Creamy Ham and Potato Soup (dairy-free, leftover ham recipe)
by This Ham and Potato Soup with leek is thick, chunky, and creamy like your favorite chowder but dairy-free! There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of creamy soup on cold days. This ham and potato soup recipe is super simple to make, and it also happens to be a great way to use up leftover ham!
With staying home and the cooler weather, this creamy ham chowder will bring back all the cozy and warm feeling of mom’s cooking as if you are in her kitchen!
This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board.
I love soups around the holidays. They are not only easy but also comforting. Celebrating the holidays might look different this year but that doesn’t mean that we cannot recreate the dishes that remind us of our loved ones. My husband, Nate, and I can’t travel to Montana to see his family this holiday due to the travel restrictions, so today’s recipe became extra special for him because his mom makes the best ham chowder in the family!
This soup is a great recipe for busy weeknights as well as after Christmas. You can either use leftover ham or ham steak. It’s a super versatile recipe. I wanted to recreate a dish for my husband that will remind him of his family as his parents are from Montana and they make great chunky potato chowder with ham really well!
The sweet ham, soft potatoes, and buttery leeks make a wonderful depth of flavor, and it’s a great way to use up all the carrots and celery if you happen to have them in the fridge. Even if you don’t have leftover ham stock on hand, I’ll show you a simple and easy version to make a pot of heart-warming potato ham soup!
Ingredients for the ham, potato, and leek soup (and swap suggestions)
- Carrots and leeks – add extra flavor and depth to the soup. You can also add celery. I recommend you don’t skip the leeks. 🙂
- Potatoes – I prefer Yukon gold potatoes as they aren’t too starchy and hold the shape better than russell. You can also use sweet potatoes in this recipe.
- Ham – I use ham steak and cube it. Leftover ham will work really well, too. The salty and naturally sweet flavor of the cooked ham really adds a load of flavor boost to this simple soup.
- Stock – I use chicken broth because that’s what I have. You can also use veggie broth or ham broth.
- Creamer – To keep it dairy-free, I use a dairy-free coffee creamer that’s made with almond and coconut milk cream.
- Thickener – Cassava flour gives a light toasty flavor that tastes the closest to wheat flour.
How to make creamy ham and potato soup
- Sauté the diced carrots and leeks with ghee (clarified butter) until they turn softer.
- Add the diced potatoes and pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the stock and cubed ham. Bring it to a gentle simmer until the vegetables turn soft but not mushy.
- Add the dairy-free milk creamer and sprinkle-in the flour.
- Seasonings – tastes test your ham and potato soup first before adding more salt because cooked ham has plenty of yummy salty flavor and you might not need anything additional!
Storage tips
There are two ways to store the soup, depending on your preference.
- To store it in the fridge, make the entire soup recipe with the creamer and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To freeze the soup, don’t add the dairy. Because dairy doesn’t freeze well in the freezer, I recommend freezing the broth and adding the creamer when you reheat the soup on the stovetop.
How to use up leftover ham
There are many great ways to bring new flavors and excitement to holiday ham recipes. You can assemble a ham sandwich with my keto sandwich bread or a Whole30 frittata using cubed ham. Japanese potato salad with ham is super refreshing, creamed napa cabbage with ham will remind you of your favorite winter casserole dish, stuff the finely chopped ham with mashed sweet potatoes to make sweet potato patties, or my cauliflower chowder with ham or bacon that tastes like corn chowder but no corn! 🙂
See? It’s easy to bring smile and happiness to your dinner table with pork and you can easily create different flavors that will bring back all the fond memories with your family and friends!
More cozy comfort food
- Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Kale Soup (another great dish to use up leftover Thanksgiving/holiday dish)
- Roasted turmeric chicken thighs
- Sichuan dan dan noodles
- Grandma’s egg drop soup
- Roasted butternut squash soup
- Roasted cauliflower with lemon tahini cream sauce
- Keto Cauliflower Gratin
- Roasted lemon chicken legs
- Whole30 instant pot recipes
- Corn ribs air fried!
- Browse more Thanksgiving and Fall comfort foods
With a simple ham steak, potatoes, and leeks, you can create a cozy and heartwarming leftover ham soup with ingredients you probably already have on hand. What could be more comforting than a bowl of creamy Ham and Potato Soup. This is sure to be a hit with the entire family!
Creamy Ham and Potato Soup (dairy-free, paleo, whole30)
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp ghee
- 9 oz. carrots, diced
- 9.5 oz leek, diced and rinsed. Only use the white and pale green parts.
