Dry beans and a wide variety of vegetables are simmered together in this slow cooker version of great northern beans. This is a very adaptable recipe, and you can easily switch up the vegetables that are used for seasoning. You could also add some ham or bacon to the beans if you like.
The beans shown were cooked in a slow cooker without any prior soaking or cooking, and the end result was that they were perfectly cooked. If you consistently have trouble getting beans to soften, you should go ahead and soak them overnight. You could also follow the instructions on the bean package and perform a quick soak followed by a brief simmer before adding the beans to the slow cooker. Salt should be added toward the end of the cooking process and only after the beans have reached the desired tenderness, despite the common belief that salt has no effect on the tenderness of beans.
These great northern beans are perfectly seasoned thanks to the herb and vegetable mixture that is included in the recipe, and the slow cooker makes the process very simple.
Ingredients:
1 package of dried northern beans weighing 16 ounces
3–4 meaty ham hock shanks or meaty ham bones, each weighing approximately 1 1/2 pounds
1 – half an onion, chopped; water sufficient to cover the beans; salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup of sugar with a lighter brown color
How to Make It:
After removing any stones or debris from the beans with a spoon, the first step in preparing this mouthwatering dish is to wash the beans in ice water.
The second step is to put into the crock pot the rinsed beans, onion, salt, and pepper, along with the ham shanks, hocks, or ham that has been chopped into large chunks. After all of that, make sure to add enough water so that it completely covers the beans by two inches. (somewhere between 6 and 8 cups)
Step 3 : Cover the pot and cook over low heat for the first two hours. After that, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for another four to five hours, or until the beans are tender. The next step is to remove the ham hocks or shanks and pull all of the meat off of them.
Step 4 : The very last step The next step in the process requires you to put the meat back into the slow cooker and then add the brown sugar. Before adding the brown sugar, I take about a cup of the juice out of the mixture first. It is dependent on whether you want the beans to be thick or thin. Next, and just to lightly combine and mix everything, Pour into bowls, then serve and enjoy the soup!
Ingredients
- 1 package of dried northern beans weighing 16 ounces
- 3–4 meaty ham hock shanks or meaty ham bones, each weighing approximately 1 1/2 pounds
- 1 - half an onion, chopped; water sufficient to cover the beans; salt & pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup of sugar with a lighter brown color
Instructions
How to Make It:
After removing any stones or debris from the beans with a spoon, the first step in preparing this mouthwatering dish is to wash the beans in ice water.
The second step is to put into the crock pot the rinsed beans, onion, salt, and pepper, along with the ham shanks, hocks, or ham that has been chopped into large chunks. After all of that, make sure to add enough water so that it completely covers the beans by two inches. (somewhere between 6 and 8 cups)
Step 3 : Cover the pot and cook over low heat for the first two hours. After that, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for another four to five hours, or until the beans are tender. The next step is to remove the ham hocks or shanks and pull all of the meat off of them.
Step 4 : The very last step The next step in the process requires you to put the meat back into the slow cooker and then add the brown sugar. Before adding the brown sugar, I take about a cup of the juice out of the mixture first. It is dependent on whether you want the beans to be thick or thin. Next, and just to lightly combine and mix everything, Pour into bowls, then serve and enjoy the soup!