Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup
This Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup is so mouthwatering. I have to admit I love ham-based soups. I especially enjoy using leftovers from a spiral-cut ham. I added lots of veggies, including green beans, corn, peas, leeks, carrots, bell pepper and mushrooms. This soup also includes chicken broth, half-and-half and a pound of cheddar cheese. I seasoned the soup with cayenne pepper, paprika, parsley, marjoram and thyme.
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The seasonings are what really top this hearty soup off. They make it so wonderful to the taste buds. It’s very hearty and filling and a great soup to warm you up on cold, winter nights! If at all possible, I recommend you not cut out the marjoram or leeks because you don’t want to go to the store and purchase them. Or, because you’ve never used them before. They’re make this soup so awesome.
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup is just what the doctor ordered. Every bite is succulent and delectable. Add some homemade bread and you’re good to go! Don’t let the long ingredient list freak you out. The soup is so delicious you’ll want to have it regularly. It’s also great served reheated for leftovers.
I initially posted this recipe in January 2014. I wasn’t happy with how my pictures turned out. So I remade this recipe for our Friday night care group (January 2019). Everyone went back for multiple bowls of this chowder-type soup. Truly, it’s one of those stick-to-the-ribs meals you’ll enjoy down to the last savory bite.
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup is a tasty, savory, main dish supper.
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup is chocked full of veggies.
I loved the texture of adding all the different veggies. But the cheese, seasonings and leeks give it amazing flavor.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, leeks, mushrooms and red bell pepper.
Stir ingredients together and saute about 5-8 minutes until veggies are mostly tender.
Add flour and cornstarch. (You can use gluten free flour if you prefer).
Stir to combine.
Add chicken broth.
Add potatoes. Cook over low to medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring very frequently, or until potatoes are almost fork tender. (This will depend on the size of the potatoes).
Stir constantly so veggies don’t stick on the bottom of the pan as the broth thickens. If it gets too thick, you can add a cup or so of water.
Add frozen corn, peas and whole green beans. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
Continue stirring the pot so vegetables don’t stick as the sauce thickens.
Add half-and-half a small amount at a time.
Continue adding half-and-half until all of the cream is incorporated into the soup.
Add seasonings: salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, parsley, thyme and marjoram.
Stir to combine.
Turn heat to low. Add cheddar cheese.
Continue stirring until cheese melts.
Add diced ham.
Stir ham into soup and heat through.
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup is so delicious, even kids will enjoy this tasty soup.
This soup has so many different veggies with so many different textures that it’s quite enjoyable to eat!
If you’re looking for a hearty, filling and satisfying soup, this is it!
Here’s the recipe.
HEARTY HAM AND CHEESE SOUP
(My own concoction)
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups cooked ham diced
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 leek green top removed, washed thoroughly and sliced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 8 oz. container fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups red potatoes chunked
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen whole green beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups half-and-half or milk
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1 tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt or more, to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper or more, to taste
- water if needed to thin soup
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven.
- Add carrots, leeks, celery, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms.
- Cook over medium heat until veggies are tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add flour and cornstarch and stir into mixture.
- Slowly work in chicken broth.
- Add potatoes and cook about 8-10 minutes over low to medium heat, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- This mixture will thicken so continue stirring almost constantly so veggies don’t stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- If necessary, add a cup of water to pot if veggies start to stick.
- Add green beans, corn and peas and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Slowly stir in milk or half-and-half and seasonings.
- Add cheese and turn heat to low.
- Continue stirring until cheese melts.
- Do not allow cheese to boil.
- Add ham.
- Check seasonings.
- Add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
- 1 ham bone cooked off and yielding about 2 qts. Ham broth and 1 cup shredded ham
- 1 cup green beans, ends removed, cut in halves or thirds
- ¾ cup diced carrot
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- ½ yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced,
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 yellow crookneck squash, sliced
- 10.5 oz. cherub grape tomatoes
- 2 large red potatoes, unpeeled, chunked
- 1 bunch asparagus, cutting off the top 3 inches in 1 to 1 ½-inch sections
- 14.5-oz. can navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp. chervil
- 1 tsp. marjoram
- 1 tsp. rubbed (not ground) sage
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¾ tsp. pepper
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup corn starch
- water
- Place ham bone in crockpot and fill with water.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Cook overnight on low or 4-6 hours on high.
- Remove bone and fragments of fat, gristle or bone from crockpot.
- Work through the ham and place ham bits in the broth.
- Discard remaining bone and fat.
- Add vegetables and seasonings.
- Cook on high about 4-6 hours or until done.
- For soup, serve as is.
- For stew: mix corn starch and enough water to dissolve corn starch.
- Add to soup mixture. Repeat, if necessary, to thicken stew.
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup is fantastic comfort food.
Our company loved this amazing soup. Everyone had two bowls!
I’ve saved a bowl for you! 🙂
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups cooked ham diced
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 leek green top removed, washed thoroughly and sliced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 8 oz. container fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups red potatoes chunked
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen whole green beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups half-and-half or milk
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1 tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt or more, to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper or more, to taste
- water if needed to thin soup
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven.
- Add carrots, leeks, celery, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms.
- Cook over medium heat until veggies are tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add flour and cornstarch and stir into mixture.
- Slowly work in chicken broth.
- Add potatoes and cook about 8-10 minutes over low to medium heat, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- This mixture will thicken so continue stirring almost constantly so veggies don’t stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- If necessary, add a cup of water to pot if veggies start to stick.
- Add green beans, corn and peas and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Slowly stir in milk or half-and-half and seasonings.
- Add cheese and turn heat to low.
- Continue stirring until cheese melts.
- Do not allow cheese to boil.
- Add ham.
- Check seasonings.
- Add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
1 Comments
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