“I had my Mom save me the ham bone and trimmings left over from Christmas one year. It was a nice, large bone and I wanted to find a really good use for it. There are lots of generic ham bone soups out there, but this creamy one stood out. Depending on how much you thicken this, you could also call it a ham chowder. This recipe makes a ton of soup! Thank goodness it so tasty. It is really good served with some nice homemade bread and butter.” – April Ferre
Creamy Ham Bone Soup
Ingredients
Ham Stock:
- 1 Large Ham Bone & Trimmings
- 2 Carrots Sliced
- 2 Stalks Celery Sliced
- 1 Onion Chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic Smashed
- 1 Handful Parsley Including Stems
- 3 Sprigs Thyme or 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Thyme
- 2 Sprigs Winter Savory Optional
- 1/2 Teaspoon Peppercorns
- Water to Cover
Ham Bone Soup:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil
- 1 Onion Chopped
- 3 Stalks Celery Sliced
- 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 Quarts Ham Stock
- 1/2 Pound Dry Navy Beans Soaked Overnight
- Additional Diced Ham If Needed
- 2 Large Carrots Chopped
- 1 15-Ounce Can Corn Drained
- 2 Cups Milk or Half & Half
- 2 Teaspoons Vegeta, Bouillon, or Salt to Taste
- Pepper To Taste
- Flour & Water Mixture For Thickening
- 2 Ounces Baby Spinach
Instructions
Ham Stock:
- Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 3 to 4 hours or until broth is developed to your liking.
- Strain out solids, reserving ham to add back to soup later.
Crispy Ham (optional):
- Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and add half of the reserved ham to the pan.
- Cook until crispy. Set aside.
Ham Bone Soup:
- In a large stock pot, heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and celery until tender.
- Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add ham stock and navy beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour or until navy beans are cooked through.
- Add back ham from making ham stock (but not the crispy ham.) If there was not a lot of ham on the ham bone, you may wish to add additional diced ham. Also add in the carrots and corn. Simmer until carrots are tender.
- Add milk, Vegeta and pepper. Taste and add additional seasoning if necessary. Note: if you don't have Vegeta, you can substitute vegetable or chicken bouillon. If you have neither, then use salt to taste.
- Thicken soup with a flour and water mixture to your liking.
- Lastly, add baby spinach and cook until leaves are just wilted.
- Serve soup topped with crispy ham.
2024 Adapted Recipe – April Ferre – Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats