Ham and Potato Soup

This creamy and savory Ham and Potato Soup is the best comfort food! Simple ingredients simmered together create a soup that rarely produces any leftovers. Everyone always wants a second helping of this one.

Chicken Noodle Soup gets a lot of credit when it comes to soups that you make for a sick friend, but I have to tell you, that whenever I’m not feeling well I crave this potato ham soup and all of its creamy potato goodness. It’s filling and comforting which is especially nice when you haven’t eaten in a while. It’s also seasoned with salty, flavorful ham, so perfect for adding electrolytes and staying hydrated.

If you like this recipe, I think you’ll enjoy my Instant Pot Split Pea Soup, made with smoky ham hocks.

This soup isn’t just for sick days though! Ham and Potato Soup makes a brilliant hot lunch to eat at home or take to work. It’s also hearty enough to eat for dinner with a side salad and some homemade breadsticks.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Simple Ingredients: Everything in this soup is a common, easy to find ingredient. Recipes like this make cooking really easy. 
2. Fast Cooking: This pot of comfort food will be ready in about a half hour. No need to cook for hours to get a great soup.
3. Big Flavors: Ham is often overlooked as a flavor enhancer. In soups the flavor of ham gets its proper time to shine. Ham soup with potatoes is perfectly salty, savory, and a bit smokey, with hints of sweetness, depending on if your ham was glazed or not.

Want more soup recipes? I have them! See my collection of hot and delicious soup recipes here. My Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup is one of the easiest, and very hearty and filling.

Ingredients Needed

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Butter and Flour: We’ll get this party started with some butter to sauté the vegetables and flour to create a roux that makes this soup nice and creamy.
• Onion, Celery, and Carrot: These three vegetables, diced, make up the holy trinity, or mirepoix that adds homemade flavor to this soup and most every soup you’ll make.
• Garlic: Two cloves minimum! Garlic is delicious with this creamy potato soup.
• Ham: Ham diced into small pieces adds protein and salty, smoky flavor. 
• Yukon Gold Potatoes: Four cups of diced potatoes go into this recipe. Dice them to about ¼ inch cubes for best results. You want to be able to fit the potato pieces on your spoon.
• Bay leaf: Just one bay leaf will simmer along with the soup and add rich, savory notes. Remember to take the bay leaf out before serving.
• Dried Thyme: One of my favorite herbs for soup, thyme has such a warm, earthy flavor. 
• Chicken Stock: The easiest way to get this ham and potato soup cooking is to use a pre-made chicken stock. Homemade stock will be amazing, and Ham stock can be used as well.

• Whole Milk: This adds the perfect amount of smooth creaminess. If you want, add a splash of heavy cream too.

How to Make Ham and Potato Soup

1. Sauté: In a dutch oven, melt the butter. Add onion, celery, and carrot and saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Then add the garlic and sauté for just 30 seconds or until fragrant. 
2. Make Roux: Add the flour, and cook for a minute while stirring 
3. Cook Potatoes: Continue to stir while adding the chicken stock. Then add potatoes, ham, bay leaf, thyme, and salt and pepper. Give everything a stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the potatoes are tender. 
4. Add Milk: Remove and discard the bay leaf, then mix in the milk and simmer for 5 more minutes or until the soup has thickened.
5. Finish: Taste the soup and adjust seasonings to your preference. 

Potato Ham Soup Tips

Choose the right potatoes: Avoid using russet potatoes for making ham and potato soup. They are very starchy, and will break down too much while cooking. Yukon gold potatoes are perfect in this soup recipe.

Take a shortcut: You can buy diced carrots, celery, and onion in the frozen section of the grocery store! Keep a bag or two on hand and make soup whenever the mood strikes.

Use the right tools: A heavy, sturdy dutch oven makes soup making easy, and this soup ladle is my favorite for dishing up potato soup into my family’s bowls.

Ham is Salty: Add only a small amount of salt to the soup to start, and add more later if needed. Some hams have more salt than others.

Use Leftovers: Leftover Baked Ham or Pineapple Ham works perfectly for this soup, or you can buy a small ham or ham steaks just for this occasion. Want another idea for leftover ham? Make Ham and Bean Soup  or Split Pea Soup instead.

What to Serve With Ham and Potato Soup

Soup and Salad: Always the perfect duo, this soup will be delicious with Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad or an easy Chicken Caesar Salad.

With Homemade Bread: Stop at the bakery for a crusty baguette, or make your own homemade Texas Roadhouse Rolls.

Make it a Meal: Alongside a simple sandwich, potato soup is a filling and satisfying meal. Try Tuna Melts or Reuben Sandwiches.

FAQs

This savory, filling soup will warm your belly and your soul! Try it the next time you’re feeling under the weather, or any time your family needs some extra love. Make sure to save this recipe so that you can make it all winter long.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 6 votes

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Ham and Potato Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Ham and Potato Soup is a simple recipe that everyone loves. It’s creamy, salty, smoky, and packed with potatoes making it the perfect hearty and comforting soup.

6 servings

Ham and Potato Soup is a simple recipe that everyone loves. It’s creamy, salty, smoky, and packed with potatoes making it the perfect hearty and comforting soup.

Equipment

• 6-quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
• ▢ ½ cup diced celery
• ▢ ½ cup diced carrot
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 3 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 4 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes
• ▢ 2 cups diced leftover ham
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt add more if desired
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 ½ cups whole milk or half and half

Instructions

• In a Dutch oven, melt the butter.
• Add onion, celery and carrot. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
• Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add flour, and cook for 1 more minutes while stirring.
• Pour in the chicken stock, add potatoes, ham, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Give everything a stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer then cook covered for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the potatoes are tender.
• Discard bay leaf, mix in the milk and simmer for 5 more minutes or until the soup has thickened.
• Taste the soup and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Notes:

For extra flavor, use ham stock to make this soup! Make your own using a ham hock or ham bone and simmering in a crockpot with onion, carrots, and celery for 4-6 hours.

To thicken the soup: A cornstarch slurry, made by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water, is the perfect thickener. Slowly add the mixture to the soup, whisk in well, and bring to a boil to activate.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 403kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 1051mg, Potassium: 1162mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 2162IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 120mg, Iron: 3mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen