This creamy ham and potato soup delivers thick, hearty comfort in just 30 minutes. Made with leftover baked ham, half-and-half, and simple pantry ingredients, it’s an easy one-pot dinner perfect for cozy nights.

Creamy ham and potato soup in a white bowl with a slice of bread dipped into it.

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Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

This creamy ham and potato soup delivers thick, hearty comfort in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover baked ham, and the half-and-half gives it a rich, velvety texture that makes every spoonful satisfying.

Everything cooks together in one pot for an easy dinner the whole family will love. If you enjoy creamy winter soups like my potato leek soup or crockpot potato soup, this one’s sure to become a new favorite.

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Budget-friendly: Simple ingredients like potatoes, carrots, and ham come together to make a hearty, filling meal without breaking the bank.
  • Leftover ham. This ham and potato soup is a favorite way to use up any leftover ham. from the holidays, ham and bean soup with canned beans is another!

Recipe Ingredients

Ham, cream, broth, potatoes, garlic, carrots, celery, butter, onion and flour for ham potato soup.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Ham: Leftover baked ham, crockpot spiral ham or my honey-baked ham recipe work great in this recipe. Just dice it into cubes before getting started. You can also use a precooked ham steak.
  • Vegetables: A mix of diced carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and russet potatoes add great flavor and texture to this hearty ham potato soup.
  • Roux: All-purpose flour and unsalted butter are used to make the roux so that the soup gets extra creamy and delicious.
  • Broth: Chicken broth or stock is used as the base of the soup. I’ve also made this recipe using water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes. Both ways work great.
  • Milk and half and half: Added for rich flavor and creaminess. I recommend using the full-fat versions for best results. You may swap half and half with heavy cream.

How to Make Ham and Potato Soup

Cook the diced carrots, onion, and celery with the butter in a large pot on the stove until the vegetables are soft. Next, add in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Then whisk in the flour until thickened.

Sauteing carrots, onion and celery in butter in a large pot.

Stir in the diced potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Then pour the chicken stock or broth into the pot. Bring the soup to a light boil and cook until the potatoes are tender.

Adding diced potatoes to a pot of soup ingredients.

Turn the heat down to low and mix in the diced ham. Then add in the milk and half and half and stir until combined. Let the soup simmer for a few more minutes until the consistency has thickened.

Ham and potato soup simmering in a pot.

Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Then ladle the soup into bowls and finish it off with any desired toppings.

Ladle of ham and potato soup being served from a large pot.

Recipe Tips

  • Preparing ingredients. Make sure that the veggie ingredients are chopped or cut the same thickness and size. This will ensures they will finish cooking at the same time.
  • Thickening the soup. For a thick texture, it’s all about the flour mixture (also known as a roux). The flour mixed together with the butter, milk, and half and half creates the perfect roux that gives it that starchy and creamy consistency.
  • Thinner consistency. The amount of broth or stock that you use will also contribute to how thick the texture of the homemade soup is. I recommend using less broth at first, then adding in more at the end if you need to thin it out.
  • Add-ins. It’s easy to add more vegetables such as peas, corn, or green beans.
  • Serve soup in a bread bowl or with a loaf of French bread.

Toppings

  • Shredded cheese is always an easy addition, I like cheddar or a Colby jack.
  • Dice and slice the green onions into thin pieces to garnish.
  • Cook and crumble your bacon ahead of time. This adds a delicious boost of flavor and crunch on top!
  • Fresh parsley adds a colorful and flavorful finish.
Bowl of ham and potato soup with a piece of bread dipped into it.

More creamy soups we love include clam rhowder Recipe and loaded baked potato soup!

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The best ham and potato soup in a white bowl.

Ham and Potato Soup

5 from 102 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Creamy ham and potato soup made with savory ham, tender potatoes, and half-and-half for rich, hearty flavor in just 30 minutes.
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Video

Ingredients 

  • 4-6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • ½ cup diced celery , or peas
  • 1-2 cloves garlic , minced
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 medium russet potatoes , peeled and diced
  • 3-4 cups chicken stock or broth (see notes)
  • 1- 1 ½ cup diced ham (leftover ham or steak ham works great)
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt , plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , plus more to taste
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half , or heavy cream
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • fresh thyme , or a pinch of dried

Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, Bacon crumbles, Sliced green onions

Instructions

  • Saute veggies. In a large pot, melt 4-6 Tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add in 1 cup carrots, 1/2 cup onions, and 1/2 cup celery and cook until translucent. Add in 1-2 cloves minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour, stirring constantly, 1 minute, or until thickened.
  • Simmer soup with potatoes. Add 4 medium potatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly pour in 3-4 cups chicken stock. Bring to a light boil and cook 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Add ham and half and half. Reduce heat to low and add in 1 1/2 cups diced ham, a pinch of nutmeg and thyme. Slowly stir in milk and half-and-half and cook 5 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Stock: For a thicker soup, start with less broth (you can always add more at the end if needed to thin). My original recipe did use water in place of the broth and I added in 3 chicken bouillon cubes. You can do that as well. 
Veggies: You can add in extra veggies like peas, corn, or green beans.
Cheese: Feel free to mix a cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the soup if preferred. I’d recommend grating your own cheese, as the pre-shredded bags are more difficult to melt.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
Recipe was updated on 9/13/22 to have the soup made all in one pot. 

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 689mg, Potassium: 699mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 3043IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 101mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.