This easy to make Ham Chowder is a delicious way to use up any ham leftovers you may have! If you want to take this tasty soup to the next level, save that ham bone for starting this cheesy ham and potato soup! My creamy ham chowder is a soup that the whole family loves!
I have a ton of leftover ham recipes that I love to make, and will be adding to the blog soon! In the meantime, enjoy these cheesy ham and egg cups for an easy breakfast!
Ham Chowder Recipe
Ham chowder is a delicious ham and potato soup that is a wonderful, easy soup to make for any night of the week! I garnish my ham chowder chopped green onion or chives, a little bit of bacon or fried ham, and lots of cheese!
I don't need an excuse to make this cheesy ham and potato soup. It's a wonderful bowl of steamy, hot comfort food to enjoy as soon as the leaves start falling up here in Minnesota!
Since we have a long winter, it also means that my 'holiday ham leftovers' will roll along twice before I see signs of Spring. Both my Christmas ham and Easter ham will need to be used up in some delicious ways!
How To Make Ham Chowder on the Stove Top
Prepare your vegetables: Wash and chop carrots, celery, and leek. Peel and chop onion. Mince or crush peeled garlic.
Bring a large stock pot to medium heat and melt butter. Add your chopped vegetables ( onion, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic ) and sauté them for 3 - 4 minutes, or until the onion is becoming translucent.
Prepare your potatoes while the vegetables are sautéing. Peeling your potatoes is optional, and up to your personal preferences. I enjoy my soup with the potato skin left in tact, or at most, very roughly peeled.
Add seasoning to your sauteed vegetables: chicken bouillon, either fresh thyme or dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Go lightly, as you can taste and adjust seasoning after the ham has been added.
Continue with adding the diced ham, cubed potatoes, and either chicken stock or ham bone broth ( see below on how to make ham stock ). Increase the heat to medium high and bring your soup to a low rolling boil.
Reduce heat and simmer the soup for 20 minutes, or until your potatoes have become fork tender. Use a masher, if desired, to break up the potatoes. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
Finally, stir in the heavy cream and serve up your creamy ham chowder. Garnish with chopped green onion or chives, fried bacon or ham chunks, and lots of grated cheddar cheese!
How To Make Ham Bone Broth
Making your own ham stock to really highlight the ham flavor in your ham chowder is an amazing addition! It's easy to do, worth the extra step, and a really great way to use up every bit of your leftover holiday ham(s).
Before you start on your soup prep, follow these steps for some homemade ham broth.
Typically, you should have removed all of the meat off your bones when making stock. However, with my ham, I have found that those last stubborn pieces of meat left on the bone won't take away from the broth quality.
Place your ham bone in a stock pot and cover with water. You will need 8 cups of broth for the soup here, so I would use at least 10 cups of water.
Add mirepoix ( 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 ribs of celery - rough chopped ) with 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon of either fresh or dried thyme.
Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the top of your water.
Reduce heat and simmer on low for 3 - 4 hours. Your ham stock should be fragrant, and any remaining meat should be pale.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, discard the solids, and allow your broth to cool. Once strained, you can use as the base for this soup. I skip the cooling and removing fat step as I like the fatty ham flavor.
OR you can refrigerate the broth and allow the fat to solidify at the top of the broth. Once cooled in this manner you can skim off any fat and use your broth anytime in the next week.
*I save excess broth for use in my ham casseroles and pasta dishes too!
How To Make Ham Chowder In A Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
Add the chopped vegetables ( onion, carrots, celery, leek, garlic ), seasoning ( bouillon cube, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme or dried thyme ), cubed potatoes, diced ham, and either chicken or ham broth to your slow cooker. Cook on high setting for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Mash the potatoes for a finer texture, if desired. Taste and add seasoning, if needed. Stir in the heavy cream, return the cover, and cook on high setting for 20 minutes.
Serve your creamy ham chowder garnished with chopped green onions or chives, fried bacon or ham chunks, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
📖 Recipe Card
Ham Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 large carrot (chopped)
- 2 ribs celery (chopped)
- ½ c leek (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon garlic (finely minced or crushed)
- 1 cube Knorr chicken bouillon
- 2 teaspoon thyme (dried or fresh)
- 1 pinch each, salt & pepper (adjust to taste)
- 6 large russet potatoes (diced or cubed, peeled or not)
- 4 cups ham (diced or cubed)
- 8 cups chicken broth (or ham stock from ham bone)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- In a large stock pot, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic. Saute until onions are softened and becoming translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add seasoning (bouillon cube, thyme, salt and pepper), potatoes, ham and chicken or ham stock. Adjust heat to medium high and bring to a low rolling boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Use a masher, if desired to break up your potatoes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and serve. Garnish with chopped green onion or chives, bacon or fried ham, and cheddar cheese.
Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add chopped vegetables (onion, celery, carrots, leek, garlic), seasoning (bouillon cube, thyme, salt and pepper), potatoes, ham and chicken or ham stock to your crock pot or slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir the heavy cream into the soup in your slow cooker. Return the cover and cook on high setting for 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onion or chives, bacon or fried ham, and cheddar cheese.
Nutrition
Lynn F. says
Since it is July, and I am trying to clean out my freezers, I haven't made the chowder....yet. I did, however, make the ham bone broth. O.M.GEEEE! Easy AND delicious! I admit to adding 2 carrots, 2 onions and 3 celery stalks including the leaves and omitting the bay leaf. I can't wait to bring the frozen broth out in the fall to make this chowder...maybe sooner! I am perusing your other recipes now! This one is definitely a keeper! Thank you!!