Classic Ham and Potato Soup
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When you want a quick and cozy meal on a chilly day, this Ham and Potato soup hits the mark. It’s a rich and creamy soup that’s simple to make, and a great use for leftover ham!
Why You’ll Love It
This is one of those soup recipes you’ll return to over and over.
All the ingredients are budget-friendly and if you cook at home often, you probably have them on hand. This is a customizable recipe, too. If you or your kids don’t like a certain veggie, just leave it out, it’s as simple as that!
It’s always nice to be able to repurposes leftovers into a new meal. The cooked ham and ham bone (if you have one) give this soup an instant flavor boost!
Because I understand that after-dinner clean up should be quick and easy, this is a one-pot recipe. However, there are other cooking options. If you want to make potato and ham soup in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, those instructions are in this post, too.
Best of all, the house smells amazing while the potato soup simmers away. It doesn’t get better than that!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my most important mom-tested cooking tips for making ham and potato soup. I have made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- To promote even cooking, cut and slice the ingredients into similar sizes.
- Save the vegetable scraps to include in a batch of vegetable stock!
- Wait to add the garlic until the rest of the vegetables are almost soft. If you add the garlic too soon, it’s likely to burn. It only needs to sauté for 30 seconds or so.
- Stir the soup a couple of times as it simmers. This will prevent the potatoes from all clumping together at the bottom of the pot.
- Remember to remove the bay leaves and ham bone before serving. Trust me, nobody wants to taste those!
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, stir in ¼ cup of broth or water at a time.
- If the broth is too thin, allow the soup to simmer slightly longer to reduce it.
Ingredients
As I mentioned, feel free to tweak the ingredients to what your family likes. I know many people who prefer ham and potato soup without vegetables.
Best Potatoes for a Creamy Potato Soup
Generally speaking, there are two types of potatoes: waxy and starchy.
Waxy potatoes are the type you typically find in dishes like potato salad and roasting. They have thin skins and hold their shape well when they’re cooked. Examples of waxy potatoes are reds, baby potatoes, fingerlings, and yellow/gold.
Starchy potatoes have thicker skins and extra starch, making them ideal for mashed potatoes, baking, and using in soups. Russets fall into this category, and Russet potatoes are what I recommend using for this soup.
Ham: If you aren’t using leftover ham, you can make this recipe with a boneless ham, or go to deli counter and ask them to cut you a large piece that you can dice rather than slice.
Are you looking for more ways to repurpose holiday ham leftovers? I recommend making classic Lentil Soup, hearty White Bean Soup, or even a Ham & Cheese Frittata.
How to Make Ham and Potato Soup
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
- Dice the ham, potatoes, and vegetables. The key here is to cut everything in similar sizes. This prevents half-cooked or mushy veggies.
- Sauté the vegetables in oil, then stir in flour, to make a roux. The roux will thicken the soup stock.
- Add the broth and seasonings, then simmer the soup for 15 minutes. *If you have a ham bone, add it in during this step.
- Stir in the milk, then simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and ham bone, taste the soup, and season if needed. Before you add any seasoning, taste the ham and potato soup. Keep in mind that ham is very salty, so you may not even need to add any salt.
Other Cooking Methods
If you’d like to make this meal in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, you can do that! Here are the instructions for making it in a slow cooker.
- Add the diced potatoes, ham and veggies to your slow cooker. Stir in the broth and bay leaves. Cook on Low for 5.5-6.5 hours, or High for 3-4 hours. The potatoes and carrots should be fork tender before moving on to the next step.
- Make a slurry by whisking a few tablespoons of the hot broth with the flour in a small bowl, then pour the slurry into the soup and stir well. Stir in the milk. Cover and simmer for another 30-45 minutes.
You can also make this in an Instant Pot, with or without meat. To get the instructions, see our Instant Pot Potato Soup recipe.
FAQs
While Russets are a starchy potato that works best in a creamy potato soup, they aren't the only option. Another good option is Yukon Gold potatoes.
You can! Ideally you should let it thaw in the refrigerator before using it in this recipe, but you can throw it in frozen — just know it may take the soup a little longer to cook through.
If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let me know how it went!
Classic Ham and Potato Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven or large soup pot with lid
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 pounds russet potatoes about 5 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- 3 cups diced cooked ham
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or more/less, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ore more/less, to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, then add the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic during the final minute to prevent it from burning.
- Add the butter to the pot and let it melt, then sprinkle the flour on top of the vegetables. Stir well to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Gradually whisk in the broth, then add potatoes, ham, and bay leaves. If you have a ham bone, add it in.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, then cover the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring the soup after 8 minutes.
- Uncover the soup and stir in the milk. Allow the soup to simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10-15 minutes. The longer it simmers, the thicker and creamier the soup will be.
- Remove the bay leaves and ham bone, if you used it. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper, if needed. If desired, garnish with minced parsley before serving.
Notes
- For extra flavor, simmer the soup with a ham bone.
- For extra richness, substitute the milk with half and half or coconut cream.
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, stir in ¼ cup of broth or water at a time as needed..
- If the soup is too thin for your liking, allow it to simmer and reduce longer, or mash some of the potatoes to help thicken the broth.
- Wait to add salt and pepper until the end of the cook time.
- Refrigerator: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container or bag. Store it in the refrigerator. Reheat and enjoy within 4 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the cool soup to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen soup in the refrigerator, then reheat as desired.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Ham and potato soup is delicious as-is, but if you want an extra hearty meal, serve it in a bread bowl, or with crusty bread, crackers, a side salad, or any roasted vegetable that you enjoy.