- coarse sea salt to taste
- 25 oz. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper , or to taste
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 7 oz. ham steak, cubed
- ⅔ to 1 cup dairy-free creamer, unsweetened
- 1 to 1.5 tbsp cassava flour
- Fresh chive or thyme, garnish, chopped
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt and ghee butter over medium heat. Add the carrots and leek and sauté over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Season with 2 small pinches of salt.
- Add the potatoes, pepper, and 2 small pinches of salt. Sauté for 1 minute. Stir often.
- Add the stock and the ham. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing is stuck to the pot.
- Lower the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Bring it to a gentle simmer and continue to cook about 15 minutes or until the potatoes and the carrots turn soft but not too mushy. Scrape and stir periodically so that all ingredients cook evenly.
- Add the milk creamer, stir, and sprinkle-in the flour. Stir about 30 seconds additional. The soup should turn thicker.
- Turn off the heat. Taste to see if you want to add more salt or pepper. Garnish with fresh chive or thyme. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- To store it in the fridge, make the entire soup recipe with the creamer and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To freeze the soup, don’t add the dairy. Because dairy doesn’t freeze well in the freezer, I recommend freezing the broth and adding the creamer when you reheat the soup on the stovetop.
- Carrots and leeks – You can also add celery. I recommend you don’t skip the leeks. 🙂
- Potatoes – I prefer Yukon gold potatoes. You can also use sweet potatoes in this recipe.
- Ham – I use ham steak . Leftover ham will work really well, too.
- Stock – I use chicken broth because that’s what I have. You can also use veggie broth or homemade ham broth.
Nutrition
Thus was great! I used cornstarch as I don’t have cassava and a bit more chicken broth. Didn’t have non dairy creamer so used a bit of unsweetened almond milk. Outstanding recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Penny.
I was looking for a recipe today to use up a bunch of potatoes that need to get eaten as well as leftover ham. I just made this recipe and it’s fantastic! Thank you.
Thank you for sharing! That sounds perfect! 🙂
Could you use coconut cream instead of creamer?
Yes. It might have a stronger coconut taste though as dairy-free creamer is a blend of coconut and almond milk cream.
One of the best soups I’ve ever made. Even the people in my house who “don’t like soups” devoured it!
Yay!!!
This was SO good! I definitely agree with Chihyu – don’t skip the leeks! I ate every last bit of it and can’t wait to make it again! It was very easy to make and it came out delicious. All Chihyu’s recipes have been delicious and I cannot recommend them enough 🙂
Aww Heather thanks! You just made my day! XOXO
Thanks for the simple yet delicious recipe. I made it a little simpler by throwing it all in the slow cooker overnight. I sauteed the leeks and carrots in Avocado oil, used our leftover smoked, bone-in ham and chicken bone broth. I put the entire bone and leftover ham in the slow cooker. The next morning I shredded what was left of the ham on the bone and didn’t even add the cream to it as my husband was already scooping some out into a container for lunch. I did add a pinch of dried parsley and a good shake of dried thyme to the slow cooker, but that was about it.
That sounds amazing, Angela! Thanks for sharing!
Could you use coconut milk instead of creamer and swap the casava flour with with almond or coconut flour?
Hi Kirstine, I use coconut cream because lately the brand I use for canned coconut milk changed the formula and it becomes too thin so I use coconut cream. The cassa flour here is used to replace regular wheat flour (to thicken the soup). Almond and coconut flour will not thicken the soup and in this case it actually will change the flavor of the soup so I wouldn’t recommend it. If you are okay with other alternatives, I recommend using gluten-free flour. Another method is to scoop out the potatoes (after they are cooked) and blend the potatoes in a blender until smooth then add it back to the soup as a thickener. I think that might be a good way to go. Hope this helps!
Could this be done in a crockpot? Any pointers?
Hi Nina, haven’t tried it but I’m sure there’s a way to make it work in slow cooker.
This was the perfect creamy hearty soup for using up my leftover ham! So tasty!
What a brilliant idea to make this soup diary and gluten free! Fantastic flavours tips.
Perfect way to use up leftover Christmas ham! LOVE THIS recipe!
I’ve been looking for a way to enjoy leftover ham and I love soup, so this is amazing! So comforting and filling!
There’s nothing better than a bowl of soup! So hearty and delicious – the leeks go so well with the ham!
Yum. Definitely saving this for when I have leftover ham. This is perfect comfort food!
One of my favorite soup combos ever! So delicious and comforting.
This is the perfect way to use leftover ham! So creamy and comforting, and the flavors are amazing.
Which brand of dairy-free creamer made with almond and coconut milk cream do you use? This recipe looks delish! TIA.
Thanks! I use califa almond and coconut creamer. I should also specify that the larger jar (25 oz) from Califa has thicker and creamier texture, compared to the smaller jar (16 oz) from Califa. Not sure why so definitely go with the larger jar creamer 🙂