Home > Dinner > Ham and Potato Soup Ham and Potato Soup April 15, 2020 | 38 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Easy Ham and Potato Soup is made in one pot on the stovetop. It’s thick, hearty, comforting, and the perfect way to use any leftover holiday ham! Use additional leftover ham in this Ham and Cheese Quiche, these Ham and Cheese Sliders, or this delicious Ham Pot Pie. Ham And Potato Soup This week, we’re experiencing a bit of a cold spell, and with plenty of leftover ham from Easter, nothing seems more appealing than Ham and Potato Soup! It’s the epitome of comfort food—rich, thick, and bursting with flavor. Our recipe includes a variety of vegetables, an ample amount of ham, numerous potatoes, and a creamy soup base. This base is expertly seasoned with a hint of cayenne, thyme, and oregano. Ingredients In Ham And Potato Soup Olive Oil: Used for cooking the ham and vegetables, adding flavor. Ham: Adds a meaty taste and makes the soup more filling. Onion, Carrot, Celery: These veggies create a flavorful base for the soup. Garlic: Gives a strong, tasty kick. Butter & Flour: Thicken the soup, making it creamy. Seasonings (Thyme, Oregano, Cayenne, Salt, Pepper): Add a lot of flavor. Milk & Chicken Stock: Make the soup liquid and rich. Potatoes & Corn: The potatoes make the ham and potato soup hearty and thick, while the corn adds sweetness and a bit of crunch. Cheese: Adds a creamy, cheesy flavor. How To Make Ham And Potato Soup Cook Ham: In a pot, heat some olive oil and cook the ham until it’s lightly browned. Then, take it out and set it aside. Sauté Veggies: In the same pot, add more oil and cook onion, carrot, and celery until the onion is clear. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Make Soup Thick: Add butter, let it melt, then mix in flour. Add thyme, oregano, cayenne (optional), salt, and pepper. Gradually pour in milk and chicken stock, stirring until the soup starts to thicken. Add Potatoes: Put in the potatoes and let the ham and potato soup boil gently until the potatoes are soft. Finish with Ham and Corn: Add the cooked ham and corn to the pot. Heat it all up. Add Cheese: Lower the heat and mix in the cheese until it melts. Serve: Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh thyme or parsley on top. QUICK TIPTo make ham broth, put a ham bone in a pot with 7-8 cups of water, 2-3 carrots, 1 celery stalk, and 2-3 garlic cloves. Add fresh or dried thyme. Boil, then simmer for 1 hour or slow cook for 6-8 hours. Strain out the solids, and the broth is ready to use or freeze. Tips For Success Potato Size: dice the potatoes into small 1/2-inch pieces for them to cook properly within 8-12 minutes. Larger pieces will take longer to cook. Veggie Cutting: Chop all veggies to a similar size for even cooking; varying sizes lead to a mix of mushy and undercooked pieces in your ham and potato soup. Potato Choice: Use Yukon gold potatoes for their creamy texture and buttery flavor. Their thin skin doesn’t require peeling. STORAGE Freezing the Soup: It’s best not to freeze Ham and Potato Soup due to its high dairy content. Freezing and thawing can cause the milk solids to separate, leading to a grainy texture. Reheating the Soup: To reheat, gently warm the soup in a pot, stirring often. Avoid boiling or high heat to prevent separation of the ingredients. More Soup Recipes Slow cooker Mexican Street Corn and Chicken Chowder Sausage Potato Soup reader favorite recipe! Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden copycat Pasta Soup with Italian sausage Creamy Vegetable Soup loaded with veggies FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Ham and Potato Soup 5 from 24 votes - Review this recipe This easy Ham and Potato Soup is made in one pot on the stovetop. It's thick, hearty, comforting, and the perfect way to use any leftover holiday ham! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Ham and Potato Soup 5 from 24 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This easy Ham and Potato Soup is made in one pot on the stovetop. It's thick, hearty, comforting, and the perfect way to use any leftover holiday ham! Course lunch, Main Course, Soup Cuisine American Keyword ham and potato soup Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 20 minutes minutes Total Time 35 minutes minutes Servings 6 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 336kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.72 Ingredients▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil, separated▢ 1 and 1/2 cups cubed leftover (fully cooked) ham▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced (~1 cup)▢ 1 large carrot, diced (heaping 1/2 cup)▢ 1 stalk celery, diced (heaping 1/2 cup)▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (~2 cloves)▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 3 tablespoons white flour▢ 3/4 teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried oregano▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, optional▢ Seasoned salt and freshly cracked pepper▢ 3 cups milk (1%, 2% or whole; whole will be creamiest and what I typically use)▢ 1 and 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth▢ 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, diced (peeled if desired) (See Note 1)▢ 1 and 1/2 cups frozen corn▢ 1 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese▢ Optional: fresh thyme or fresh parsley InstructionsHAM: Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to a large cast-iron pot over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the chopped ham and sauté for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Quickly dry the pot and return to the stove top.VEGGIES: Over high heat, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and once shimmering, add the 1 cup diced onion, heaping 1/2 cup carrot, and heaping 1/2 cup celery. