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My easy ham soup recipe will be your favorite dish to make with leftover ham! Diced ham, potatoes, fresh veggies, and a creamy broth make this an Instant Pot ham soup you'll love. I promise you and your family will love it. It's ready in 15 minutes in the Instant Pot!
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Why You Will Love My Ham Soup
This ham and potato soup recipe is one of my family's favorites. It is requested over and over again. They always wait for this soup to be made the day after Easter or Christmas. The best part is making homemade soup is much easier than you might think! What makes it even easier is using the Instant Pot.
With years of experience making homemade soups, believe me - this is the best ham soup recipe I have ever tried. The only ham soup that competes with it is my Ham Bone Soup!
Leftover Ham Soup Ingredients
- Chicken Broth: But to make it even better, use my ham broth!
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks work best. But, you can also use russet potatoes.
- White Onion: Chopped. You can also use yellow onion. Avoid using red onion.
- Heavy Cream: I recommend using heavy cream for the texture, but you can use half & half. Milk will most likely be too thin.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil and light olive oil will both work. Avocado oil works, too.
- Leftover Ham: You want your leftovers to be diced for ham soup! If you don't have any leftovers, feel free to use packaged diced ham from the store.
- Carrots: Chopped. I'm using whole carrots. If you don't peel them, be sure to scrub them.
- Celery Stalks: Chopped.
- Garlic: Minced or smashed with a garlic press. Fresh garlic works much better than the jarred variety!
- Salt: I recommend using kosher salt or sea salt flakes.
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked works best.
- Bacon: Chopped up, for garnish. I like using my air fryer bacon to make it easy.
- Green Onions: Chopped, for garnish.
This is my go-to recipe after an Easter or Christmas celebration. My family always looks forward to this delicious soup the day after!
Recipe for Ham Soup
- Chop the ham into small cubes or use pre-cut ham. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add olive oil.
- Once hot, add diced ham and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chopped onion, minced garlic, carrots, and chopped celery to the pot. Cook and stir frequently until onions are translucent.
- Add in chicken broth and potatoes cut into chunks. Stir to mix.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid back in place and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes is up, carefully release the pressure and remove the lid. Always release the pressure carefully, using a hand towel or oven mitt.
- Slowly mix in heavy cream while stirring. It's important you do this slowly and carefully.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!
And there you have it! This is the easiest Instant Pot Ham Soup recipe you will ever make. It's the perfect use of leftover ham after the holidays!
Another one of my family's favorite ham leftover recipes is my leftover ham bone soup.
Ham Soup Ideas
- I love adding different vegetables I have on hand to this soup. Feel free to add your favorites. Corn is one of my favorites!
- I love adding beans to this soup: white beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, and great northern beans. I love them all.
- When I want more flavor, I have added bay leaves and fresh thyme.
How to Store & Reheat Ham Soup
- Allow it to cool: Cool to room temperature. Hot soup can raise the temperature inside your refrigerator and potentially affect other stored items.
- Use an airtight container: Transfer the cooled soup into an airtight container.
- Leave headspace: Leave some space at the top of the container to allow for expansion as the soup freezes.
- Label the container: Write the date when the soup was prepared on the container.
- Refrigeration: If you plan to consume the soup within a few days, store it in the refrigerator. Ham soup can typically be kept in the fridge for four days.
- Freezing: Pour the soup into a freezer-safe container, leaving some space for expansion, and seal it tightly. Ham soup can be safely stored in the freezer for three months.
- Thawing: When ready to use frozen ham soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. You can also melt it in the microwave using the "defrost" or "low power" setting or on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Reheat thoroughly: Whether you're reheating soup from the fridge or freezer, heat it until it reaches a rolling boil.
Ham Soup Recipes FAQs
Yes! All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free. However, double-check your chicken broth, as not all brands are gluten-free. And, of course, make sure your ham was not prepared with gluten-containing ingredients!
If you want to make this soup and do not have leftover ham, you can also use pre-packaged diced ham from the store. I promise you, it will taste excellent no matter which ham you use.
My preferred method is to make a roux. I mix melted butter or oil with flour until golden, stir it slowly into the soup, and simmer until thick. You can follow my step-by-step instructions on how to make a roux.
Leftover Ham Recipes
Try more of my Leftover Ham Recipes, and serving this dish with a Hot Toddy!
Ham Recipes to Use for Soup
I love making homemade soup. After a long or cold day, a bowl of comforting soup or stew is lovely, and this ham soup recipe is one of my favorites. Nothing beats a quick and easy Instant Pot Ham Soup like this!
Ham Soup Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth - or ham stock
- 7 medium Yukon gold potatoes - cut into chunks, or russet potatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion - chopped
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 large carrots - chopped
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon salt - to taste
- 1 tablespoon black pepper - to taste
- ½ tablespoon bacon - chopped, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon green onion - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add 2 cups diced ham and saute for 1-2 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil,2 cups diced ham
- Add 1 chopped onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 chopped carrots, and 2 chopped celery sticks to the pot. Cook and stir frequently, until onions are translucent.1 medium yellow onion,2 large carrots,2 tablespoons garlic,2 stalks celery
- Add in 6 cups chicken broth and 7 potatoes cut into chunks. Stir to mix.6 cups chicken broth,7 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- Lock the Instant Pot lid back in place and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once 10 minutes is up, carefully release the pressure and remove the lid.
- Slowly mix in 1 cup heavy cream while stirring.2 cups heavy cream
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve with bacon and green onions, and enjoy!½ teaspoon salt,1 tablespoon black pepper,½ tablespoon bacon,1 teaspoon green onion
Notes
- Always release the steam and remove the lid of your Instant Pot carefully, using an oven mitt or hand towel.
- Mix the heavy cream in slowly.
- For extra deliciousness, top with cheese and serve with homemade bread!
- If you don't have leftover ham, just purchase store-bought cubed ham for this delicious recipe.
Tracy says
I'm making this today but you need to add the onion to the ingredients
Em Beitel says
Thank you for bringing that to our attention, Tracy. Enjoy!
CC says
Our family has people with allium sensitivity so I omitted the garlic and onion. Didn't have heavy cream. Had leftover cooked pinto beans - threw them into the mix. Used half and half to do a test bowl. (yum but not really necessary). Spiced up my bowl with some red pepper flakes. It warmed our tummies and taste buds deliciously - even with the modifications. A great way to change up the meals and use up our leftover ham and beans!!! Thank you!
Em Beitel says
This is so awesome to hear, CC! Thank you for sharing and we're glad you enjoyed it!
Pam says
Great recipe
Isabel Laessig says
Thanks for the recipe, Pam! ❤️ Happy cooking, and I'll see you around the Sunday Supper table! – Isabel