Old Fashioned White Bean Soup with a Smoky Twist

👉Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) bag of dried Great Northern beans

3 to 4 meaty ham hocks or shanks (a leftover ham bone works too!)

1 small white onion, diced

Enough water to fully cover the beans (about 6 to 8 cups)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup light brown sugar

👉Directions:

✅️1. Sort & Rinse Beans:

First, go through the beans and remove any pebbles or broken ones. Rinse them well under cold water.

✅️2. Load the Crockpot:

Add the beans to your crockpot along with the diced onion, salt, pepper, and the ham hocks or ham bone (cut into big chunks if needed).

✅️3. Add Water:

Pour in enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.

✅️4. Cook:

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Then switch to low and cook for another 4–5 hours, until the beans are nice and tender.

✅️5. Take Out the Ham:

Remove the ham hocks or bone, pull off the meat, and discard the bones and any extra fat.

✅️6. Add Meat & Sugar:

Put the shredded ham back in the pot and stir in the brown sugar.

✅️7. Adjust if Needed:

If the soup is too watery, scoop out about 1 cup of liquid before adding the sugar. Stir everything together gently.

✅️8. Serve It Up:

Spoon the soup into bowls and enjoy warm. It’s perfect with cornbread or crusty bread on the side!