Crockpot Ham and Cabbage

My Crockpot ham and cabbage uses leftover ham in a simple broth for a hearty go-to dinner. It’s as easy as dumping all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and then eating it when it’s ready!

My Easy Recipe for Slow Cooker Ham and Cabbage

Crockpot ham and cabbage has been one of my favorite dishes to make whenever the weather is cold for forever now.

I use leftover ham and my slow cooker to make my recipe insanely easy. I just dump everything into the crockpot in the morning before work and it cooks on low all day and is ready when I get home!

It’s hearty enough that it fills me up on its own with just some crusty bread or cornbread on the side. And, the cabbage and ham is all cooked in the crockpot, so there’s barely any clean up.

Since my daughter Leah is a huge fan of ham, I find us having leftovers to make this constantly. I’m not complaining though because it’s delicious!

For more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, I recommend my Dutch oven corned beef, air fryer corned beef, air fryer cabbage, Irish soda bread, and watergate salad!

Ham and Cabbage in the Crockpot Ingredients

• Russet potatoes  – These hold their shape well. I like to dice them so they soak up the broth and absorb all that flavor.
• Green cabbage – I love how cabbage becomes tender and slightly sweet when I cook it low and slow.
• Yellow onion – Onions add depth and a mild sweetness to the dish.
• Carrots – Sliced carrots balance the savory ham with a bit of natural sweetness.
• Celery – Celery adds flavor to the broth without overpowering it. I chop it so it blends in nicely with the rest of the stew.
• Leftover ham – Ham is the star of my soup! It has just the right saltiness and makes the dish hearty and filling.
• Bay leaves – Bay leaves give the broth subtle background flavor.
• Kosher salt – I season lightly since the soup is already getting salt from the ham. I can always add more salt later if the soup needs it.
• Black pepper – Pepper adds warmth without heat to balance the flavors.
• Low sodium chicken broth – I prefer to use low sodium so I can keep the soup from tasting too salty.

Fresh parsley – I add this as garnish right before serving to brighten everything up.

How to make Crockpot Ham and Cabbage 

STEP ONE: Place the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, salt, pepper, chicken broth, ham, and cabbage in the crock pot. Stir well, and cook for 4-5 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low.

STEP TWO: When the timer goes off, stir in some chopped parsley. Take out the bay leaves and discard them

Recipe Tips

• To make prepping the vegetables easier, I use my vegetable chopper. It makes all the pieces even sizes so they cook evenly too!
• I always go light on the salt to make sure the soup doesn’t end up being a sodium bomb. The way I see it, I can add salt later if the soup needs it, but I can’t take out salt once I’ve added it.
• If I am worried about the soup being too salty, I add a few more potatoes. Potatoes are great for absorbing salt, plus it adds extra bulk to the soup.
• When I’m prepping the cabbage, I remove the outermost layer, then cut out any brown pieces along the core.
• I cut the ham into bite size pieces so it releases more flavor and is easy to eat once the soup is ready.
• I wait to add the parsley until I’m at the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t lose that punchy flavor that balances out the richness of the soup.

Variations and Substitutions

• For Saint Patrick’s Day, I love swapping the ham out for leftover corned beef. It cooks up the same as the ham and gives that true corned beef and cabbage flavor!
• If I’m in the mood for a garlicky version, I’ll mince a few cloves of garlic and add them to the bottom of the slow cooker.
• I’ve swapped in leftover rotisserie chicken when I didn’t have any ham in my refrigerator, and the soup was still amazing!
• To spice up the simple ingredients, I’ll sometimes add red pepper flakes or even a sprinkle of cayenne.
• For a lower-carb version, I reduce or omit the potatoes and add more green cabbage instead.
• When I want an even richer soup, I’ll use low sodium beef broth instead of chicken broth.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Ham and Cabbage

I love serving my ham and cabbage Crockpot soup with hearty sides like my sweet potato cornbread, air fryer cornbread, or air fryer garlic bread.

It’s also amazing with my easy biscuit recipe, air fryer biscuits, or air fryer crescent rolls!

Crockpot Ham and Cabbage FAQs

Can I cook soup in a slow cooker overnight?

Ham and cabbage is great to make in the Crockpot overnight! I’ve cooked it for 8 hours overnight on low a few times when I wanted the family to wake up to soup for St. Patrick’s Day, and it always turned out beautifully.

Will ham dry out in a crockpot?

I’ve never run into an issue with ham overcooking in a Crock pot because it keeps soaking up the chicken broth as it cooks. If anything, I make sure not to cook the soup for too long because the ham can actually become mushy!

How should I store leftover ham and cabbage?

I let my soup cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers keep well for up to four days and taste great reheated!

More Easy Crockpot Recipes

• Crockpot spiral ham
• Mississippi pot roast
• Crockpot scalloped potatoes
• Crockpot sirloin tip roast
• Crockpot london broil