On these hot and cold spring days, I’m completely confused about what to make for dinner. One day it’s warm and sunny, the next it feels like winter again. But no matter the mood, I feel like soup is always the right answer, and this ham and potato soup is a crowd favorite. Creamy but not too heavy and loaded with fresh vegetables and salty ham, this soup is perfect for this transitional season!
What is Ham and Potato Soup?
This rich and creamy soup is made from a vegetable broth enriched with milk and butter and is filled to the brim with fresh vegetables, chunky potatoes and salty ham. It’s a real belly-warming meal, perfect for relaxing!
Here’s what you need to make ham and potato soup:
- Oil: I used olive oil, but a flavorless oil like canola or vegetable oil also works well.
- Mirepoix: A base of celery, carrots and onions gives this soup its flavor.
- Potatoes: I used 2 medium potatoes which, when cubed, yielded 3 1/2 cups. I prefer to peel my potatoes for this recipe, but you can leave the peel on if you like it!
- Boiled ham: You can purchase a ham steak or use your leftover ham from our baked ham recipe! Vegetarian? No problem. You can leave out the ham, then it becomes more of a vegetable soup and it’s delicious!
- Vegetable broth: You need 6 cups, or you can dissolve 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth in 6 cups of water. You can also use chicken broth if you have it on hand!
- Salted butter: Adds more flavor to the soup and helps form the roux, which thickens the soup.
- All-purpose flour: Form a roux with the butter to thicken the soup.
- Milk: Adds creaminess to the soup.
- Salt and pepper: Improve the overall flavor of the soup.
- Parsley: A little chopped fresh parsley gives the soup some color and freshness.
Which potatoes are best for soup?
The best potato for a particular soup really depends on the desired consistency.
- In this soup I wanted to keep significant pieces of the potato intact, so I chose red potatoes. Other varieties that hold their shape well include new potatoes, baby potatoes and young potatoes.
- If you want your potatoes to be a little softer but still mostly hold their shape, Yukon Golds are a good choice for this soup.
- Starchier potatoes, like russets, meld into the soup and make it super thick, but you don’t get all the potato texture in every bite.
Depending on which ham you use, you may not need salt. So try it often and adjust as you see fit. In addition to the salted butter, stock, and ham from our baked ham recipe, I didn’t need more than a pinch of additional salt.
How do you incorporate ham and potato soup?
I decided to thicken this soup with what I call a “blond roux.” It is a mixture of butter and flour cooked over medium-low heat from the juice begins to change color from white to blonde. This intensifies the flavor of the soup without overpowering the natural flavor of the other ingredients.
Ham and potato soup
This ham and potato soup is creamy but not too heavy and full of fresh vegetables and salty ham. It’s perfect for the seasonal transition!
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- 2 tablespoon olive oil ($0.34)
- 2 Carrots, peeled and diced ($0.20)
- 3 Stems Celery, diced ($0.30)
- 1 small white onion, diced ($1.02)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3½ cups) ($1.66)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.53)
- 2 cups cooked ham cubes ($6.38)
- 2 tablespoon Salted butter ($0.24)
- 1/4 Cup All-purpose flour ($0.05)
- 2 cups milk ($0.38)
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ($0.08)
- 1 TL freshly ground black pepper ($0.05)
- Salt, to taste ($0.01)
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Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook until slightly softened and the onions are nice and shiny, about 5 minutes.
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Add potatoes, vegetable broth and ham to the soup pot. Bring the pot to a boil. Once the potatoes are boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pepper.
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Melt the butter in a separate medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook for about 1 minute. (Note: This is a “blond roux,” so you don’t want to over-roast the flour!) Stir in milk and cook until thick and warm, about 4 minutes.
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Add the milk and roux mixture to the soup pot with the ham soup and stir. Cook until all of the vegetables have reached your desired level of tenderness and the soup has thickened to your liking. Another 10 minutes should be enough. Add the parsley, additional salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
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This makes 12 cups of soup, but we found 1 1/2 cups is perfect for a meal. So if that’s your portion size, you can serve 8 people.
Portion: 1BowlCalories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 20GProtein: 9GFat: 11GSodium: 1109mgFiber: 2G
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how to make ham and potato soup – step by step photos
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 peeled and diced carrots, 3 diced celery sticks, and 1 diced small white onion and cook until slightly softened and the onions are nice and shiny, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 peeled and diced potatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth, and 2 cups diced cooked ham to the stock pot. Bring to a boil; Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Melt 2 tablespoons salted butter in a separate medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook for about 1 minute. (Note: This is a “blond roux,” so you don’t want to over-roast the flour!) Stir in 2 cups milk and cook until thick and warm, about 4 minutes.
Add the milk and roux mixture to the soup pot with the ham soup and stir. Cook until all of the vegetables have reached your desired level of tenderness and the soup has thickened to your liking. Another 10 minutes should be enough. Add parsley, additional salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
This creamy ham and potato soup is perfect for the changing seasons!