This hearty ham and potato soup is made with a ham leg or leftover ham bones and red potatoes. Perfect for cool weather!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
What could be nicer on a cold winter’s day than a big bowl of hearty ham and potato soup?
Video: How to make ham and potato soup
1:09
Ham and Potato Soup
Use a ham leg or leftover ham
This recipe is for a bacon and potato soup. You can either use a leftover ham bone and some ham from a glazed ham, or you can use a meaty ham shank.
You could even use a ham shank, but the shank isn’t as meaty as the shank, so if you’re using shank, you’ll likely need extra ham.
The best potatoes for this soup
For firmer, chunkier diced potatoes that hold their shape while cooking, you can swap out the Russets for an equal amount of red-skinned potatoes or Yukon Golds.
Save time by using chicken broth
I use chicken broth in this soup, along with the broth that the ham bone or shank naturally creates as it cooks. I do this to save time.
If you want to make the soup entirely with the broth made from a leftover ham bone, you can easily do that. Simply cover the ham bone with water and saucepan, bring to a boil, cover and allow to cook for an hour before beginning the recipe.
You could also probably just place the bone in a slow cooker with some water overnight to make some bacon stock.
Whether you use chicken broth or not, both methods work well. You’ll save an hour if you use chicken broth, and you’ll likely need to add less salt.
salt to taste
Speaking of salt! Potatoes need more than a little salt to taste good. Ham is high in sodium. So, good agreement, right?
Yes, that’s one of the reasons they taste so good together. But you have to taste salt every time and adjust to it. If the soup seems stale, add salt until it is no longer stale. If the soup is too salty for you, add more potatoes.
Want more cozy winter soups?
- chicken noodle soup
- Black Bean Soup
- minestrone soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- pea puree
Ham and Potato Soup
You can either make this soup with leftover ham and a ham bone, or you can use a meaty ham shank. If using a ham bone, add the chopped ham at the end of cooking. If you’re using a ham shank, you’ll need to remove it after the soup is cooked. Cut away the meat, chop it and add it back to the soup.
ingredients
-
2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
-
1 1/2 cups chopped Onion
-
3/4 Cup chopped parsnips or carrots
-
3/4 Cup chopped celery
-
1 clove garlicchopped
-
1 fleshy ham bone from a ham or a meaty knuckle of ham (see recipe note)
-
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
-
2 bay leaves
-
2 branches thyme
-
2 lb red potatoespeeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
-
1 1/2 cups diced ham (if using a ham bone), 3/4-inch cube
-
1/2 teaspoon floor pepper
-
1/4 Cup whipped cream
-
Salt to taste
method
-
Cooking the vegetables in olive oil:
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add onions, parsnips or carrots and celery and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
-
Add the ham bone or leg, broth, bay leaves, and thyme:
Add the ham bone or ham leg to the pot. Add 6 cups of broth. Add bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
-
Add Potatoes:
Add the potatoes and simmer for a further 15 minutes until tender.
-
Remove the ham bone or knuckle, puree half the soup:
Remove the ham bone or shank from the soup. Puree half of the soup so that some of the potatoes are pureed to add body to the soup, leaving whole potato chunks for texture.
-
Add chopped ham:
If using a ham shank, trim away the meat and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Add the chopped ham and black pepper to the soup.
-
Stir in cream:
Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 349 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 45g | carbohydrates |
| 18g | protein |
