↑

Classic & Original Homecooking Recipe

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
Home » Lunch » Soup » Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and Potato Soup

Created: November 23, 2020 Updated: October 4, 2022 by Lyuba Brooke 6 Comments

2.4K shares
Jump to Recipe

Ham and potato soup is a rich, creamy and comforting soup that is perfect as cold weather comfort food. This hearty soup is full of soft potatoes, vegetables, flavorful ham, whole milk, and sharp white cheddar cheese!

If you want another great soup to use up some leftover ham, don’t miss my Instant Pot Ham and Bean soup!

spoon in bowl of creamy potato soup with ham

The combination of flavorful leftover ham and creamy, soft potatoes makes this hearty soup a family favorite. In the winter months, we have this soup so often, I have to be well stocked on potatoes.

Because this soup features leftover ham, you can enjoy it in less than an hour and only need one pot to make it. But if you don’t have leftover ham, you can get some thick sliced ham at your deli section of the grocery store and dice it at home. (You can even buy already diced packaged ham at the store too.)

Difference Between Potato Soup and Chowder

The difference comes down to consistency. While the flavors are very similar, the textures are pretty different. 

Chowder recipes typically have similar ingredients to potato soup, but chowder is much thicker and chunky, almost like a stew. It is often a lot creamier as well. Potato soup, while thick and creamy, has a soupier consistency and made with more broth. 

How to Make Ham and Potato Soup

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients needed for this recipe are inexpensive and super simple! It’s a great way to use any leftover baked ham, too!

  • Canola Oil – This can be substituted with any neutral flavor of cooking oil.
  • Yellow Onion
  • Carrot – Fun fact! If you only have baby carrots, 4 baby carrots is equal to 1 medium carrot.
  • Celery
  • Idaho Potatoes – These really are the best potatoes for soup. Their neutral flavor adapts so well with the other flavors in the dish. 
  • Diced Ham – If you’re planning to use ham leftovers, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of meat for this recipe. If the ham is glazed, you can cut away any crispy parts of skin.
  • Chicken Stock – It’s best to use stock, not broth. Stock has a richer, fuller flavor than broth.
  • Garlic Powder – Don’t make the mistake of using garlic salt instead. You want to avoid making your soup too salty. 
  • Salt – This is to taste. I recommend taste the soup often while cooking!
  • Cracked Black Pepper 
  • Whole Milk – you can use 2% to make it less creamy or, if you want to make the soup creamier, add about 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. 
  • Sharp White Cheddar Cheese – you want to use cheddar cheese that has a strong flavor. Think Vermont sharp, or seriously sharp, or any other you love.
  • Green Onion – great compliment to ham and cheese flavors.

Step By Step Instructions

prepared ingredients on cutting board to make ham and potato soup recipe

In just a few steps, you’ll have the best ham and potato soup:

Prepare the ingredients. Before you can really get started, you’ll need to prepare. Once your vegetables and meat are diced and measured, you’ll be ready to go.

Cook the vegetables. Over medium heat, combine the oil and vegetables. Sauté for just a few minutes, until everything is soft. 

overhead image: sauteing diced onion, carrot, and celery in large pot

Add the main ingredients. Add the meat to the pot first and let it warm up. Then, add the diced potatoes. 

adding diced potatoes into a pot of ham soup

Pour in the chicken stock. Pour just enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes and stir well. 

adding chicken stock to a pot of vegetables, potatoes and ham for soup recipe

Season and stir. Toss your seasonings into the mix and stir it all together. Keep stirring and cooking until the potatoes are soft and tender. If you’d like to thicken the texture a bit more, feel free to mash some of the potatoes with your spoon.  

pouring cream into a pot of homemade soup

Add the remaining ingredients. Pouring in the milk (or heavy cream), cheese and diced green onions is my favorite step! It’s when you really get to see the soup come together. 

fresh scallions and heavy cream being added to pot of ham and potato soup

Serve! Cook long enough for the cheese to melt, then serve your soup hot and fresh.

ladle in pot of cheesy ham and potato soup

Storing and Serving Tips

How should I store the soup?

