Hearty Ham and Potato Soup

A few weeks ago we got our first taste of spring. All the snow melted, the weather was in the low 50′s and the sun was shining.

We fired up the grill, made a bunch of salads and ate lots of fresh fruit.

Then it snowed — a lot!

So I came back inside, made lots of rich desserts and a few more batches of soup.

Isn’t crazy how weather affects our food choices? Or maybe it’s just me!

One of the soups I made was a Hearty Ham and Potato Soup. It’s actually the first time I made it this year…which is surprising because it’s one of our favorites.

It’s such a quick meal and even picky eaters should love this soup because there aren’t any “big” flavors. Just meat, potatoes, broth, and veggies.

Ingredients

{print recipe}

• 2 T. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 qts. water
• 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 c. milk or cream
• 1/2 lb. ham, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Ok, so I didn’t say this recipe would be the healthiest recipe I’ve ever posted…but it sure is delicious on a cold winter day!

Directions

• Heat oil in a large pot and sautee onions until soft

• Add water, potatoes, carrots, and celery

• Boil until veggies are tender {about 15 minutes}

• Drain and reserve all liquid {you will use some of this broth later on…and you can freeze the rest of it}

• Set veggies aside

• In the same pan, melt butter

• Whisk flour and milk together and add to the melted butter, string constantly until mixture thickens

• Add 1 cup or more of reserved broth — if you like thicker soup, add less — thinner soup, add more

• Gently stir in cooked vegetables and ham.

You may add more broth if you want a thinner soup, or let it simmer for a while if it’s too thin.

Serve with salad and fresh bread, garlic bread, or rolls. YUM!

NOTE:

Despite my undying devotion to freezer foods, this soup does NOT freeze well.

Just trust me on this one