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This Ham and Potato Soup is the perfect way to put leftover ham to use! With tender potatoes, veggies, and a creamy, richly-seasoned base, this soup delivers all the comfort food goodness.
Ham is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Or the meal that keeps on mealing. Well, at any rate: make ham for the holidays and enjoy the leftovers in this ham and potato soup.
Rather than making it a broth-based soup, we going for more of a chowder meets Instant Pot Potato Soup direction, which means this potato and ham soup is definitely satisfying enough for a meal.
Looking for more leftover ham recipes? Check out Instant Pot Ham, Ham and Potato Casserole, Ham and Cheese Pinwheels, Ham Fried Rice, Ham and Beans, Ham Pasta, and Ham and Swiss Quiche.
Ingredients
This recipe has:
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Mirepoix – As with many soup recipes, this one starts with a combination of carrots, celery, and onion to create a base of flavor.
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour – A little bit of flour helps thicken the soup. Swap a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour or cornstarch to make a gluten-free ham and potato soup.
- Low-sodium chicken stock
- Russet potatoes
- Seasonings – Dried parsley, dried tarragon, smoked paprika, dried sage, and dried poultry seasoning.
- Ham – I like the spiral ham from Butcher Box.
- Heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
Step By Step Instructions
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot set over medium heat, combine the butter and olive oil.
Once the butter has melted, stir in the carrots, celery, and onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the veggies have softened.
Add the garlic and cook until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, and gently stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes or until the flour has turned a light caramel color.
Slowly stream in the chicken stock, whisking constantly, then stir in the potatoes.
Add the seasonings, then increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the potatoes are softened, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the ham and heavy cream and continue to cook on a low boil until the ham is heated through and the soup has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
RECIPE VARIATIONS & OPTIONAL ADDINS
- If you have a ham bone, you can use it to make ham stock and swap that in for the chicken stock.
- Swap out the potatoes for canned white beans to add a little more protein.
- Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter ham and potato soup. I do recommend heating any milk product with less fat than heavy cream before adding it to the soup to prevent it from curdling.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese and green onions for a little extra color, texture, and flavor.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Storing Leftovers: Store leftover ham and potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The soup will thicken as it cools.
Reheating Leftovers: Reheat soup on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through. If it’s too thick, add a bit of broth or cream to thin it out.
Freezing Leftovers: Freeze fully cooled leftover soup in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating. The potatoes will likely fall apart during the reheating process, but it will still be delicious.
My favorite way to freeze leftover soup is in 1-cup or 2-cup Souper Cubes. Once frozen, I remove them from the trays and transfer them to freezer-safe silicone bags for the perfect zero-waste freezer method.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS RECIPE
This is a hearty soup made for floating those fun little oyster crackers, but that creamy broth is also ideal for soaking up with a side of crusty Cheesy Garlic Bread.
For a lighter pairing, serve ham and potato soup with Chopped Cabbage Salad.
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
- Look for low-sodium chicken broth/stock. Since ham is brined, it’s plenty salty. Using low-sodium chicken stock gives you more control over the flavor of the finished soup. (In other words, you can always add more salt, but you can’t take it away once it’s added!)
- To make the soup thicker, you can mash some of the cooked potatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon before adding the ham and cream. But just a note, this soup will also thicken as it cools.
- Be sure to cook the flour well after adding it to the veggies. It should be golden brown before you start adding the broth, which will take 2-3 minutes. Undercooked flour has a raw taste that is unpleasant!
- Pour the broth into the pan slowly; I like to stream in a bit, make sure it’s well-incorporated, then slowly pour in the rest. This keeps lumps of flour out of your soup!
More Cozy Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Butternut Squash Chili
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Ham and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 cups carrots {peeled and chopped}
- 1.5 cups celery {chopped}{~6 stalks}
- 1 cup white or yellow onion {diced}{~1 small onion}
- 4 cloves garlic {minced}
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 5 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 tsp dried parsley {1 tbsp chopped if using fresh}
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon {2 tsp chopped if using fresh}
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp dried poultry seasoning {optional}
- 2.5 cups ham, cooked {cubed}
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed 6 quart stockpot, combine butter and olive oil over medium heat.3 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Once the butter has melted, add carrots, celery, and onions, stirring to combine. Cook until the veggies have softened, ~10 minutes.2.5 cups carrots, 1.5 cups celery, 1 cup white or yellow onion
- Add garlic and cook until softened.4 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies, and gently stir to combine.1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Slowly add the chicken stock and potatoes, stirring to combine.5 cups low sodium chicken stock, 5 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Add the parsley, tarragon, smoked paprika, dried sage, and (optional) poultry seasoning.1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp dried tarragon, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp dried sage, 1/2 tsp dried poultry seasoning
- Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until the potatoes are softened. Stir occasionally so that it doesn't burn or boil over.
- Add the ham and heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook on a low boil until the ham is heated through, ~1-2 minutes.2.5 cups ham, cooked, 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to tasteSalt and pepper to taste
Notes
- Soup will thicken as it cools.
- Look for low-sodium chicken broth/stock. Since ham is brined, it’s plenty salty. Using low-sodium chicken stock gives you more control over the flavor of the finished soup.
- Be sure to cook the flour well after adding it to the mirepoix ingredients. It should be golden brown before you start adding the broth, which will take 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today, and it was delicious! Cut ingredients in half as it was just for me. YUM! Thank you for sharing this.