We had lots of ham left over from a holiday meal and after searching for recipes, I came across this soup recipe. Well, it was really good and I couldn’t stop at just one bowl. The nicest part about this is you don’t need to use a ham bone. So now when we have ham, I freeze some in quart size bags to make this soup at a later date. As I always say…you can make it your own by adding or omitting spices and herbs to fit your family’s tastes.

Ham and Potato Soup

Recipe by Diane BeckerCourse: Soups

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
8 ounces ham, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon butter
¼ cup flour
4 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
½ cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Sprinkle of Cayenne pepper
Fresh chives (for optional garnish)

Directions

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat until golden brown.
Stir in carrot, celery, onion, ham, and garlic; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent.
Stir in flour; cook for about 3 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup at a time.
Add water and stir to combine.
Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the soup for salt and add more if necessary (depending on the type of ham you use, more salt may not be necessary).
Stir in potatoes; cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
With a potato masher, mash the soup a few times, leaving plenty of whole chunks of potato.
10 .Season with salt and pepper to taste
11. Add cayenne if desired
12. Add cream. Stir to combine and heat through.
13.. Garnish with fresh chives (optional).