These hot and cold spring days have me feeling all kinds of confused about what to make for dinner. One day it’s warm and sunny, and the next it feels like winter all over again. But no matter the mood, I feel like soup is always the right answer, and this Ham and Potato Soup is a crowd pleaser. Creamy but not too heavy, and loaded with fresh veggies and salty ham, this soup is perfect for this transitional season!
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“This was great! My kids said best potato soup ever. Will definitely add to my recipe book. Thank You!”
DANIELLE
When the weather can’t decide between spring sunshine and winter chill, I turn to this Ham and Potato Soup—it’s the ultimate comfort food for those in-between days. It’s creamy without being too heavy and packed with chunky potatoes, fresh veggies, and salty ham. Sometimes I grab a ham steak, but it’s also a great way to use up leftover ham from our Baked Ham recipe. And if I’m cooking for vegetarian friends, I just skip the ham and it turns into a delicious veggie chowder. Either way, it’s a cozy, budget-friendly soup that always hits the spot.
Ham and Potato Soup
Servings 8 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced ($0.20)
- 3 stalks celery, diced ($0.30)
- 1 small white onion, diced ($0.70)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (roughly 3½ cups)* ($1.66)
- 6 cups vegetable broth** ($0.78)
- 2 cups cooked diced ham ($6.38)
- 2 Tbsp salted butter ($0.24)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.05)
- 2 cups milk ($0.36)
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley ($0.08)
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- Salt, to taste*** ($0.01)
Instructions
- In the stock pot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook down until slightly softened and the onions are nice and glossy, about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, vegetable broth, and ham in the stockpot. Bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and let the potatoes simmer for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Stir in the pepper.
- Melt the butter in a separate medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook for about 1 minute. (Note: this is a “blonde roux” so you don’t want the flour to toast too much!) Whisk in milk and cook for about 4 minutes until thick and warm.
- Pour milk/roux mixture into the stockpot with ham soup and whisk to combine. Cook until all vegetables reach desired tenderness and soup thickens to your liking, another 10 minutes should do it. Add the parsley, additional salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
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Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Notes
Nutrition
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how to make Ham and Potato Soup step-by-step photos
Sauté the veggies: In your stock pot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add 2 peeled and diced carrots, 3 diced stalks celery, and 1 diced small white onion and cook down until slightly softened and the onions are nice and glossy, about 5 minutes.
Add potatoes, broth, and ham: Add 2 peeled and diced potatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth, and 2 cups diced cooked ham in the stockpot. Bring to a boil; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in your 1 tsp black pepper.
Make the roux: Melt 2 Tbsp salted butter in a separate medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook for about 1 minute. (Note: this is a “blonde roux” so you don’t want the flour to toast too much!) Whisk in 2 cups milk and cook for about 4 minutes until thick and warm.
Pour milk/roux mixture into the stockpot with ham soup and whisk to combine. Cook until all vegetables reach desired tenderness and soup thickens to your liking, another 10 minutes should do it. Add parsley, additional salt, and pepper if needed and enjoy!
This creamy ham and potato soup is perfect for the changing seasons!
How to store and reheat
Let soup cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally. Cream soups typically don’t freeze well.
Serving suggestions
Our Cheddar Scallion Scones are just the thing for dipping into this rich, creamy soup. Pair it with our Kale and Apple Salad for a fresh, tangy contrast that brightens up the whole meal.
Loved it!
I started out with 4 cups of veggie broth, reserving two cups to use as needed.
Then I used a potato masher to break up some of the veggies and thicken the soup a bit. Added the milk, then brought everything back up to a simmer before adding instant mashed potatoes to thicken to taste (skipped the flour entirely).
I ended up not needing the extra veggie broth. I added a half teaspoon of ground thyme along with the pepper at the end, and it was perfect.
Awesome notes. Thanks for making it, Nora! Enjoy!
Ham and potato soup is a favorite at my house – even my picky 5 year old loves it.
Hearty, comforting, delicious! I added frozen peas and it didn’t thicken as much as I wanted so I added a little bit of instant mashed potatoes. It turned out so good! Will definitely make again.
This stuff is AMAZING! I made it for myself and my picky eater. I didn’t realize that you’re not supposed to freeze creamy soups so the leftovers, I portioned and put in the freezer. I was like ahh darn it, I’ve wasted it.
BUT I did decide to give it a try about 3 weeks later and it was even better than the first time. I am so happy I found this recipe. Thank you for sharing. It’s wonderful.
So glad you enjoyed it, Ash!
Was a big hit!
I had less potatoes and less ham than required, so I added some cut up bacon, which I cooked first, removed except 2 Tbsp of the grease, which I cooked the veggies in and used for the roux. I also reduced the broth down to 4 cups and the milk to 1. There’s only 2 of us, and we both had a big bowl tonight and will have leftovers for tomorrow. Served it with a crusty baguette and some bacon bits and shredded cheese on top :)
That sounds amazing. Nice thinking on the fly. Love it!
So, so good!!!
Forgot the starts!
Thanks, Amy!!
This is an excellent recipe. I doubled the recipe since we have a lot of mouths to feed and like leftovers. Thank you for sharing.
This was so straightforward to make and tasted fantastic. The recipe did specify vegetable stock and I only had beef bullion in my pantry but that worked just fine. I’m going to be making this one over and over again.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Morgan! Thanks.
This recipe was great – it took longer than expected but it was my first time making it and I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. It got RAVE reviews in my household. I think I only got one bowl.
We’re glad everyone enjoyed it, TK!
Do you think this would be okay to make ahead and reheat in slow cooker for a soup potluck?
I think that would be fine!
Soo good! I added smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a little garlic powder and turned out great.
This was great! My kids says best potato soup ever. Will definitely add to my recipe book. Thank You!
Made this tonight for dinner as my father is a picky eater & I’m tired of making the same dishes, that being said he absolutely loved it! I chose to make my roux in a measuring cup using the soup broth so it wasn’t as creamy as it could’ve been so I will def be trying it the correct way next time
I made this last night! Very very good.
I didn’t feel it was creamy though, I did make my roux in the kettle with the veggies and added the milk at the end of the dish. So the milk would not have gotten cooked down. I will try it your way next time. That or use less milk at the end and add some heavy cream.
I also didn’t have enough chicken broth, so I did 4 cups of chicken broth 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons of It’s better than boullion.
This was super delicious. Everyone needs to try it.
Can you use ham steak for this recipe?
Definitely!