Warm up with this mouthwatering, hearty and creamy ham and potato soup! It’s perfect for a busy weeknight, it’s made easy in one pot on the stove and it’s a great way to use up all your holiday ham leftovers.  

Ever since grocery pickup became a thing, I’ve been using it bi-weekly, if not weekly. So when I put a ham in my grocery cart, I couldn’t really pick a size so I was curious what I’d get. 9lbs!!! I got a 9 lb spiral ham. LOL! But it made for the most delicious leftovers and I always love sharing with my sister here in town who’s a busy mama as well. But even if you don’t have any leftover ham, you could still pick some up from your local deli because I’m telling you, you want to make this soup!

I’ll be real with you guys. I’m not a big soup lover. Say what??! There’s very few I do love and when I post them, I’m not sugar coating anything! 😉 There IS a reason I’m trying to convince you to make them. On a chilly day, there’s absolutely nothing better than cozying up with a bowl of hot, creamy soup! Especially this ham and potato soup. It’s like a big hug in a bowl! 🙂 We’ve had a surprisingly mild winter in Saskatchewan (Canada) but we got hit with a 3 day cold spell and we had no idea what to do with ourselves! HA! This soup was perfect!!

Do you remember that ham bone I told you to save? I have some instructions included below on how to make some ham broth that you will be using for this soup. Chicken broth works as well if you don’t have ham leftovers.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided  
• 1 1/2 cups cubed ham, full cooked 
• 1 yellow onion, diced 
• 2 medium carrots, diced 
• 2 stalk celery, diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted 
• 3 tablespoons flour 
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano 
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups milk (2% or whole)
• 2 cups ham broth (chicken stock or broth is okay to use)
• 2 cups diced potatoes (Yukon or Russet)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peaches and cream corn
• 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

TOPPINGS

• Fresh parsley 
• Chives or green onions 
• Freshly grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add in the ham and sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the ham and set it on to a paper towel lined plate. Give the pot a quick wipe with a paper towel and return to the stove top. 
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and once shimmering, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add in the minced garlic and stir for another minute. 
3. Add the butter to the pot and stir until it’s melted. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute until vegetables are covered and browned a bit. Then add the seasonings: thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour in 1 cup of milk and stir until it starts to thicken (1-2 minutes), then pour in the remaining two cups of milk. Whisk until it thickens and then add in the two cups of ham broth. Whisk until slightly thickened. While the soup thickens, be sure to stir often and scrape the bottom!
4. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat to medium and add the potatoes, ham and corn to the soup. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are fork tender. The soup will thicken as it cooks, and if it’s thickened too much, add in a splash or two of additional stock. 
5. Turn the heat to low and add in the freshly grated cheese. Stir gently until just melted. Have a taste and adjust seasonings to your liking! 
6. Remove from the heat and serve! 
7. Garnish with fresh parsley, chives and cheddar cheese.

RECIPE NOTES

HOW TO MAKE HAM BROTH

• Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover half of the ham bone. 
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid. 
• Let it simmer for an hour. 
• Discard ham bone. 
• Let the broth cool completely before freezing it.

 Adapted from Chelsea’s Messy Apron