Robin: If you’ve eaten baked ham for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, you’ve participated in an American tradition with centuries-old roots in Europe. When I was a kid, we’d most often have turkey on these occasions at our house, since my mom (the one who cooked) had had more than her fill of hams during her own childhood, growing up on a farm where they butchered their own hogs. I got to enjoy plenty of yummy holiday ham, however, whenever the occasion took us to a relative’s house for the celebration.
(But, hey, if your recent holiday meat was not ham but a turkey, don’t miss my recipe for taking full advantage of the leftover bones.)
If you have leftover ham, consider yourself extra lucky, as there are many delicious dishes that you can use it in. I particularly like this ham and potato chowder, as it is amazingly tasty despite being so simple to make. I also love the fact that this recipe does not call for flour or any other of the usual thickeners; the potato flakes or leftover mashed potatoes give the liquid soup broth its delicious chowder-y consistency. This recipe is also naturally gluten-free. (Double check to make sure that your chicken broth, ham flavored concentrate, and all other ingredients are effectively gluten-free, if that is important to you.)
Even if you only need a couple of servings of ham and potato chowder, I recommend making the whole 8-serving recipe because this is one of those things that are even tastier after a day or two in the fridge. It also freezes nicely, if you can bear to do that instead of consuming it all at once.
(Pssst … if you love potatoes, cheese, and soup, don’t miss my delightfulSonoran Cheese and Potato Soup.!)
Easy Ham and Potato Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cups diced ham
- 8 cups (2 quarts or about 2 liters) chicken broth homemade, purchased, or prepared from bouillon powder/paste
- 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons powdered ham flavored concentrate such as Goya brand
- 2 cups potato flakes or use leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
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In a soup pot, fry the bacon, stirring frequently, for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the diced onion and continue to sautee until the onion becomes transparent. Add the ham and sautee a little longer, until the ham pieces begin to brown on the edges.
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Add the chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, corn kernels, and ham concentrate to the pan. Allow the mixture to boil gently until the vegetables are cooked.
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Stir in the potato flakes (or mashed potatoes) and milk. Allow the chowder to heat back up, but not boil.
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Serve in bowls or large mugs. Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers; reheat leftovers slowly, stirring often, but do not let the chowder boil.
Kick this soup up a notch with a few drops of Chile de Arbol Sauce.
More comforting soups:
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