Creamy Ham and Potato Soup is the most delicious recipe to use your leftover ham. It's cheesy, thick and creamy but also seriously easy to make and ready in under an hour- this is the ultimate comfort food!
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Why You’ll Love this Leftover Ham Soup
I seriously love leftovers. And I also can't stand food waste. So repurposing leftovers makes me very happy. And being that my love affair with soup is seemingly endless, using leftover ham in a soup seemed like a natural next step. So this Potato and Ham Soup was born.
Milk and greek yogurt help make a deliciously cheesy potato soup without being overly heavy (because there's no heavy cream in this recipe!) and cheddar cheese adds a certain decadence that we all know and love. Throw in the savory ham and you've got yourself a meal that's as comforting as it is easy. Here’s why I love it:
- Great way to use up leftover ham
- Easy recipe
- Comforting
- Done in under an hour
- Family-friendly
- Easy to customize
Ingredient Information And Substitutions:
- Salted butter - It's fine to swap for unsalted butter, but you may want to add a little extra salt for flavor.
- Ham - Typically, I use leftover ham, but you can also use any ham you have on hand. Another option is to use diced bacon- if you use bacon, remove one of the Tablespoons of butter. P.S. If you have a ton of leftover ham, some of my other favorite recipes to repurpose it include Ham and Cheese Sliders, Mom's Ham Salad and Ham and Scalloped Potatoes Casserole.
- Onion - Any onion works, but I prefer yellow or white when making leftover ham soup. They add a subtle sweetness.
- Flour - Gives the ham potato soup an extra creamy and thick texture.
- Chicken broth - It's fine to swap for veggie broth too!
- Milk - Add whatever milk you have on hand. Whole milk is going to be creamier, but you can get by with 2% if that is what you have.
- Potatoes - Keep the cuts of potatoes small and bite-sized. It will allow them to cook faster and more evenly.
- Sharp cheddar cheese - To achieve the perfect cheesiness sharp cheddar is best. You can use other varieties if you'd rather!
- Kosher salt - Season to taste.
- Black pepper - Add as much or as little as you like.
- Green onion - Dice them up thin, they had color and flavor to the creamy ham and potato soup.
How To Make Cheesy Ham And Potato Soup
Step 1- Sauté ham.
Melt butter and sauté ham for 5 minutes until golden and remove from pan.
Step 2- Sauté onions.
Add remaining butter to the pan and sauté onions for 4 minutes to soften.
Step 3- Make a roux.
Add flour and stir until no lumps remain to make a roux. Cook for 2 minutes.
Step 4- Add broth, milk and potatoes.
Add broth, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to cook potatoes.
Step 5- Add yogurt and cheese and blend.
Stir in Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese and use an immersion blender to partially blend- this will thicken the soup while still leaving some texture.
Step 6- Add ham to soup.
Add some of the ham back to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with a garnish of ham, cheese and green onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used red potatoes, but white potatoes are also a great option.
They should be peeled because you’ll be partially blending the soup.
If you don't have (or want) ham, you can always start by cooking a few slices of bacon and then cut the butter in the recipe down by one Tablespoon.
Yes, this freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in your refrigerator when ready to cook.
I use a few methods in this. I make a roux, I add some Greek yogurt and I use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup.
Melt butter in a pan and mix in equal parts flour. Stir until no lumps remain and cook for a couple minutes before adding your liquid.
No problem, thin it out with a little extra milk to thin out the ham and cheese soup.
Tips for making Ham and Potato Soup:
- Salted butter is best! I like to use salted butter because it adds even more great flavor.
- Flour can vary. I gave a range for the amount of flour to use depending on how thick you want it. If you find that it's thinner than you had hoped, you can always mix a little flour with a little water and mix it in as it simmers to make it thicker.
- Skip bagged shreds. Shredding the cheese yourself allows it to melt easier than pre-shredded (but both work!).
- Storage and Leftovers: This makes tasty leftovers and will last for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator. But be aware that it gets a lot thicker when it cools. This is easily remedied by adding a little milk or water when you reheat it.
- Don't have an immersion blender? No problem! Pour half the soup into a blender or food processor, puree and add back into the pot.
- Adjust seasonings as needed. Be sure to taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Ingredients to prep ahead: Chop the ham, chop the onion, shred the cheese.
Other Soup Recipes to Try...
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Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
Equipment
- chefs knife
- cutting board
- Dutch oven
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 2 cups leftover ham, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 3-4 Tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- 4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded + extra for topping
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add ham to the pot and saute until golden brown stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter and melt.
- Add onions and saute stirring periodically to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour onto the onions and stir to fully coat.
- Add chicken stock, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil then reduce to medium low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. It will thicken a bit during this time.
- Add greek yogurt and cheese and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's partially blended (so there are still some chunks of potato but its also thicker).
- Add 1 ½ cups of diced ham into the soup.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with remaining diced ham, extra cheese and chopped green onions.
Video
Notes
- Flour can vary. I gave a range for the amount of flour to use depending on how thick you want it. If you find that it's thinner than you had hoped, you can always mix a little flour with a little water and mix it in as it simmers to make it thicker.
- Skip bagged shreds. Shredding the cheese yourself allows it to melt easier than pre-shredded (but both work!).
- Don't have an immersion blender? No problem! Pour half the soup into a blender or food processor, puree and add back into the pot.
- Salted butter is best! I like to use salted butter because it adds even more great flavor.
- Storage and Leftovers: This makes tasty leftovers and will last for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator. But be aware that it gets a lot thicker when it cools. This is easily remedied by adding a little milk or water when you reheat it.
- Adjust seasonings as needed. Be sure to taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Ingredients to prep ahead: Chop the ham, chop the onion, shred the cheese.
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