Ham and Potato Soup

Name: Ham and Potato Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 tbsp butter; 1 onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 cups diced cooked ham; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup flour; 4 cups chicken broth; 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, diced; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp pepper; Salt to taste (the ham votes first)

Ham and potato soup is the thrifty classic that turns a leftover holiday ham — or a cheap ham steak any week of the year — into a creamy, comforting pot that eats like a hug.

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Hearty ham and potato soup in a rustic bowl

AI-generated recipe illustration

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings

Ham and potato soup is the thrifty classic that turns a leftover holiday ham — or a cheap ham steak any week of the year — into a creamy, comforting pot that eats like a hug. Potatoes and ham simmer in broth until tender, then a quick butter-flour-milk enrichment turns the broth velvety without heavy cream. It's the soup our grandmothers made the Tuesday after Easter, and the reason the ham bone never, ever went in the trash.

Ingredients

How to make ham and potato soup

Melt the butter and soften the onion, carrots, and celery, 5–6 minutes. Add the ham and garlic for 2 more.
Sprinkle in the flour; stir 1 minute.
Whisk in the broth gradually, then add the potatoes, thyme, and pepper.
Simmer 15–18 minutes until the potatoes are tender; mash a few against the pot to thicken.
Stir in the milk and warm through without boiling. Taste, then salt — ham broth often needs none.
Serve with crusty bread or cornbread.

Make it your own

Ingredient	Swap	Good to know
Diced ham	Ham bone + 2 cups water	Simmer the bone in step 4, pull the meat after
Whole milk	Half-and-half or evaporated milk	Richer body, same method
Yukon golds	Russets	Fluffier, dissolve more — mash less
Flour	Cornstarch slurry at the end	Gluten-free thickening route

Storage & leftovers

Refrigerate up to 4 days; thin with milk or broth as it thickens overnight.

Like most potato-dairy soups it freezes reluctantly — texture returns slightly grainy. Fridge-week soup, best enjoyed fresh-ish.

A few helpful answers

Can I use the bone from a spiral ham?

That bone is the entire reason this soup exists. Simmer it in the pot through step 4, then pull off every scrap of meat and return it.

Why shouldn't I salt until the end?

Ham varies wildly in saltiness and it seasons the broth as it simmers. Salt early and you risk a soup only the ocean could love.

How do I make it thicker and chowder-like?

Mash more potatoes against the pot, or blend two cups and stir back. For full chowder status, swap the milk for half-and-half.

What's the best bread for dunking?

Cornbread if you're Southern, crusty sourdough if you're not, saltines if you're honest.

ESTIMATED NUTRITION · PER SERVING

380 calories · 21g protein · 42g carbohydrates · 15g fat · 1020mg sodium