Need to use up extra ham? This soup is delicious!
Despite my husband and kids being sick, they ate this soup with no problem. It was creamy, thick and delicious without being full of milk or eggs. It's super simple to make and only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on effort. This makes a HUGE batch, but we love reheating this as we think it tastes better the next day or even 2 days later. It also freezes great in a freezer Ziploc bag.
Ham & Potato Soup
1 ham bone with some meat still on it
8-10 red potatoes, skins still on & cubed
3 large carrots, cubed
12 cups warm water or chicken broth - enough to cover potatoes and ham bone
1 cup flour*
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, combine ham bone, cubed potatoes, cubed carrots and water or broth. Bring to a full boil. Reduce to a medium boil for 30 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Carefully pull out ham bone and slice of extra meat on cutting board. Cube any large pieces. (We left ours bigger for a more rustic soup.) Discard bone. Partially mash potatoes and carrots while they are still in the pot, leaving some larger chunks. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch and water. Whisk together until smooth. Slowly whisk into large pot with potatoes until smooth. Turn temperature up until soup is thickened. Add ham chunks, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir together and let simmer for 15 minutes. Enjoy with a spinach salad or warm artisan bread.
*I like using mostly flour because the soup doesn't tend to get gel-like after cooling. Cornstarch seems to produce a more gel consistency. However, if you eat gluten free then simply replace all the flour with cornstarch. It won't affect the taste, just the texture once it cools down. It will still taste absolutely delicious!
8-10 red potatoes, skins still on & cubed
3 large carrots, cubed
12 cups warm water or chicken broth - enough to cover potatoes and ham bone
1 cup flour*
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, combine ham bone, cubed potatoes, cubed carrots and water or broth. Bring to a full boil. Reduce to a medium boil for 30 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Carefully pull out ham bone and slice of extra meat on cutting board. Cube any large pieces. (We left ours bigger for a more rustic soup.) Discard bone. Partially mash potatoes and carrots while they are still in the pot, leaving some larger chunks. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch and water. Whisk together until smooth. Slowly whisk into large pot with potatoes until smooth. Turn temperature up until soup is thickened. Add ham chunks, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir together and let simmer for 15 minutes. Enjoy with a spinach salad or warm artisan bread.
*I like using mostly flour because the soup doesn't tend to get gel-like after cooling. Cornstarch seems to produce a more gel consistency. However, if you eat gluten free then simply replace all the flour with cornstarch. It won't affect the taste, just the texture once it cools down. It will still taste absolutely delicious!