans from softening.

If you'd like to add more veggies to the soup (other than onion/carrot/celery) here are some options:

Veggies to add at the beginning of the cooking time
Bell peppers, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Veggies to add halfway through the cooking time
2 to 4 golden potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large turnip or rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Veggies to add in the last hour of cooking
1 can petite-diced tomatoes
2 cups thinly shredded cabbage

Veggies to add when soup is completely cooked
2 cups frozen spinach or kale
A few handfuls fresh kale leaves, torn into small pieces
1 to 2 cups frozen corn

Add Meat

My favorite flavor combination is bean soup and smoked pork (like ham hocks). It's hard to resist! However, adding any sort of meat to this soup gives the soup richer flavor.

Ham hocks - Ham hocks are chunks of cured and smoked pork that include bone, collagen and a little bit of meat. Added at the beginning of the cooking process, a ham hock adds smoky, salty flavor and a little bit of meat to the soup. So good!

When the soup has finished cooking, remove the ham hock and use a fork or knife to shred the meat off the bone. You can then add the shredded ham back to the soup.

Ham hocks are usually sold pre-packaged in the butcher section of grocery stores. They often come in packs of two; use one for this soup and freeze the other ham hock for later. You can also use ham hocks to make Crockpot Split Pea Soup.

uncooked 15 bean soup with vegetables and ham hocks

Smoked sausage - Bite-sized chunks of cured, pre-cooked sausage (like kielbasa) add rich flavor this soup and taste delicious with beans. I add the sausage in the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking, otherwise I find that the sausage loses some of it's flavor when left in the slow cooker for too long.

Ham - Cut thick slices of ham into small pieces and add to the soup at the beginning or end of the cooking time.

Cooked Bacon - You can add cooked bacon to the soup for a subtle meaty flavor, or wait and crumble crispy bacon over your bowl of cooked soup.

Chicken thighs - Add 2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs at the beginning of the cooking time and then shred the chicken into the beans when the soup is done (chicken breast will overcook and become dry).

FAQ About Slow Cooker Bean Soup

Do I Have to Soak the Beans Before Cooking?

You don't have to, but I really recommend soaking the beans before making slow cooker 15 Bean Soup. Pre-soaking insures that all of the beans will cook evenly within a reasonable amount of time.

When I use my pressure cooker, I don't bother pre-soaking the beans. Pressure cookers do a great job of cooking un-soaked beans.

To soak the beans the night before (or at least 6 hours before), combine the bag of beans and 6 to 8 cups water in a large bowl, making sure the beans are covered by at least an inch or two of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher salt). Soak overnight (or at least 6 hours). Drain and rinse the beans before cooking.

Do I Have to Use the Whole Bag of Dried Beans?

Not necessarily. Cooking the whole bag at once makes a hearty, thick bean soup. However, you can follow this same recipe but add only ½ the bag of beans if you prefer.

Using less beans will make a soup with more broth. Or you can add more vegetables or more meat to the soup.

Can I Make This Recipe in a Pressure Cooker?

Absolutely! Instant Pot instructions are included in the recipe card below.

Should I Use the Spice Pack Included with the Beans?

It's your choice. Some brands of 15 bean soup come with a spice packet that you can add before the soup is cooked. You can also just add your own blend of spices. I usually add a few teaspoons of smoked paprika and coriander. You could also choose to add cumin, chili powder, oregano and/or garlic powder.

Do I need to saute the onion/carrot/celery before adding it?

Sauteing the veggies is optional. It might add more flavor, but the soup is still pretty darn good if you just throw everything into the slow cooker or pressure cooker at once.

More Soup and Chili Recipes to Love

Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

Use your slow cooker to turn 15 bean soup mix into a flavorful, budget-friendly family meal. See the notes below for Instant Pot instructions.

Read the blog post above for suggestions about:

More vegetarian options
How to add meat to the soup

For the best results, don't forget to soak the beans for at least 6 hours before making this soup in a slow cooker. Un-soaked beans might take longer to cook.

This recipe was originally posted in Dec 2020 and updated in Sept. 2021.

Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 6 to 8 hours
Total Time: 6 to 8 hours
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: slow cooker
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 bag (13 to 20 ounces) of dried 15 bean soup
8 to 10 cups water*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 sprigs of parsley or thyme
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coriander or cumin
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste after the soup is cooked
2 cups frozen spinach or kale (optional)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

*8 cups of water makes a thicker soup, 10 cups makes soup with more broth. You can use vegetable or chicken broth instead of water. Add less salt if using broth.

**Some dried bean blends come with a seasoning packet. You can use the seasoning packet or discard it and use the spices in this ingredient list.

Instructions

Soak the beans overnight (or at least 6 hours)

In a large bowl, cover the dried beans with approximately 6 to 8 cups water (cover by 2-inches). Add 1 tablespoon salt (or 2 tablespoons kosher salt). Soak overnight (or at least 6 hours). Drain and rinse the beans before cooking.

Make the Soup

In the slow cooker, combine beans, water, olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley or thyme, paprika, coriander and salt. *Read the blog post above for suggestions about adding more vegetables or meat to the soup
Cook on high for 5 to 8 hours. After 5 hours the beans will likely be cooked and tender but still have some firmness. Cooking the soup for 6 hours or longer makes the beans softer and creamier. If cooking the soup on low, it will probably take closer to 8 hours.
When the soup is done, add frozen spinach or kale. It will only take a few minutes to defrost in the soup.
Taste the soup and add more salt as needed. You will almost definitely need to add more. Don't be shy about adding salt!
Add a splash of vinegar to brighten up the flavor.
You can serve 15 bean soup with toppings such as hot sauce, sour cream or grated cheese.

Notes

I prefer to cook this soup on high because it ensures that the beans will become tender within 5 hours. You can cook this bean soup on low, but the cooking time becomes longer and more variable.

15 Bean Soup - Instant Pot

You don't need to pre-soak the beans to make pressure cooker bean soup. Simply combine the dried beans with the other ingredients listed above: 8 cups water, olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley or thyme, spices and salt. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, with a natural release. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, or you can wait until the float valve drops on its own.

If you have a 6-quart Instant Pot, don't add more than 8 cups water or the pot will be too full.

If you want to add meat, you can add a ham hock or smoked sausage before cooking the soup. Other types of meat will get overcooked.

Total Instant Pot cooking time = 20 minutes to reach pressure + 40 minutes cooking time + 20 minute natural release

Keywords: 15 bean soup, dried bean soup, slow cooker bean soup, ham hocks, 15 bean soup Instant Pot, Instant Pot 15 bean soup with ham

Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup

Reasons to Buy Dried Bean Blends

What is 15 Bean Soup Mix?

Add More Veggies

Add Meat

FAQ About Slow Cooker Bean Soup

More Soup and Chili Recipes to Love