Ham and Potato Soup

By Tanja

Awesome, hearty soup perfect for a cool winters day and a great use of leftover ham!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb gold potato
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery
• 8 oz diced smoked ham
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne and chives optional

Details

Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 90mins

Preparation

Step 1

Dice onion, carrots, and celery. Try to make them about the same size.
Also dice up the left over ham similarly
Place soup pot over medium heat
Add butter and bring to golden brown
Add veggies, ham and sliced garlic to butter and stir coating evenly
Cook for about 5-6 minutes until veggies soften and onions become transparent
Add flour over the veggies and mix forming a rue
Cook for about 3 minutes or more
When done cooking add broth. Adding a little at a time and stirring in between then add remaining broth
Also add 2 cups water and stir
Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes while you prepare the potatoes....

Clean and peel potatoes then cube. Cutting thin slices then sticks about 1/4 in wide and then across.
Keep potatoes in water until soup is done cooking
Before adding potatoes to soup make sure to taste broth to make sure it has enough salt. If not add before the potatoes. Do Not Add Potatoes to a bland broth.
Add potatoes after draining them.
Cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are ready.
You will know they are ready because they will smash easily, (check by collecting a couple potatoes in ladle and try smashing them with a spoon)

To add body to soup grab masher and smash about 10-12 times to thicken. Make sure to leave potato chunks though because this is ham and potato soup.

Season with Black pepper and salt if needed. You can also add a dash of cream. When cream is heated through you can serve.