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You don’t need heavy cream to make a thick potato soup.
This recipe combines soft potatoes, smoky ham, and carrots for a simple, filling dinner that comes together fast.
What Sets This Ham Potato Soup Apart?
A hot bowl of soup is hard to beat on a cold night, and this Ham Potato Soup makes for a simple, filling dinner. If you’ve tried our thick pumpkin soup, made a pot of our creamy mushroom soup, or warmed up with a bowl of cauliflower cream soup, you know how much we love a good homemade soup.
What makes this version different? It’s thick and smooth without using any heavy cream. By making a quick roux directly in the pot, you get a creamy base in minutes. It’s ready in under 45 minutes, making it a great option for busy weeknights when you want a hot, filling meal from scratch.
Ham Potato Soup: Key Ingredients
This Creamy Ham Potato Soup relies on basic kitchen staples. Smoky ham gives the broth its salty base, potatoes make it thick and filling, and fresh garlic adds plenty of flavor.
- Ham: Choose a good smoked ham that isn’t overly salty. Leftover holiday ham works great here and gives the broth that same salty, smoky flavor you get in a classic pot of slow-cooked ham and bean soup. Dice it into bite-sized pieces so you get some in every spoonful.
- Ham Broth: This is the base of the soup. If you have a leftover ham bone, simmer it with onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves to make your own stock. Store-bought broth works fine when you are short on time, though homemade gives the soup a stronger ham flavor.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes are the best choice because they have a naturally buttery taste and creamy texture. They soften up nicely to thicken the soup while still holding their shape. Cut them into even cubes so they cook at the same rate.
Note: Please see the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
This Ham Potato Soup is easy to adjust based on what you have in the kitchen. If you are missing an ingredient or want to change things up, here are a few simple swaps and add-ins:
- Cheese: Stir in a handful of grated cheddar or parmesan right at the end of cooking. It melts into the hot broth and pairs really well with the salty ham.
- Spices: For a little heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce. If you want to play up the smoky flavor of the ham, stir in a little 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.
What To Serve With
A thick slice of bread is great for dipping into a hot bowl of ham potato soup. If you feel like baking your own, try making a loaf of crusty homemade bread
or a batch of soft baked dinner rolls. Both are great for soaking up the broth, especially with some homemade garlic herb butter spread on top right when they come out of the oven.
Looking for more soup ideas? Try a bowl of thick broccoli and cheddar soup, make a pot of sausage, kale, and potato soup, simmer some classic vegetable lentil soup, or ladle up a bowl of creamy chicken and noodle soup.
Want to turn this soup into a bigger dinner, or need more weeknight main dish ideas? Serve a small bowl alongside a plate of chicken and zucchini spaghetti, some garlic parmesan shrimp pasta, or a skillet of pasta with browned Italian sausage. If you prefer slow-cooked beef, you can also make a tender slow cooker chuck roast with pepperoncini.
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.
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!
Made as written
Perfect as is
Do not need to add anything
delicious, creamy and flavorful!
I have never made a soup this delicious before! Excellent recipe. I made no adjustments, but did add some corn.
Amazing soup!
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.
Added some freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar to my soup bowl. This recipe is a keeper.
Super good on basic recipe taste test….last minute bright idea I added a healthy dose of Old Bay seasoning. Takes it to another level.
Great as writen
Do not add anything
Will make again,and again
This is the most bizarre comment section I’ve seen on a recipe. That aside, this is a fantastic soup and it’s going in my recipe box.
I am food junkie.
I have eaten delicious food all over the World. I am usually skeptical of American cooking because of the way American food is prepared usually: fast and with only few seasonings. Also, the way usually the cook will layer the ingrediencies one way and call it “x” and then layers the same exact ingrediencies and call it “Y”.
Not the case here. I love to cook and usually do most of the cooking in my house. I always look for new and fun food to eat. The problem is that I travel a lot for work; therefore, I have to ask my wife to cook sometimes, (she hates the kitchen and cooking). Yesterday I found this recipe and asked her to make it for me…and quickly hang up the phone…just kidding. I only told her to put smoked bacon in it which she did. When I got home, I waited for the smell of the soup the get the best of me before I ate and sat there for about an hour and had me a nightcap. Then I got to my first bowl and wholly Jesus, Mother of God and all Saints….it was amazing, I had to have another! The only thing I like to add to my soup usually is a bit of lemon juice, lots of habanero hot sauce and pepper flakes before I dive into it! It was very good! I strongly recommend it!