Rinse the dried beans thoroughly under cold running water and pick out any debris or broken pieces. There is no need to pre-soak the beans for this slow cooker method. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into uniform, bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic.

Place the rinsed ham bone (or ham hocks) into the bottom of a large 6-quart or 7-quart slow cooker. Add the rinsed beans, diced onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic over the ham bone.

Pour the 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth (or water) over the ingredients, ensuring the beans are fully submerged by at least an inch of liquid. Add the dried thyme, black pepper, and bay leaves. Do not add the salt yet.

Secure the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on the LOW setting for 8 hours, or the HIGH setting for 4 hours. The soup is ready when the beans are completely tender and soft, and the meat is falling easily off the bone.

Carefully remove the ham bone and the bay leaves from the slow cooker using tongs. Place the bone on a cutting board, allow to cool slightly, and shred any usable pieces of meat off the bone. Discard the bone and any excess fat or skin.

Return the shredded ham meat back into the slow cooker and stir well. Taste the soup and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or more, as needed. If the soup is too thick, add a small amount of water or broth to reach your desired consistency.

Ladle the Easy Slow Cooker Ham Bone Bean Soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve hot.