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add in the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic and stir for another minute.THICKEN: Add the butter to the pot and stir until melted. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Stir for 1 minute to cook off the raw flavor of the flour. Add the seasonings: the 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir seasonings for 30 seconds. Pour in 1 cup of milk and whisk until it starts to thicken (~1 minute); then pour in the remaining two cups of milk. Whisk until it thickens (~2-3 minutes) and then add in the 1 and 1/2 cups chicken stock. Whisk until slightly thickened (another ~1-2 minutes). (See Note 2)POTATOES: Bring the soup to a boil, slightly lower the heat to medium, and add the potatoes to the soup. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring often. The soup will thicken as it cooks and the potatoes should be fork tender after 8-10 minutes. (If the soup has thickened too much, add in a splash of additional chicken stock; I usually add up to 1/2 cup extra.)HAM AND CORN: Once the potatoes are fork tender, stir in the corn and the ham you set aside earlier. Heat through. Decrease the heat to low and add in the freshly grated cheese. Stir until just melted and then taste for seasonings. Remove from heat.SERVE: Serve bowls of soup garnished with fresh thyme or parsley, if desired. Recipe NotesNote 1: Make sure to dice the potatoes into small pieces (1/2-inch) so they can cook through in the 8-12 minutes indicated in the recipe. Larger potato chunks will need to simmer longer, which will result in too much liquid being absorbed. Note 2: As the soup simmers and thickens, be sure to stir it often and scrape the bottom as you stir. (The flour and butter have a tendency to stick to the bottom which will result in a soup that doesn't thicken properly.) Nutrition FactsServing: 6servings | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.6g | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 18.7g | Cholesterol: 62.7mg | Sodium: 744.6mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 9g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
This potato soup has SO MUCH flavor! My husband said it’s the best he’s ever had. And what a great way to use up leftover Easter ham. We loved it. Reply
So happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks so much for trying and commenting on so many of my recipes Pam <3 Reply
I totally needed to use up left over ham from Easter tonight, and of course I hopped into your website, and found this. Chelsea! It’s got the BEST flavor! Our family loved it. Reply
Fantastic soup! I used 1% milk and found it worked great. Also, I used 3/4 cup corn and added 3/4 cup peas to recipe, plus I hit the soup with a couple tbsp of lemon juice. Really wonderful rainy day soup. Thx Chelsea! Reply
Really delicious! I didn’t have ham so I substituted smoked sausage. Such a great tasting, creamy soup, a definite keeper! Reply
I don’t recommend freezing this soup because there is so much dairy in it. The milk solids will separate as the soup thaws, resulting in a grainy texture with a lot of separation. Reply
Can I do this is a crockpot and if I still have the bone in chunk can I simmer it in the crockpot? Reply
This was such a great way to use up our ham from Thanksgiving that we had frozen. Really enjoy all the recipes you put together. Reply
This has become my go to after a ham dinner. I’ve made it with and without adding cheese and it’s delicious both ways. Reply
I make soup all the time, and this soup was 100% AMAZING! Can’t wait to make it again. A new favorite! Reply
I absolutely love this soup! So easy to make and taste so delicious literally ‘fall’ in a bowl. I didn’t have oregano so I added poultry seasoning in its place and it was delicious!! Also pairs really well with sourdough bread. Reply
This is probably one of my favorite soups of all time to make! We have it regularly here! I’m currently making a pot now! It’s the perfect cold day comfort soup. I serve it with fresh sourdough and it’s soooooo good! Reply
Amazing soup so flavorful! Thank you! We were in Rochester Mn and ate at our motel restaurant and the chef made a potato ham soup so good. It had a spice that made it so good and found yours and determined it was the Thyme seasoning. Omg so happy I found it. Looking forward to more of your recipes! Reply
