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Easy and Comforting Ham and Potato Soup

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This healthy ham and potato soup is pure comfort food in a bowl. Easy, fast, and low-calorie, it’s one of my favorite busy weeknight meals.

Healthy ham and potato soup is an easy, fast, and low-calorie dinner and one of my favorite busy weeknight meals. From BakingMischief.com

The photos in this post have been updated. Don’t worry. You’re in the right place. 😉

Have you seen that Campbell’s soup commercial with the sick guy lying on his couch trying to get his partner to make him soup?

He tells her that his mom always used to make some for him when he wasn’t feeling well, and for a moment, it looks like she’s going to do it, but instead she just throws a phone at him, tells him to call him mom, and leaves him to wallow.

I laugh SO hard, every single time I see that commercial, and I have no idea why, because I’m totally that person who makes soup for sick people. Feeling sick? Here, let me bring you some soup. And if I’m bringing soup, I’m probably bringing this one.

Like my Peasant Chicken Soup, this surprisingly healthy Ham and Potato Soup is another of the early recipes I learned in college. It saw me and my friends through many an illness and late-night study session.

It’s perfect for what ails you because it’s pure comfort food. Ham and potatoes in a bowl? That’s like a hug from the inside.

Healthy ham and potato soup is an easy, fast, and low-calorie dinner and one of my favorite busy weeknight meals. From BakingMischief.com

And the nice thing about this soup is that it’s deceptively easy. Sure it looks gorgeous and complicated, but once you cut the veggies and put them on to boil, all you really have to do is make the roux, stir in the milk, and watch the broth go from clear to creamy and delicious.

Throwing this together for a sick friend or a busy weeknight dinner takes all of a half hour, and when you’re done, the result is the best damn healthy ham and potato soup you’ve ever tried.

Healthy ham and potato soup is an easy, fast, and low-calorie dinner and one of my favorite busy weeknight meals. From BakingMischief.com

Looking for more Easy Weeknight Meals? Try my Tri-tip in the Oven, No-Fuss Beef Ribs, and Broccoli Chowder.

Healthy ham and potato soup is an easy, fast, and low-calorie dinner and one of my favorite busy weeknight meals. From BakingMischief.com

Easy and Comforting Ham and Potato Soup

This healthy ham and potato soup is pure comfort food in a bowl. Easy, fast, and low-calorie, it’s one of my favorite busy weeknight meals.
4.92 from 414 votes
Print
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 5
Calories: 338kcal
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups (about 2 large) russet potatoes, peeled and diced medium
  • 1 1/2 cups (9oz) cooked honey ham, diced medium*
  • 1/2 cup celery diced small
  • 1/2 cup onion diced small
  • 4 cups (2 15oz cans) chicken broth
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon (44g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk, (any percentage)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt

Instructions

Boil

  • In a large pot, combine potatoes, ham, celery, onions, and chicken broth. Bring to a low boil and cook over medium heat until vegetables are fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the roux

  • In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly until flour is golden, about one minute. Slowly add in milk, continuing to stir so that no lumps form and cook until mixture is thick, about 5 minutes.

Combine

  • Pour flour and milk mixture into the soup and stir. Add pepper, and salt to taste.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

*If you don't care for honey ham, you can use regular cooked ham.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

Nutritional Information
Recipe Adapted From: Allrecipes

Small Batch Instructions: This recipe halves cleanly.
Make-ahead Instructions: Ham, onions, and celery can be cut up to two days in advance. Potatoes should be cut just before cooking to avoid browning.
Freezer Notes: You can freeze this soup–it will keep up to 4 months in the freezer, but I was not a huge fan of the texture of the potatoes once my test batch defrosted. I probably wouldn’t freeze this soup again.

Circa early 2016 photo:

Easy and Comforting Ham and Potato Soup - Pure comfort food in a bowl. Easy, fast, and low-calorie, this is one of my favorite busy weeknight meals. Recipe includes nutritional information and make-ahead instructions. From BakingMischief.com

Healthy ham and potato soup is an easy, fast, and low-calorie dinner and one of my favorite busy weeknight meals. From BakingMischief.com

Comments

    • Tracy says

      Thank you, Patricia! I’m a terrible person, but that’s why I think it’s so funny. His sad, dejected face as he has to make his own soup at the end just sends me into fits of giggles. 😉

      Reply

  15. Renz says

    This looks so yummy. Chunky goodness. I don’t eat pork so I would have to sub the meat.. but I don’t know if that would be as great.. lol

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Thanks, Renz! I’ve never tried it, but I bet this would be pretty good vegetarian. You could add some cheese in there to give it more of a kick without the sweet/salty ham.

      Reply

      • Alicia Bojorques says

        Hello Tracy and Thank You so much for putting out this recipe,my dad used to make the homemade Potato Soup but he is unable to cook any longer so I decided to learn how to make it myself and I am glad that your recipe was a BIG hit with my family they loved it and now my fiancee wants some for lunch on this cold foggy day while he is at work,so I decided to use the rest of the diced Ham instead of the cubes and it still came out very good

      • Linda says

        5 stars
        I made this soup tonight..I substituted the ham for bacon and added cheese to the rue…delicious!

