Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

Turn Leftovers to Luxury

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup: A Leftover Makeover

This creamy ham and potato soup is a delicious way to use leftovers. Surprisingly, ingredients you might otherwise discard can create an amazing meal. Want to start from scratch? This recipe has you covered.

Total Time: 15 Minutes
Prep Time: 5 Minutes  
Active Cook Time: 10 Minutes  
Serving: 4-6

Growing up, my mom always reminded us never to waste food. So, we never minded leftovers. In fact, I've turned plenty of leftovers into new meals. This soup is just one example.

We have a full ham dinner twice a year, complete with baked ham, mashed potatoes, corn, Brussels sprouts, and dessert. Those are just the main dishes. Sometimes I add a dish or two depending on what inspires me. Since most of our extended family has moved south, the same dinner, with the same serving size, results in plenty of leftovers. This abundance inspired me to share this leftover makeover recipe with you.

Where Did the Leftovers Come From?

The mashed potatoes are from my own creamy mashed potato recipe, and the ham is from my mother-in-law's recipe (with my own twist). Knowing the original recipes gives you an idea of the flavor profile of this soup. If you don't have leftover ham and mashed potatoes, I'll explain how to adapt the recipe using readily available ingredients.

TIPS & TRICKS

What Other Vegetables Can You Add?

Feel free to replace the corn with frozen mixed vegetables. A combination of corn and a small amount of peas works well. The goal is to keep the added ingredients roughly the same size as the diced ham.

How Many Vegetables Should You Put Into This Recipe?

This soup doesn't have a lot of ham and vegetables, not because I didn't have enough leftovers, but because I wanted just enough for some texture. The crunchiness will not steal the thunder of the creaminess of the potato. But by all means, bump up the volume of other ingredients.

Can You Use Turkey Leftovers?

After Thanksgiving, you might have leftover mashed potatoes. Use turkey gravy, thinned with water, and add the potatoes for a flavorful base. Substitute turkey for the ham. If you use gravy, skip the roux (butter and flour mixture) because the gravy already contains these ingredients. Gravy thickness varies, so watch how the potatoes incorporate with the gravy.

The roux might seem thin, but it thickens the soup once combined with all the ingredients. If you halve the recipe, halve the roux as well, or the soup will be too thick. Without the roux, the soup may separate when cooled because of the butter in the mashed potatoes. This is fine if you don't mind.

For a half batch of potato and ham soup, you'll need:

• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 4 cups of Broth
• 3-4 cups of Leftover Mashed Potatoes
• The same amount of leftover ham and corn (I used mixed vegetables once to replace corn.)

I once used frozen sweet corn and ham as the combination in this soup recipe.

What If You Don't have Ham or Turkey Leftover?

The deli section in your supermarket will be your best friend in this recipe. You can request them to cut you a slab or 2 which is about 1/2" thick. Then, you can go back home to dice it.

Pre-diced ham is also available in the refrigerated section.

Sliced ham near the meat section often has a richer flavor, similar to homemade ham.

Among these choices, I must admit that the price is very close to each other. Choosing either one doesn't make a significant difference in saving.

Where Else Can You Get Mashed Potatoes If You Don’t Have Leftovers?

My creamy mashed potato recipe starts from scratch, but you might not always have time for that. Or when your craving strikes, you just want to have this delicious soup ready asap.

Here are some store-bought options:

1. Almost every supermarket’s deli section has mashed potatoes. That would be the best option because the seasoning and cooking are done already. It serves as instant leftover.
2. Many brands offer frozen, microwaveable, or dried mashed potatoes. The dried or powdered form is usually the cheapest. Keep in mind that the taste and seasoning will vary. Hold off on adding salt until the end, and adjust according to your preference.

If you're trying a new brand, taste it first to see how it might affect the soup's flavor.

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup Recipe and Instructions

Ingredients

2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
6 cups Chicken Broth
7-8 cups Leftover Mashed Potatoes
1-2 cups Small Diced Ham (leftover or store-bought)
1 cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 tbsp Dry Kale (optional)
1 tbsp Parsley Flakes (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a big soup pot, bring the broth to a boil.
2. Stir in the mashed potatoes, mashing any lumps until well combined with the broth.
3. Stir in ham, frozen mixed vegetables and dry kale (optional). Salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with some Parsley flakes and enjoy immediately.

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup Steps with Photos

Dice (leftover) ham about 1/4" each size and put it aside for later.

Add a tablespoon of each of butter and flour into the soup pot.

Cook roux (butter and flour mixture) until it starts to bubble.

Slowly stir in broth until everything is well incorporated and soup is thickened.

Add leftover mashed potatoes into the soup.

Patiently breaking down the mashed potatoes and stir.

Potatoes and soup are well incorporated.

Add ham, frozen vegetables and the 2 optional ingredients, i.e. dried kale and parsley.

Salt and pepper to taste.

More parsley for garnish and enjoy immediately!

Video

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