Savory ham, tender potatoes, and flavorful veggies all wrapped in a creamy broth, are what make this Ham and Potato soup the tastiest kind of comfort food. Easy to make, this traditional creamy one-pot soup is sure to become a family favorite.
In fact, Ham and Potato soup is the perfect way to use up any leftover ham this upcoming holiday season. Done in under a hour this hearty meal is great for busy weeknights.
And if you are looking for other quick and easy weeknight meals you’ve got to try our Ham and Cheese sliders, Boursin and Tomato pasta, or White Chicken Chili.
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🥫 Ingredients
With simple ingredients Ham and Potato soup comes together quickly and easily, making it even easier to warm up with a comforting bowl of this creamy and hearty soup.
- Potatoes
- Ham Steak (or ham leftovers)
- Freeze Dried Celery
- Freeze Dried Onion
- Flour
- Milk
- Salt and Pepper
(Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements and full printable instructions.)
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Firstly peel and dice your potatoes into small bite sized pieces. (I go pretty small (size of a marble) the smaller you go the faster they cook).
Then add your potatoes, celery, and onion to a large pot and cover with enough water to allow potatoes to boil.
Once potatoes are soft enough to chew or spear with a fork without falling apart drain water off using a colander. Be sure not to loose your celery and onions - you are going to want these in your Ham and Potato soup.
Afterwards set your veggies aside, and rinse out the pot before returning it to the heat and adding your butter. Once the butter has melted add flour and stir til combined. It will take on a a sandy play dough like texture. This is your roux that we will use to help thicken the milk for the soup broth.
When butter is all absorbed add the milk to your pot and stir constantly (I start with a low head and gradually increase to medium high). You will want to stir the roux continuously for about ten minutes. Do not stop stirring or the milk will scald.
As you stir the soup will begin to thicken. If you have trouble with it thickening however try increasing your heat and continue stirring.
Once the Ham and Potato soup has thickened go ahead and add back in your cooked potatoes, celery, onion mixture, diced or leftover ham, salt and pepper.
Once combined stir the soup occasionally until heated through. Finally serve the Ham and Potato Soup with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and fresh chives or parsley and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
Our Ham and Potato soup is the perfect base recipe for making this comfort dish exactly what you want. Try adding in canned corn, chopped carrots, or green beans or peas for extra veggies.
Or maybe you don't have any ham leftovers laying around - no worries, try swapping the cubed ham for smoked or ground sausage instead.
And then finish off your bowl by garnishing with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, or chopped green onions or parsley. This soup is the perfect recipe for these cooler months ahead.
💭 Top Tips
When picking out potatoes for your Ham and Potato soup you'll want to look for something that holds it shape well when boiled. Our favorite to use in soups and stews are Yukon gold potatoes.
With their thinner skins you don’t even have to peel Yukons if you don't want to! I love Yukons for their buttery texture when cooked and they really do hold their shape beautifully.
Russet potatoes can work well too if preferred. With more of a starchy texture they do break down a little and don’t hold their shape quite as well.
🍽 Storing
Ham and Potato soup is an awesome make-ahead meal if you know you are going to have a busy week. Stored in an airtight container it will be good for 5 days. When ready to enjoy again you can reheat the soup on the stovetop or in a microwave.
📋 FAQ's
What kind of potatoes are best for soup?
When picking out potatoes for soup or stew you want to look for something that holds it shape well when boiled. Our favorite potato to use in soups and stews like this Ham and Potato soup are Yukon Gold. With thinner skins and buttery texture they hold their shape well when boiled.
How do you thicken potato soup?
If worried about your Ham and Potato soup being too thin try mashing a small amount of the potatoes and then mixing them into your soup base for extra thickness and creaminess.
📖 Recipe
Ham and Potato Soup
Savory ham, tender potatoes, and flavorful veggies wrapped in a creamy broth make for a soup the entire family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes
- ¼ cup freeze dried celery
- ¼ cup freeze dried onion
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup flour
- 8 cups milk
- 1½ cups cubed ham steak or leftovers
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1-2 teaspoons pepper
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes into small bite sized chunks.
- In large pot add potatoes, celery and onion, and cover with water. Allow vegetables to boil on stove till potatoes are just fork tender.
- Use colander to drain off water. Set vegetables aside. Rinse out pot and return to stovetop. Add butter to pot and allow to melt.
- Add flour to the melted butter in the pot and stir till combined making a sandy play dough like texture.
- Add milk to the flour dough in pot and stir constantly. Start with low heat and slowly increase to medium high heat. Continue to stir the roux for roughly 10 minutes. (Do not stop stirring or milk will scald.)
- Once soup has thickened add back in potatoes, celery, onion, leftover or cubed ham, pepper and salt.
- Allow soup to heat through, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with cheddar cheese or crumbled bacon and enjoy.
Notes
Don't miss other helpful tips, recipe variations and storage information found in the full article above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1509mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 4gSugar: 15gProtein: 21g