Slow Cooker Ham and Navy Bean Soup

If you had ham for the holidays, this is a great leftover idea. It's easy and takes very little time. Watch the water level while this cooks because you may need to add more than 5 cups of water. Below is the original recipe from Allrecipes.com. I didn't have time to soak my beans overnight so I cooked this on low for 7 hours and added an extra cup of water. It turned out great. The ham fell off the bone so I didn't have to cut it up it was the perfect soup for a cold day.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. dry navy beans
• 5 c. water
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (3/4 pound) ham hock, a meaty ham bone, or several pieces of boneless ham
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• dash pepper

Preparations:

1. Soak beans for 12 hours and drain. Put beans in Dutch oven and cover with water; simmer for about 30 minutes. Place all ingredients in a 3 to 5-quart slow cooker. 
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours. Remove ham hock and discard skin, fat, and bone. Cut meat in small pieces and place in soup. Beans can be mashed if desired.