    • Killoran says

      5 stars
      I don’t eat pigs either, but do eat poultry. (not much of that even, as I learn more and more vegan recipes,) But a smoked turkey drum can be used, and you won’t know the difference. Turkey ‘ham’ also works well with scalloped potatoes, bean soup, pea soup… any place you’d use pork ham. I’ve even used vegan hot dogs, which taste fine, but the texture is a little off. I have a vegan “pork” bullion that I found in an Asian market, and I use it in LOTS of vegan dishes.

      Reply

    • Jackie says

      Add cheese. I make something very similar to this. I just don’t put as much chicken both. But I put a lot of cheese in it. So mine is more cheesy potato soup lol. It’s really good even without ham. I also throw a little instant potato into it. One time it wasn’t thick enough, so I had to figure out a way to thicken it more. Instant potatoes did the trick. I like my soups really thick.

      Reply

    • Donna Reale says

      Sometimes I use a Halal version of canned meat (similar to Spam) cut into dice. It’s made of chicken and beef and is about half the calories of Spam but still imparts that naughty goodness to the soup. Or yes, you can leave it out altogether or sub something else you like.

      Reply

    • Sandy Donais says

      Hi Renz; , Sandy here; I was just reading through reviews and saw that you don’t eat pork, I make a corn chowder, with grilled cheese, so you could always do that or try adding a meat you do like, just a thought!!! -SANDY

      Reply

    • Marilyn C. says

      There is very good turkey bacon for those who do not eat pork. Could crumble cooked bacon on top of bowl of soup for that taste similar to
      real bacon..

      Reply

      • Karen Vogel says

        The first time I made this soup it was excellant however, the second time it was watery and I followed recipe. . only variation I made was I did not cook ham and celery and onions together. What do you think happenend?

      • Tracy says

        Hi, Karen, did the not cooking the ham, celery, and onions together change the cooking time? If so, the soup might have been simmering for a shorter period of time and so less water evaporated. The other thing is that you might not have let the roux get thick enough before adding it to the soup (I’ve done this before). You want your roux to be nicely thick and bubbly before adding it to the soup. If it’s not thickened by the time recommended in the recipe, just keep cooking it. Lots of environmental factors affect cooking time, so it may need a little longer on the heat. Hope that helps!!

      • Bob says

        It was tasty but I followed the recipe exactly and the soup was too watery. I like a soup like this to be thick and creamy and it wasn’t close.

      • Eula says

        You’ve given excellent tips and instructions.
        Which is sometimes hard to find in these recipes. Thanks

      • Susan says

        Hi Tracy just made your soup a bigger batch but I just added more butter and flour so it could thicken up and another can of broth and broccoli and a cube of bouillon it is Wonderful thanks for sharing. I live in Oregon and it cold perfect day for it.

      • Tracy says

        So glad you enjoyed it, Susan! I envy your Oregon soup weather!! It was positively balmy here in SoCal today and not soup weather at all.

      • Granny Bea says

        Hi Tracy,

        Love this recipe and it is so quick and easy. Love all the comments about alternative and “extras” added. I chop about a 1/4 cup of carrots and add to the pot. So Yummy!

    • Linda Steffen says

      5 stars
      I really like this soup, I been wanting to make it for a long time but couldn’t ever fine a good recipe I liked, but I would like it a little less thick so what do u suggest? thanks so much

      Reply

    • Marie says

      5 stars
      I was a little skeptical looking how simple this recipe is and the huge reviews! But! All were right. It’s delicious and quick. I added a little smoked paprika as one review suggested. I’ll keep this One!!

      Reply

      • Clancy says

        Haven’t read through all the reviews to see if your question was answered, and I too, want to use corn starch instead of flour. Has anyone tried this substitute? Thanks.

    • Wendy says

      5 stars
      My whole family loves this delicious, easy soup! I use those ham steaks if I don’t have leftover ham! It works perfectly! We always too with a little shredded cheese. <3 Thanks for this recipe.

      Reply

    • Adrianna says

      5 stars
      I actually love this recipe… I’m a young adult learning the hard way that cooking isn’t as simple as it seems! This was a great soup for a beginner… the only thing I changed is a added 1/2c of carrots and added some flour into the soup to try and thicken it up. Delicious thank you!!!

      Reply

    • Lori Mitchell says

      5 stars
      Made this with leftover spiral ham. I substituted cauliflower and carrots for the potatoes and it was delicious!

      Reply

    • Cheryl Swaagman says

      I made the soup and I added diced carrots and it turned out excellent. A very hearty healthy soup when it is cold outside.

      Reply

    • Dotty says

      This is a delicious soup. Instead of chicken broth I used Better than Bouillon vegetable base. I also ground a tablespoon of peppercorns and added it to the soup. It turned out super thick so I added more milk and oh! I added a cup of frozen corn.

      Reply

    • J Reddin says

      Love this soup and have made it several times. The last time I. Add it I had a half bag of frozen corn in the freezer and added it towards the end. It was really good and now I do this every time.

      Reply

    • Jinni says

      5 stars
      This one is a keeper, easy to make and Delish! Thanks for sharing! I added carrots, tyme, garlic salt and onion powder for a little extra flavor.

      Reply
4.92 from 414 votes (292 ratings without comment)

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