Ham and Potato Soup
This creamy ham and potato soup is perfect for the changing seasons, offering warmth and comfort on those confusing hot and cold spring days.
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
What is Ham and Potato Soup?
This rich and creamy soup is made from a base of vegetable broth enriched with milk and butter, stuffed to the brim with fresh veggies, chunky potatoes, and salty ham. It’s real belly-warming food, perfect for taking the chill off!
What You’ll Need
- Oil: I used olive oil, but a neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil will also work well.
- Mirepoix: A base of celery, carrots, and onion builds the flavor of this soup.
- Potatoes: I used 2 medium potatoes, which came out to be 3 1/2 cups once diced. I prefer to peel my potatoes for this recipe, but you can leave the skins on if you like them!
- Cooked Ham: You can buy a ham steak or use your leftover ham from our Baked Ham recipe! Vegetarian? No problem. You can leave out the ham and this becomes more of a vegetable chowder and it is delicious!
- Vegetable Broth: You’ll need 6 cups, or you can dissolve 2 Tbsp of vegetable bouillon in 6 cups of water. You can also use Chicken Broth if that’s what you have on hand!
- Salted Butter: Adds richness and helps form the roux that thickens the soup.
- All-Purpose Flour: Combines with the butter to form a roux that thickens the soup.
- Milk: Adds creaminess to the soup.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance the overall flavor of the soup.
- Parsley: A bit of minced fresh parsley adds some color and freshness to the soup.
What Potatoes Are Best For Soup?
The best potato for any given soup really depends on the texture you’re after.
- For this soup, I wanted to keep distinct chunks of intact potato, so I went for red potatoes. Other varieties that hold their shape well include new potatoes, baby potatoes, and fingerlings.
- If you’re looking for your potatoes to soften up a bit more but still mostly hold their shape, Yukon Golds are a great choice for this soup.
- Starchier potatoes, like Russets, will melt into the soup, making it super thick, but you won’t get the whole potato texture in every bite.
You may not need any salt depending on the ham you’re using, so taste often and adjust as you see fit. Between the salted butter, bouillon, and the ham from our Baked Ham recipe, I didn’t have a need for more than a pinch of additional salt.
How Do You Thicken Ham and Potato Soup?
I chose to thicken this soup with what’s known as a blonde roux. It’s a mixture of butter and flour that is cooked over medium-low heat until it juuust starts to change color from white to blonde. This deepens the flavor of the soup without overpowering the natural flavor of the other ingredients.
How to Make Ham and Potato Soup – Step by Step Photos
Instructions
- In the stock pot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion, and cook down until slightly softened and the onions are nice and glossy, about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, vegetable broth, and ham to the stockpot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and let the potatoes simmer for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the pepper.
- Melt the butter in a separate medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook for about 1 minute. (Note: this is a “blonde roux,” so you don’t want the flour to toast too much!) Whisk in the milk and cook for about 4 minutes until thick and warm.
- Pour the milk/roux mixture into the stockpot with the ham soup and whisk to combine. Cook until all vegetables reach desired tenderness and soup thickens, about another 10 minutes. Add the parsley and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!
