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Creamy Potato and Ham Soup

Creamy Potato and Ham Soup

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic


Prep:
20 mins

Cook:
35 mins

Total:
55 mins

Servings:
6 servings

Potato soup is a comforting and versatile dish. It can be light for a lunch with a sandwich or hearty enough for a main course with a salad and crusty bread or crackers.

Top this flavorful soup with a spoonful or two of shredded cheese, sliced green onions, or fresh chopped parsley.

This version of the soup features diced cooked ham, but you can substitute it with diced and browned smoked sausage, crumbled and browned mild Italian sausage, or a similar ground sausage. Check the tips and variations below the recipe for more ideas.

Related Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Soup


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Ingredients for Creamy Potato and Ham Soup

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely chopped onion

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped celery

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

  • 1 pound ham, diced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 cups vegetable broth

  • 1 cup water

  • 4 to 5 cups peeled and diced potatoes

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 cup half-and-half, or whole milk, more if needed

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, optional

  • Thinly sliced green onions or chives, for garnish

  • Shredded Cheddar cheese, or Cheddar-Jack blend, for garnish, optional

Making Creamy Potato Soup: Step-by-Step

Note: This creamy potato soup recipe provides instructions for two preparation methods: stovetop and slow cooker.

Stovetop Method

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for creamy potato and ham soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

    Melting butter in a pot for potato soup base

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  3. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and ham.

    Adding onion, celery, carrots and ham to the pot

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  4. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.

    Cooking vegetables and ham for soup, stirring often

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  5. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

    Adding minced garlic to the vegetable and ham mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  6. Add the vegetable broth, water, and potatoes.

    Adding vegetable broth, water, and diced potatoes to the pot

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  7. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

    Covering the pot and cooking potato soup until potatoes are tender

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  8. Whisk the flour with the heavy cream until smooth.

    Whisking all-purpose flour with heavy cream until smooth

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  9. Stir it into the hot soup mixture.

    Stirring the flour and cream mixture into the hot potato soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  10. Stir in the half-and-half or milk. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Continue cooking until heated through.

    Stirring in half-and-half or milk into the potato soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  11. Using a potato masher or fork, mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup; add more milk if the soup is too thick.

    Mashing some potatoes in the soup to create a thicker consistency

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  12. Serve the potato soup garnished with fresh parsley, sliced green onions or chives, or some shredded cheese.

    Serving a bowl of creamy potato and ham soup with garnishes

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Slow Cooker Method

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for slow cooker creamy potato ham soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

    Melting butter in a saucepan for slow cooker potato soup prep

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  3. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and ham.

    Adding onion, celery, carrots, and ham to the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  4. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.

    Cooking vegetables and ham until onions are tender

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  5. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

    Adding garlic to the sautéed vegetables and ham

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  6. Transfer the sautéed vegetable and ham mixture to the slow cooker, then add the vegetable broth, water, and potatoes.

    Transferring cooked vegetables, broth, water, and potatoes to the slow cooker

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  7. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until the potatoes are very tender.

    Slow cooking potato soup mixture on high heat until potatoes are tender

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  8. Whisk the flour with the heavy cream until smooth.

    Whisking flour and heavy cream together until smooth for slow cooker soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  9. Stir the flour and cream mixture into the slow cooker.

    Stirring the flour and heavy cream mixture into the slow cooker potato soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  10. Stir in the half-and-half or milk. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 15 to 30 minutes, or until the soup is heated through and slightly thickened.

    Stirring half-and-half or milk into the slow cooker potato soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  11. Using a potato masher or fork, mash some of the potatoes against the side of the slow cooker to thicken the soup; add more milk if the soup is too thick.

    Using a potato masher to thicken the slow cooker potato soup

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

  12. Serve the potato soup garnished with fresh parsley, sliced green onions or chives, or some shredded cheese.

    Serving slow cooker potato soup garnished with fresh parsley and cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Recipe Variations and Tips

  • Add a cup or more of chopped kale, Swiss chard leaves, or spinach to the soup along with the other vegetables.
  • Lighten the soup with low-fat or fat-free half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
  • Omit the diced ham or replace it with 1 to 2 cups of diced smoked sausage or crumbled and browned mild or spicy sausage. Or, add cooked crumbled bacon just before serving.
  • Add 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese to the soup along with the milk and cook until the cheese has melted for an extra cheesy potato soup.
  • For a vegan version, try this Dairy-Free Cream of Potato Soup.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
466 Calories
22g Fat
45g Carbs
23g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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