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Deliciously creamy and packed with comforting flavors, this Ham Potato Soup is a hearty blend of tender potatoes, smoky ham, and sweet carrots—without a drop of heavy cream! Easy to make and impossible to resist, it’s perfect for cozy dinners that impress every time.
What Sets This Ham Potato Soup Apart?
Nothing warms the soul like a bowl of hearty, flavorful soup. Whether it’s a chilly evening or just a cozy dinner, this creamy Ham Potato Soup delivers comfort in every spoonful. If you’ve loved our Creamy Pumpkin Soup or Cream of Mushroom Soup, you already know the unbeatable flavors we bring to every recipe.
What sets this ham potato soup apart? Its velvety texture without using heavy cream! By making a roux directly in the pot, the creamy consistency is effortless yet refined—a game-changing technique that guarantees a rich mouthfeel and depth of flavor every time. Ready in under 45 minutes, it’s perfect for busy nights or whenever you’re craving something hearty and wholesome.
Ham Potato Soup: Key Ingredients
The secret to this Creamy Ham Potato Soup lies in its ingredients. Smoky ham adds depth, tender potatoes bring heartiness, and fresh garlic delivers bold, aromatic flavor. Simple staples, unforgettable comfort!
- Ham: The hero of this recipe! Choose a smoked ham with balanced saltiness and minimal additives for the purest flavor. Ham is able to add the same touch of magic as it does in this Ham And Bean Soup. Leftover ham is a great option—it adds depth and transforms the soup into a cozy comfort dish. Dice it into bite-sized pieces for even distribution.
- Ham Broth: The flavor-packed foundation of this soup. Homemade ham broth delivers unmatched richness—simmer a leftover ham bone with onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves for a nutrient-filled base. Store-bought broth works as a quick substitute, but homemade is worth the effort for its hearty, authentic flavor.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes are the top choice for their creamy texture and buttery flavor. Their ability to hold their shape while softening adds to the soup’s velvety finish. Dice evenly for consistent cooking and full flavor absorption.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Ham Bean Soup, hearty simplicity is everything. Out of an ingredient? No worries—easy substitutions will still create a flavorful, satisfying bowl of comfort!
- Cheese: For an extra layer of flavor, stir in some grated cheddar, parmesan, or your favorite cheese towards the end of cooking. It adds a creamy richness that complements the ham perfectly.
- Spices: If you enjoy a bit of heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce. For a smokier flavor, try adding a touch of smoked paprika.
Ham Potato Soup: Step-By-Step
Let’s jump in! With just a few easy steps, you’ll create a bowl of hearty, flavorful Ham Bean Soup that’s sure to impress. Time to make your kitchen the coziest spot in the house!
- Sauté the Veggies: Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until they begin to soften.
- Add Ham and Potatoes: Add ham and potatoes, cook briefly, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Mix in Flour: Mix in the flour and cook for a short while.
- Add Stock and Boil: Stir in stock and bouillon. Increase heat and bring to a boil until potatoes are just fork-tender.
- Thicken with Milk: Reduce heat to medium-low, add milk, and stir until thickened.
- Season to Taste: Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Nothing beats a warm piece of bread dipped in a hot bowl of ham potato soup! Lucky for you, I have some wonderful bread recipes to complement your meal. Feel like baking your own? Consider these delicious options: Artisan Bread or Soft Dinner Rolls. Both are up to the standard, but they become even more irresistible with a knob of Garlic Butter spread on your warm bread fresh out of the oven.
Looking for more creamy soup ideas? Here are some you might love: Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Creamy Zuppa Toscana, Lentil Soup, or Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Each one brings its own unique flavors to your table.
Recipe FAQ’s
The key is to reduce the heat to medium-low before adding the milk. Stir gently and let it cook until it thickens. Lowering the heat is vital to prevent the flour from curdling, ensuring a smooth, creamy soup.
No problem! Homemade ham broth adds incredible depth of flavor, but if you don’t have it, a high-quality store-bought chicken or beef broth works well too. For extra richness, you can add a bit of bouillon powder.
