The Best Potato Ham Soup Ever

Wish I had a prettier photo. You will have to trust me!

It had been cold and wintery a little while ago and I was totally in the mood for some soup. I wanted it to be the thick and hearty stick-to-your-ribs kind too, not any runny healthy spinachy stuff. However... didn't have a recipe that fit the bill. I searched and found one that looked promising and I didn't even need to go to the store for anything, which is a miracle in itself.

I cooked up this batch of amazing soup and my family LOVED it! Ate it all. Scraped the pot with the spoon even. You have got to try this when you are in the mood. Would be a great St. Patrick's Day side dish to go along with your corned beef. In fact, maybe I should consider that too... Any time would be a good time for this soup, who am I kidding?!



Have I convinced you yet? ;-)

Potato Ham Soup

1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes (I made it with russets and they worked just fine)
1 medium onion, diced
2 (smallish) carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 celery ribs, sliced and diced
At least 1 cup of ham, diced into cubes (I used 1 1/2 cups turkey ham because that is what I had)
3 cloves garlic, sliced (I used about 1 Tablespoon of jarred minced garlic)
3 Tbsp butter (ok... I used about 5)
1/4 cup flour (fudged here too. Used more like, a heaping 1/3 cup)
4 cups chicken broth (I used about 6)
2 cups plain water
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used the whole 1/2 pint. Ooops.) ;-)
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper (optional- I used turmeric, about 1/4 tsp. I like the flavor it adds)
Chopped fresh chives for garnish (Didn't use these. Who the heck has fresh chives in their fridge?? Haha.)

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat until golden brown. Stir in carrot, celery ,onion ham and garlic. Cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onions are transclucent.
Stir in the flour and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time. Add water and stir to combine. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the soup for salt and add more if necessary. Stir in potatoes, cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Skim fat if desired.
With a potato masher, mash the soup a few times, leaving plenty of whole chunks of potato. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cayenne if desired and add cream. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with fresh chives, if desired.