Easy Ham and Potato Soup
This easy ham and potato soup recipe is a tasty comfort meal for those chilly nights. A creamy, warm, and hearty weeknight meal.
Why You’ll Love This
A creamy, warm, and hearty weeknight meal. So delicious it will be a new family favorite. This soup is great for using leftover ham.
This quick ham and potato soup is ready in under an hour. It’s full of soft, tender vegetables and ham, sure to please even the picky eater!
A great way to use leftover ham from Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
Nothing is more comforting than a bowl of warm creamy ham and potato soup!
A few other favorite soups we make regularly are our homemade chicken and dumplings, thick chili recipe, tomato basil soup recipe, and acini de pepe soup (Italian wedding soup).
There is absolutely nothing better than a bowl of hearty soup!
How to Make Easy Ham and Potato Soup
In a large dutch oven or stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion; sauté until translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic, fresh thyme, and bay leaf and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk while whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked ham, potatoes, and corn.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Once the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher to mash about 1/3 of the potatoes or to your desired creaminess. Don’t worry; it won’t break the ham cubes too much.
Garnish with chopped parsley or even shredded cheddar cheese.
Potato Soup Toppings
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Garnish with chopped green onions or chives.
- Try some croutons or crispy bacon bits.
If you plan ahead, serve with this No Knead Large Dutch Oven Bread or this No Knead Skillet Bread.
This thick and creamy potato and ham soup is amazingly delicious. As summer turns to fall and it starts cooling down, nothing really tops a warm bowl of homemade soup.
This is one of our favorites. It’s hearty and bursting with flavor. It is absolutely delicious!
It’s also a great recipe to whip up over the weekend and eat on it over the next few days.
It almost seems to get better overnight. This is quintessential comfort food, and it’s very easy to throw together.
A fresh-made soup recipe that gets a hearty meal on the table in less than an hour. Give it a try!
Tips
- Don’t mash too many of the potatoes. You want the soup to have some chunky texture.
- You can use an immersion blender just be careful not to pulverize everything, especially the ham cubes.
- If your soup is not thick enough, you can whisk together equal parts of the soup liquid with equal parts of cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the soup a little at a time and boil for a couple of minutes, occasionally stirring, until you reach desired consistency.
- If your soup is too thick, add a little more milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Variations
- Use the potatoes you have on hand or your favorite. Yukon gold, red potatoes, or Russet potatoes.
- Chicken stock, chicken broth, or vegetable broth all work. You will get more flavor from homemade chicken stock.
- Leftover ham or ham bone works great! Or you can purchase a ham steak or already cubed ham.
- Stir in some shredded cheese if desired. Remove the pot from the heat and add about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add some sour cream for a bit of tanginess. But don’t add it until the end of cooking. Boiling can change the texture of the sour cream. Stir it in with the pot off the heat.
FAQs
Use leftover ham bones to make ham broth for ham soup. It’s as easy as making any broth. Place the ham bone in a stock pot, add water enough to cover the ham bone, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 1 hour or until fragrant. Replace the chicken stock with your homemade ham stock.
Let the ham potato soup cool to room temperature, transfer it to an air-tight container, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat without letting it come to a boil.
We don’t recommend freezing this soup. Dairy doesn’t fair well in the freezer. And potatoes change texture after freezing. You know, that “grainy” sort of texture, which is not pleasant to eat. But if you really want to freeze it, let it cool completely, place it in an air-tight container, and freeze it for up to 1 month.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Easy Ham and Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large carrots sliced thin
- 3 large celery stalks diced
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels
- 12 oz boneless ham steak cubed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery cook, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes. Stir garlic, thyme, and bay leaf cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large carrots, 3 large celery stalks, 1/2 medium onion, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf
- Whisk in flour, cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Add potatoes, corn, ham, salt, and pepper.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 1/2 cups milk, 2 large russet potatoes, 1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels, 12 oz boneless ham steak, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender about 13-15 minutes.*
- When the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher and mash about 1/3 of the potatoes. This depends on your desired thickness of the soup. We like it thick and creamy.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.