Absolutely! While I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes for their creamy texture and buttery flavor, you can also use Russet or red potatoes. Just keep in mind that each type will slightly alter the texture, but they will all be delicious.
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Ham Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot large, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cups potatoes peeled and diced
- 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%
- 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed, adjust to you taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper to taste
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.
TIPS
If your soup is too thick once it’s finished, simply add more milk in 1/4 cup increments until reaching your desired consistency. Alternatively, if your soup is not thick enough to your liking, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch together with 2 tablespoons of extra milk. Pour the mixture into the soup and allow to boil for a few minutes to thicken, while stirring. Repeat for an even thicker soup!Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious! Tasted like eating a baked potato. I used a little more ham than the recipe called for and added about a half a cup of whipping cream because we didn’t have quite enough milk… Otherwise followed directions exactly. Thanks for the recipe!
This is the first time I have ever commented on any recipe I found online. My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe. I did add two extra ingredients, about a half a cup of fresh corn that I had cooked a few nights ago and some fresh thyme just before I added the milk. It turned out perfectly! Highly recommend this recipe and i’m going to keep it in my recipe box at home 🙂
Love this recipe first soup my husband has asked me to make again😄 it will be come a family favorite
Adding corn is a brilliant idea! I’m absolutely doing this when I make it tonight
thats a good idea, I am making this tonight for dinner!
O M G !!!
I can’t believe how delicious and easy this was. My son 23 and daughter 13 ate everything in 2 days!! I doubled the recipe and they destroyed it LOL. Its been 24 hours and I got a txt msg from my son saying “can we eat this all week?” I picked up a spiral ham AGAIN, tomorrow will be an AFTER Thanksgiving feast then Tuesday ill be tripling the recipe so my husband and I can have more then a cup this time lol.
Thanks for an amazing recipe that we all love.
Fantastic!!!
I enjoyed this recipe very much my husband as well. He’s not a big soup eater however he really loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing I’ll definitely make this again.
This ham and potato soup was even better than I imagined it would be! All the taste without the heavy cream, which (even as a creamed soup lover) I did not miss. I doubled the recipe and tossed in 1 tsp each of herbs de provence, parsley and basil. Rather than add the flour as the recipe calls for, I measued the flour into a jar, added broth and shook to mix before adding.
Are you related to Stephanie and Taylor? This is Carol!
This soup is SUPER delicious, my husband is begging me to not lose this recipe (as I often do). Definitely make it!
I did make a few alterations (due to what I had on hand):
-reduced potatoes to 1.5 C (and .5 C were sweet potatoes)
-used skim milk (still turned out nice and creamy)
-added a can of Great Northern white beans (to make up for the lack of potatoes)
-added about 2 tsp of red pepper flakes
-used red onion
I made this with only a few alterations. First, I skipped the carrots just because I didn’t feel like them.
Second, the other night I made ham, potatoes, and cabbage, so I was able to use the leftover broth from that instead of chicken broth.
Third, I was out of milk, so I used 1/2 and 1/2.
Result: Delicious. My wife was over the moon satisfied with this recipe.
Simple, quick, tasty.
Best soup I’ve had in a long time!! Even my picky “that’s disgusting” preaching 8 year old loved it. My husband and I thought it tasted a bit like a clam chowder. Excellent!! Did this after Easter with leftover ham. Did the homemade bone broth then the soup and wanted to make sure I added my 5 star to the review. Thank you so much for the recipe!
do i cool the potatoes before hand? or add them in raw?
Alicia, the recipe instructions call for boiling the potatoes until they are fork tender.
Made this tonight and it was by far the best recipe I have found for ham and potato soup!! I altered it a little but I have saved it and will be making it again for sure. Thanks for sharing this!!
You just chop them and add into the same pot. Cook it all together.
My husband said this is the best ham and potato soup he has ever eaten. He went back for two more helpings! He never does that! He even asked if we can have it for lunch tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It ISthe best!!