When I think of winter I automatically think of a warm bowl of soup. Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of soup in winter? One of my favorites is Homemade Ham & Potato Soup. For the most part, it’s like a warm hug in a bowl. Now, to make it special, put it in a bread bowl or eat it from a big old bowl. However, if you have a small appetite just eat a cup of this warm and satisfying deliciousness.
The beauty of this Homemade Ham & Potato Soup is you don’t need a lot of ingredients. Most of these ingredients probably can be found in your kitchen pantry or refrigerator. If you have potatoes, on hand, left-over ham (optional) carrots, heavy cream or milk, onions, celery, and corn you’re well on your way to making potato soup. In addition, some shredded cheese, bacon, and parsley as garnish can send this soup full circle.
Is This Soup Difficult to Make?
Meanwhile, by looking at this soup it appears to be complex. However, I can assure you that’s not the case. Peeling the potatoes might just be the most complicated part. Clearly, there are steps to this process, which requires a bit of multi-tasking, but they are pretty easy to follow.
To begin, if bacon will be used as a garnish, start by cooking a few pieces in the oven. Clearly, it’s easy to do and clean-up is a breeze. Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Now, place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, next, add the bacon to the rack and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. All this depends on the thickness of the bacon, observe it carefully, so it doesn’t burn.
Cooking the bacon on a rack allows air circulation which crisps the bacon. Meanwhile, if you don’t have a cooling rack, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. The bacon will cook up crisp, while immersed in its own fat. Remove it from the oven when done. Finally, save that bacon grease to sauté the vegetables that are to be used in the soup. Without a doubt, it will add to the flavor of the soup.
How Easy Is It To Make Homemade Ham & Potato Soup?
Well, it’s pretty easy to make Homemade Ham & Potato Soup. Select Yukon Gold potatoes to make the soup. The potatoes have a moderate starch content and tend to hold their shape well during cooking. However, use whatever potatoes you might have on hand.
- Begin by peeling and cutting the potatoes into medium cubes. Now, place the prepared potatoes in a large bowl filled with cold water to prevent the potatoes from browning until ready for cooking.
- Next, cook the potatoes in chicken broth in a heavy pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes until fork tender. Meanwhile, this adds in elevating layers of flavor to the soup. Now, remember this will become the base for the soup. As a result, the other ingredients shall be added to the pot.
What Other Ingredients Are Needed?
- celery
- carrots
- corn
- onion
- ham
- cream
- butter
- bacon grease
- potatoes
- chicken broth
- garlic
- ROUX: flour and water
- salt & pepper
- GARNISH: bread bowl, chopped bacon (optional), cheddar cheese, and chopped parsley
Putting The Homemade Ham & Potato Soup Together
- First, in a skillet, melt the butter and sauté the chopped celery, onion, and carrots until soft for approximately three minutes. Then, stir in the minced garlic, cook for 1 minute more.
- Next slide the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Now, add the bacon grease to the skillet, once heated stir in the cubed ham, cook for two to three minutes.
- Add the corn to the skillet. Blend until fully mixed.
- Next, make a roux of flour and water, blend until completely smooth. Add it to the vegetable mixture along with the cream. Stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Finally, add the vegetables and cream mixture to the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Reduce heat; simmer and stir for 15 minutes until the potato mixture thickens. Add more water if the soup becomes too thick.
Now, whether you choose to pair this soup with a hearty sourdough bread served in a bread bowl topped with crispy bacon, loaded with melted shredded cheddar cheese, and lots of leafy curly parsley this Homemade Ham & Potato Soup is sure to be the star of the show. Best of all Homemade Ham & Potato Soup is sure to become that warm huge you are sure to find in a bowl. In addition, to that delicious taste that you are sure to make apart of your weekly meal plan. Now check out these other soups on the blog that you might like to try.
Other Soups You Might Like:
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- 4 slices cooked bacon, (optional) crumbled
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 carrots, cubed
- 1 cup corn
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cup ham, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoon bacon grease
- 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/4 inch cubes)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (to taste)
- small Sour Dough Bread (optional) number varies according to need
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup water
- sharp cheddar cheese crumbled bacon and chopped parsley
- First, cook the bacon in the oven at 400 degrees on a tray with a cooling rack, parchment paper, or foil to promote crispiness and clean-up. Now, bake for 10 minutes or more depending on the thickness of the bacon. Then, remove from oven allow to cool, and crumble bacon for garnish topping.
- Next, peel and cut potatoes into medium cubes. Next, cook potatoes in chicken stock in a large saucepan until tender. Do not drain.
- Now, in a medium skillet, sauté chopped celery, onion, carrots, minced garlic until soft, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Next slide the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the bacon grease to the skillet, once heated stir in the cubed ham, cook for two to three minutes.
- To the skillet stir in the corn. Blend until fully mixed.
- Next, make a roux of flour and water, blend until completely smooth. Add it to the vegetable mixture along with the cream. Also, stir constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Then, add the vegetables and cream mixture to the potatoes. Immediately, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Then, reduce heat; Next, simmer and stir for 15 minutes until the potato mixture thickens. Now, add more water if the soup becomes too thick.
- First, etch a thin line on top of the bread 1-inch from the edge using a small knife.
- Secondly, connecting the line. Next, cut the top off the bread, staying within the line. Now, hollow out the loaf, leaving a ½-inch thick shell. Next, add the soup and serve. Enjoy!
