Hearty Ham Hock Soup

Hearty Ham Hock Soup. This big pot of soup will warm you right up — and you barely have to do anything to make it!

On cold days, nothing feels better than a bowl of hot, filling soup. This ham hock soup is one of my all-time favorites because it’s packed with tender meat and lots of good vegetables, but it doesn’t take a lot of hard work to put together. The slow cooker handles the hard part — you just add a few things in, put the lid on, and go about your day. By the time you’re ready to eat, your whole kitchen smells amazing and dinner is already done. Grab some warm, crusty rolls to go with it, and you’ve got yourself a really cozy, satisfying meal! 🙂

A big, warm bowl of comfort! This soup is packed with veggies and tender ham, and the slow cooker does almost all the work for you. Perfect with a warm, crusty roll on the side. 🍞

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 pieces ham hocks
• 2 pieces onions, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock liquid
• 6 pieces potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 pieces large carrots, chopped
• 3 pieces celery sticks, chopped
• 1 cup fresh green beans, a good handful
• 1 large swede, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups water, enough to top up the soup

Hearty Ham Hock Soup: Steps

1. Start the soup base: Chop the 2 pieces onions, chopped into small pieces and put them into the slow cooker. Add the 3 pieces ham hocks and pour in the 4 cups chicken stock liquid. That’s all you need to get things started!
2. Cook the ham hocks: Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for about 3 to 180 minutes
   180:00
   . You’ll know it’s ready when the meat is so soft it’s falling right off the bones on its own.
3. Remove and shred the meat: Carefully lift the ham hocks out of the slow cooker — they’ll be hot! Use two forks to pull all the meat off the bones. The meat will shred apart really easily. Chop it up a little and put it back into the slow cooker. Throw the bones away.
4. Add the vegetables: Now chop up the 6 pieces potatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces, 2 pieces large carrots, chopped, 3 pieces celery sticks, chopped, 1 cup fresh green beans, a good handful, and 1 pieces large swede, chopped into bite-size pieces into pieces small enough to fit on a spoon. Add them all to the slow cooker with the meat.
5. Top up and finish cooking: Pour in some 2 cups water, enough to top up the soup until the soup looks full enough for you. Put the lid back on, switch it to LOW, and cook for at least 2 more hours — or longer if you like your veggies really soft. Taste it before serving and add a little salt if you think it needs it.
6. Serve and enjoy: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve straight away with warm crusty bread rolls on the side. Enjoy every cozy spoonful!

Notes

Helpful tips:

Ham hocks are quite salty on their own, so taste the soup before adding any extra salt.
You can swap the swede for turnip if that’s easier to find at your store.
This soup tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to mix together — great for leftovers!