Not Quite From My Cookbook… Dave’s Hearty Ham and Potato Soup
Besides an excellent use of your leftover holiday ham, this is an absolutely wonderful stick-to-your-ribs soup. It is one of my new favorites.
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
I’ve been on a roll…
For the past several weeks, I’ve been concentrating on recipes that put our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday leftovers to productive use. The end game is delicious meals that are economical with our food and our time. This recipe is a great example of that.
Unfortunately, this recipe is not in my cookbook because I developed it after the cookbook was published, but I want my readers to have it anyway. The key theme of this recipe is the economical use of our time and resources, which is what my cookbook is mostly about.
I’ll be following this recipe up with two more that did not make the cookbook. I’ve really been concentrating on using holiday leftovers in tasty ways and that has caused me to really get on a recipe development kick recently.
For today, check out the recipe and see how delicious your leftover holiday ham and a few inexpensive potatoes can be!!
David Giustozzi’s Hearty Ham and Potato Soup
I love a ham. Especially a spiral cut ham. Simple, inexpensive and delicious. We often serve one for Christmas or other family get together. And when the meal is finished and the bone stripped of the ham, well then it’s time to repurpose the bone into soup! I have a few soup recipes that use a ham bone. Pinto bean soup is always good, and of course my Navy bean soup is one of my favorite recipes. Now, I have to say that I think I like this potato soup even better! Yes, it’s hard to believe we can improve on Navy Bean soup, but I think this one does!
Ingredients
Ham bone with scraps attached
3-3½ cups water for ham bone stock
3 cups whole milk, warmed to room temperature
2 bay leaves
5 tablespoons butter
1 sweet or yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4-5 cups ham scraps (Note 1)
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2-2.5 pounds (4 or so) Russet potatoes peeled, diced ½”
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped parsley (curly or flat), plus more for garnishing
½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more
for garnishing each bowl as desired
Instructions
In a stock pot just large enough to hold the ham bone, add the bone, water and bay leaves. The water will not cover the bone and that’s OK. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Maintain a slow rolling boil, ensuring lid is secured tightly so a lot of steam is not released. You want at least 3 cups of stock when finished.
Meanwhile, add butter, onions, celery, and ham to a large Dutch oven. Cover. Sauté over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft. Remove cover and continue to sauté until onions and ham start to brown on the tips and sticking to the bottom. Stir occasionally, scraping the bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Do not rush this step, it is the key to wonderful flavor. It will take 30 minutes or so.
Remove the ham bone and bay leaves from the stock to a plate. Pick remaining ham when cool, add to soup.
Add the garlic, potatoes, and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally
Evenly sprinkle the flour over top and cook for a few minutes. You will have what looks like a big blob, but this is key to obtaining proper thickening later
Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Stirring and scraping the bottom as you go. Use low heat so you don’t brown the potatoes on the bottom 15-20 minutes.
Using a potato masher, mash most of the potatoes until the soup is very thick.
Add the milk and simmer until warm, trying not to boil.
Add salt and pepper and taste. Adjust to needed.
Turn off heat. Sprinkle cheese, stirring to incorporate.
Allow to rest 10 or 15 minutes. Soup will be thick and delicious. Add a bit more milk to thin, or cornstarch slurry to thicken, remembering the leftover soup will thicken in the refrigerator.
Serve, sprinkling additional cheese and parsley for garnish.
Notes
You can use less if that’s all you have, but I like a lot of ham in my soup and I find that once you get all of the slices off, this is about what remains once the bone is picked.
Dave’s Hearty Ham and Potato Soup
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What’s in it for me?
Good eats, that’s what!
Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating hearty food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