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If you have a leftover ham bone from the holidays, don’t toss it! Use it to make this incredible Ham Bone Soup, and it will change the way you use leftover ham forever. Ready in just an hour using simple ingredients, this is a creamy potato and ham soup everyone at the table will love!
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Ham Bone Soup Recipe
It’s no secret how much my family loves ham recipes for the holidays. I look forward to making a ham at least twice a year, and even more than that, I look forward to the leftovers!
My favorite part of the leftovers is the ham bone, and this soup is the reason why! Ham bone soup is incredibly flavorful, and because the bone is so meaty, you won’t even have to add any extra ham. (I always do, though!)
Full of ham, potatoes, and a creamy soup base, this is the best ham soup recipe you will ever try – I promise! The next time you have ham leftovers, you have to try making this recipe. It’s so good, I have a feeling you’ll feel how I felt and want to make another ham right away just to enjoy the soup again!
Ham Soup Ingredients
- Ham stock – see full ham stock recipe for tips; recipe below
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, minced (or garlic paste)
- Carrots, peeled and chopped
- Bay leaves
- Leftover ham, diced and chopped
- Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- Milk or heavy cream
- Cornstarch or wondra flour
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Ham Stock Ingredients
- Ham bone
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bay leaves
- Water
How to Make Ham Stock
- In a large pot add the ham bones, roughly chopped carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, onion, and water.
- Cover with a lid, them simmer on low heat for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir the broth well, then remove the bay leaves.
- Pour the broth through very fine strainer or cheese cloth, then use to make ham bone soup (below)!
Soup with Ham Bone Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes or so.
- Add minced garlic and cook another minute.
- Pour ham stock into the pot and add bay leaves.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- When 30 minutes is up, add diced ham and potatoes. Cook another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- In a small bowl, combine milk and cornstarch. Use a fork to mix well. Add the milk mixture to the soup and stir well until combined.
- Allow the soup to simmer an additional 5 minutes to thicken.
- Finally, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, and enjoy!
Ham Bone Recipes Tips
- You can use cornstarch or Wondra flour to thicken the soup. I prefer cornstarch as it keeps the soup gluten-free.
- Although I choose to add extra ham to my soup, you may find you don’t need to because the bone is so meaty!
- Heavy cream and milk both work well in this recipe. Heavy cream will give you a richer, creamier soup, but you might prefer the subtlety of milk instead. Both are delicious.
Reheating Leftover Ham Bone Soup
- Microwave: You can microwave leftover ham soup in a microwave-safe bowl covered with a paper towel. Heat for 50 seconds, stir, and continue heating in intervals as necessary until heated through.
- Stove: You can also heat leftover ham soup on the stove. Add it to a saucepot and heat over medium-low heat until heated through.
Storing and Freezing Soup with Ham Bone
- You can store leftover ham soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- If you want to freeze ham soup, do not add the milk mixture when first preparing it. Freeze the soup without any added dairy. Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container with at least a half-inch of space at the top for up to 3 months. When ready to heat, first thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to a simmer on the stove and continue the recipe from step 7.
Ham Bone Recipes FAQs
A ham bone can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can also freeze it for 1-2 months.
Although you may be able to use a ham bone again for soup if not all of the meat comes off of the bone, most of the flavor you can get from the bone will be used up the first time you use it to make soup. If you want to try to reuse the bone, refrigerate it and use it again within a couple of days.
Ham Recipes
Ham Leftovers
- Leftover Ham Recipes
- Ham Salad Recipe
- Ham Sliders
- Fried Rice with Ham
- Glazed Ham Steaks
- Ham and Potato Casserole
See more of my Easy Soup Recipes, like Crockpot Vegetable Soup!
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📋 Recipe
Ham Bone Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 8 cups Ham stock see ingredients and steps below
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ cup Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks Celery chopped
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 cups Ham diced
- 3 Russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 cup Milk or cream
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ham Stock Ingredients
- Ham bone
- 2 stalks Celery halved
- 2 Carrots roughly chopped
- ½ Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Bay leaves
- 12 cups Water
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
Ham Stock Instructions
- In a large pot add the ham bones, roughly chopped carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, onion, and water.Ham bone, 2 stalks Celery, 2 Carrots, ½ Onion, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 Bay leaves, 12 cups Water
- Cover with a lid, them simmer on low heat for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir the broth well, then remove the bay leaves.
- Pour the broth through very fine strainer or cheese cloth, then use.
Ham Soup Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes or so.1 Tablespoon Olive oil, ½ cup Onion diced, 3 Carrots, 3 stalks Celery
- Add minced garlic and cook another minute.2 cloves Garlic
- Pour ham stock into the pot and add bay leaves.2 Bay leaves, 8 cups Ham stock
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- When 30 minutes is up, add diced ham and potatoes. Cook another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.2 cups Ham diced, 3 Russet potatoes
- In a small bowl, combine milk and cornstarch. Use a fork to mix well. Add the milk mixture to the soup and stir well until combined.1 cup Milk, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- Allow the soup to simmer an additional 5 minutes to thicken.
- Finally, season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, and enjoy!Salt and pepper to taste
Video
Notes
- You can use cornstarch or wondra flour to thicken the soup. I prefer cornstarch as it keeps the soup gluten-free.
- Although I choose to add extra ham to my soup, you may find you don’t need to because the bone is so meaty!
- Heavy cream and milk both work well in this recipe. Heavy cream will give you a richer, creamier soup, but you might prefer the subtlety of milk instead. Both are delicious.
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