I love making this recipe because of how well it holds up in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and the soup can last up to 5 days.

You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stove – it’ll be delicious either way!

What should I garnish it with?

I love using the fresh ingredients I have leftover to sprinkle on top of my bowl. Cheddar cheese, green onion, and cracked black pepper are all such mouthwatering garnishes!

If you have any, some crispy bacon bits are also tasty on top. 

You can always serve this creamy soup with crackers, croutons, or fresh baguette.

MORE HEARTY SOUP RECIPES

Cold weather and hearty soups go together like a needle and thread. If you need more soup options to keep you cozy, try this recipe for the Copycat Zuppa Toscana.

I also have a hard time choosing between my greatest baked potato soup and creamy cauliflower ham and cheese soup. With all these creamy, cozy soups to choose from, you’ll be happy all winter long.

overhead image: spoon in orange bowl of creamy ham chowder

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

PIN THIS RECIPE

spoon in bowl of creamy potato soup with ham

Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and potato soup is a rich, creamy and comforting soup full of soft potatoes, vegetables, flavorful ham, whole milk, and sharp white cheddar cheese!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 321kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 long celery rib
  • 2 lbs Idaho potatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups diced ham
  • 3 cups chicken stock enough to cover potatoes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup diced green onion
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Prepare the ingredients first: peel and dice potatoes, onions, carrots, ham, and celery and measure the rest of the ingredients.
  • Preheat a large Dutch oven or another soup pot over medium heat and add oil. Add onions, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté until softened.
  • Mix in diced ham, let it heat through, and then, add diced potatoes.
  • Mix everything well and pour in chicken stock, just enough to cover potatoes.
  • Season the soup with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir well. Let it cook over medium-low heat until potatoes are completely soft, tender, and falling apart. You can even mash a few with a wooden spoon to created thicken soup texture.
  • Stir in milk, grated white cheddar cheese, and diced green onion. Cook long enough for the cheese to melt and serve.

Notes

NOTE: if you want richer and creamier texture, feel free to use heavy whipping cream instead of milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 881mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1995IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
titled image for Pinterest (and shown): Easy Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

2.4K shares

Filed Under: Holiday Leftover Recipes, Soup, Soups

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Cynthia Seymour says

    November 1, 2022 at 9:40 pm

    5 stars
    Made your yummy soup tonight and the family loved it. It was the perfect dish for a rainy day. Your instructions were clear and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 4, 2022 at 9:28 am

      I am so glad you liked it, Cynthia!

      Reply
  2. Maureen Hamilton says

    November 26, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight with leftover ham from Thanksgiving dinner and t was wonderful on this freezing cold night.. thanks for a great recipe

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 8, 2021 at 10:32 am

      So glad you liked it, Maureen!

      Reply
  3. Anna Michelle says

    November 25, 2020 at 5:49 am

    5 stars
    I love your recipes and that they are easy to follow. Takes no time to make a great homemade meal. Thank you for sharing them with us.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 25, 2020 at 9:00 am

      You’re very welcome, I am so glad you liked it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Easter Recipes

closeup squared view of several potato rolls in a bowl.

Potato Rolls

closeup of scooping out mashed potatoes.

Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

closeup of sliced prime rib with sauces around.

Prime Rib

squared closeup of baked ham with orange ham glaze.

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

squared image of scooping out creamy brussels.

Creamy Baked Brussels Sprouts

closeup squared image of scooping out creamed spinach.

Creamed Spinach

pulling part a dinner roll to show the cheesy center.

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

closeup whole vanilla cheesecake with whipped cream.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Our Popular Recipes

four meatballs scooped on the wooden spoon

The Best Italian Meatballs

white bowl filled with beef and rice soup - spoon in the bowl

Homemade Stuffed Peppers Soup

White BBQ chicken sub on a wooden table with a small glass dish holding white BBQ sauce in the background as viewed close up

White BBQ Chicken Subs

Instant Pot Chili

closeup view of the martini with olives in a glass

Dirty Martini

Spanish Rice

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

January 30, 2023
Delicious,...
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Classic & Original Homecooking Recipe. Design by Pixel Me Designs