A few weeks ago we got our first taste of spring. All the snow melted, the weather was in the low 50’s and the sun was shining.
We fired up the grill, made a bunch of salads and ate lots of fresh fruit.
Then it snowed — a lot!
So I came back inside, made lots of rich desserts and a few more batches of soup.
Isn’t crazy how weather affects our food choices? Or maybe it’s just me!
One of the soups I made was a Hearty Ham and Potato Soup. It’s actually the first time I made it this year…which is surprising because it’s one of our favorites.
It’s such a quick meal and even picky eaters should love this soup because there aren’t any “big” flavors. Just meat, potatoes, broth, and veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 T. oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 qts. water
- 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1 1/2 c. milk or cream
- 1/2 lb. ham, cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
Ok, so I didn’t say this recipe would be the healthiest recipe I’ve ever posted…but it sure is delicious on a cold winter day!
Directions
- Heat oil in a large pot and sautee onions until soft
- Add water, potatoes, carrots, and celery
- Boil until veggies are tender {about 15 minutes}
- Drain and reserve all liquid {you will use some of this broth later on…and you can freeze the rest of it}
- Set veggies aside
- In the same pan, melt butter
- Whisk flour and milk together and add to the melted butter, string constantly until mixture thickens
- Add 1 cup or more of reserved broth — if you like thicker soup, add less — thinner soup, add more
- Gently stir in cooked vegetables and ham.
You may add more broth if you want a thinner soup, or let it simmer for a while if it’s too thin.
Serve with salad and fresh bread, garlic bread, or rolls. YUM!
NOTE:
Despite my undying devotion to freezer foods, this soup does NOT freeze well.
Just trust me on this one 🙂
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Jeanine says
I love your favorites, and I plan to try the soup! One of my favorite things about winter is trying new soups, and I found a recipe that is really delicious. In fact, my husband said to be sure not to lose the recipe! It’s Zuppa Toscano soup posted by lowcarbspark.com: https://www.lowcarbspark.com/zuppa-toscana/. I added 2 cups of chicken broth and used spinach instead of kale when I made it.
Jeanine says
I should have said 2 extra cups of broth for a total of 6 cups.
Andrea says
sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Deirdre Westerhoff says
Hi, Andrea!
This used to be one of my favorite soups, until I became severely allergic to mammal meat, including ham, due to Lone Star tick bites causing me to develop an allergy to mammal meat and dairy called Alpha-Gal. Thankfully, I can still eat poultry and seafood.
In light of that, I am going to try this by using either cooked turkey wing, leg or thigh meat, or boneless chicken thighs – my go to for when I want to add that “ham like taste” to foods – in place of the ham, and full fat coconut milk in place of the milk/cream, as well as Earth Balance buttery spread for the butter.
Huge thanks again for sharing your life with us!
Your fan in Virginia,
Deirdre
Melinda says
I have always made a thick & hearty potato soup with ham chunks in it like yours. A few months ago I got the idea to use ground spicy sausage instead of the ham and it was a huge hit. I just might be making that a permanent change because it went over so well!
Glad to see you back on the blog!
Andrea says
Interesting — I may have to give the sausage a try 🙂
Thanks!!
Cheryl says
How about – I had about 4 cups of organic, french onion soup (just the liquid) and used it in place of 4 cups of the water. I didn’t add the onion – it was really good! Thanks for the recipe
Andrea says
yum, that sounds delicious!!
Jill says
Potato soup is always yummy. I make a loaded potato soup that is my favorite and out of this world good.
Andrea says
Yum…loaded potato soup sounds delicious — I’m assuming it has some bacon and cheese in it? How could that NOT be fantastic!
Jill says
It does have cheese and bacon and a couple of secret ingredients.