Deliciously creamy Ham and Potato Soup is so EASY to make! The perfect way to use up your ham leftovers. NO HEAVY CREAM!
Ham soup filled to the brim with soft, tender potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and the option of making your own ham broth from a leftover ham bone! Even picky eaters fall in love with this ham and potato soup recipe!
CREAMY POTATO SOUP WITH HAM
There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of hearty, creamy ham and potato soup. All up it takes under 45 minutes (including prep time) to have a pot of full flavoured soup ready and on the table. Perfect for busy weeknights or for when you’re craving a hearty meal!
We use leftover glazed ham for our ham soup recipe with a chicken stock base. Flour and milk give us that mouth watering roux and deliciously thick and creamy consistency.
HOW DO YOU MAKE HAM AND POTATO SOUP?
Ham and Potato Soup simmers away on the stove, pretty much taking care of itself, thickening into a delicious creamy base. There’s no stress involved — just have all of your veggies cut up before you start, a small glass of wine on your kitchen countertop, and get started!
Sauté onion, carrots and celery in butter. Also referred to as soffritto or mirepoix — the holy trinity of cooking. We start off with these three aromatics to build a wonderful flavour and depth to your soup.
Cook leftover ham along with potatoes in the soffritto to start drawing out the flavours in the ham.
Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds – 1 minute, which is enough time to release its flavour into the base of your soup.
EASY ROUX
Instead of making a roux (or white sauce) separately, we are going to do it all in the same pot. It’s much easier to do it this way in soups with no chance of messing up, and tastes better than using heavy cream in this ham and potato soup.
All you need to do is:
Mix flour through the veggies and ham in the pot and let it cook for 2 minutes to get rid of the ‘flour’ taste and brown it ever so slightly.
Stir in a low sodium chicken stock (you could also use beef) and bouillon powder.
Let the ham and potato soup thicken, then reduce the heat to medium-low before adding in your milk. Once your milk goes in, let it cook gently while stirring until it thickens.
Easier than a traditional roux.
SEASONINGS
Taste test your ham and potato soup first before seasoning with salt as ham has plenty of sodium.
HAM BROTH
You can make your own ham broth for ham soup using leftover ham bone:
- Simmer the ham bone in a stock pot filled with enough water to cover the bone halfway (about 2 quarts/litres, depending on size of bone).
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and let simmer until very fragrant (about 1 hour).
- Discard hambone
- Replace the chicken stock with your ham broth.
Either way, you’re in for a delicious treat with this ham and potato soup!
LOOKING FOR MORE HAM RECIPES? TRY THESE!
Honey Baked Ham
Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham
Breakfast Casserole with Bacon, Sausage OR Ham
Ham and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter (2 oz | 60 g)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 cup large carrot peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic minced or finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked ham, diced (add more if desired)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock (or broth)
- 2 teaspoons chicken Bouillon
- 3 cups milk (whole milk or 2%)
- 1 pinch of salt, if needed (adjust to you taste)
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, celery until beginning to soften (about 4 minutes).
- Add the ham and potatoes, cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Mix the flour through and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in stock and bouillon, mixing all ingredients together. Increase heat and bring to a boil until potatoes are 'just' fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add the milk and stir over the heat until thickened (about 5 minutes).
- Taste test and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve warm.
Notes
HAM BROTH
You can make your own ham broth for ham soup using leftover ham bone:- Simmer the ham bone in a stock pot filled with enough water to cover the bone halfway (about 2 quarts/litres, depending on size of bone).
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and let simmer until very fragrant (about 1 hour).
- Discard hambone
- Replace the chicken stock with your ham broth.
Vicky says
Used the ham left over from Christmas. Made ham stock with the bone so used that instead of chicken stock. The carrots were already cooked as I had roasted some to go with the New Year’s Day prime rib and instead of onions I added 3 chopped leeks. Wonderful flavour. Alongside a home made French baguette and this was a perfect hearty soup after all the rich Christmas food. Will definitely make again.
Soybean says
My go to leftover soup recipe. After the holidays we always have too much mashed potatoes so I use that instead of fresh potatoes. Makes for a thick and creamy soup. Instead of the bullion cubes I also just use a chicken ramen packet since we usually don’t use them when making actual ramen. A staple holiday recipe in our home and easily adjustable to taste and whatever’s in the pantry
Jessica Messica says
I am going to make this on Wednesday. I plan to add thyme, parsley and kale to the recipe. I will let you know how it turns out!
Gary king says
Made as written
Perfect as is
Do not need to add anything
Denise M Warner says
delicious, creamy and flavorful!
Sarah says
I have never made a soup this delicious before! Excellent recipe. I made no adjustments, but did add some corn.
Amazing soup!
Elizabeth says
I tweaked the recipe a bit–but it’s very good and was quite quick. I didn’t have quite enough carrots, but used the two I had. Used a whole onion. Put a bay leaf and some dill seasoning in (along with salt and pepper). Used 32 ounces of chicken broth and a cup or two of additional water. I mixed the flour with some half-and-half (instead of milk) and put that in, and then added about three ounces of cream cheese. Very nice. Slightly salty from the ham, so I probably didn’t need as much salt on the vegetables as I added. Still, will enjoy the pot of this during the coming week.