Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup

A hearty slow-cooker soup with tender navy beans, fresh vegetables, smoky spices, and pork. Mashing some of the beans creates a naturally thick, satisfying broth while slow cooking develops a rich, savory flavor.

Prep Time30

Cook Time5

Soaking Time8

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked, ckrockpot navy bean soup, navy bean soup, Navy bean,, pork, slow cooker navy bean soup, Soup

Servings:

Calories: 288kcal

Author: Ridiculously Healthy Recipes

Equipment

1 Slow Cooker

Ingredients

Beans and Broth

1 pound soaked navy beans, soaked for 8-12 hours and drained
12 cups homemade no-salt-added vegetable broth, or unsalted/low-sodium vegetable broth

Vegetables

2 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
1 onion, chopped
8 roma tomatoes
1 tbsp minced garlic

Seasonings

1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/8 tsp for less heat

Pork

1 lb boneless pork shoulder or pork loin Other cuts of pork or chicken may be substituted.
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Soak the Beans

Add the soaked navy beans and vegetable broth to the slow cooker.
Remove the tops from the tomatoes and add them to the slow cooker.
Add the chopped onion, jalapeños, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Start the Soup

Add the soaked navy beans and vegetable broth to the slow cooker.
Remove the tops from the tomatoes and add them to the slow cooker.
Add the chopped onion, jalapeños, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Add Pork and Slow Cook

Place the pork steak on top of the beans and vegetables.
Cover and cook on HIGH for about 4 hours, allowing the beans, vegetables, spices, and pork to develop a rich, savory flavor.
As the tomatoes soften, use a potato masher to gently break them apart in the slow cooker.

Shred and Thicken

Remove the pork and break or shred it into bite-sized pieces. Return the pork to the slow cooker.
Use a potato masher to gently mash some of the navy beans, leaving most of the beans whole. This naturally thickens the soup while maintaining its texture.

Finish Cooking

Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for another 1–2 hours, or until the navy beans are completely tender and the soup has reached the desired consistency.
Taste and adjust salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes before serving.

Notes

Make it vegetarian: Omit the pork. The navy beans, vegetables, tomatoes, and smoked paprika provide plenty of flavor on their own.

Adjust the heat: Use 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a milder soup. For more heat, increase the red pepper flakes or leave some of the jalapeño membrane intact.

Adjust the consistency: Mash more beans for a thicker soup or leave more beans whole for a brothier consistency.

Broth: Homemade vegetable broth works particularly well in this recipe. If using packaged broth, consider a low-sodium variety so you can better control the final salt level.

Bean cooking time: Dried beans vary in age and may require additional cooking time. The soup is ready when the navy beans are completely tender.

Slow Cooker Tip: Cooking times can vary by slow cooker. For a general comparison of LOW and HIGH cooking times, see the Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart from ConvertKitchen.

Nutrition