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This ham and potato soup is simple, hearty, and healthy with a richly flavored broth! It uses everyday ingredients, and this version has no dairy.
Try my Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup or Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup for other cooking methods.
Why you’ll love it
If you have leftover ham from Christmas or Easter, this potato and ham soup is one of the best ways to use it up! Think of this soup as lighter comfort food that’s still filling and delicious. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it sure tastes satisfying.
This leftover ham soup is bright, perfectly simple, and you don’t need many ingredients to let the ham shine. No cream is necessary for this cozy and comforting soup (although you totally could add some). Prep is effortless, and most of the cooking time is hands off.
What you’ll need
- Carrot, celery, garlic, onion – the building blocks to many tasty soups. I recommend sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Smoked ham – use leftover ham for that savory, smoky flavor
- Potatoes – I like Russets in soups because they nicely crumble
- Italian seasoning – it’s my go-to all purpose blend of dried herbs that comes in a single jar
- Chicken broth – for deeper savory flavor
Pro tip
You can also buy ham specifically for this recipe, like I often do, if you don’t have leftover baked ham. I like hickory smoked ham from my local grocery store!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this Dutch oven/soup pot.
- Here’s the hand-held potato masher I use to get that rustic texture.
- Store the rest of the onion and garlic in and onion saver and garlic keeper.
How to make ham and potato soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until softened. Stir in the garlic, then add the ham, potatoes, Italian seasoning, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with the lid slightly open.
Cook until the potatoes are fall-apart tender. Mash some of the potatoes right in the pot to give the soup a little more texture. Serve with salt & pepper as needed. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- You can use a different variety of potatoes if you wish, but I prefer Russets because they fall apart nicely in soups for great texture. Other varieties will be more waxy.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if salt is a concern for you since ham can be fairly salty.
- This is a flexible soup! You can throw in more veggies you have on hand, increase the Italian seasoning for more herby flavor, etc.
What to serve with this soup
- A slice of fresh bread makes it extra comforting. I like French baguette or sourdough.
- For a soup and salad combo, try spring mix and vegetables with my Simple Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing (Dairy-Free) or this homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- This soup makes fantastic leftovers since the flavors meld even more. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through.
- This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.
If you made this easy ham and potato soup recipe, leave a star rating and review below! Tag me on Instagram if you’ve made this or another one of my recipes.
Ham and Potato Soup (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot peeled & chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound (approx.) smoked ham cut into small pieces
- 2.5 pounds Russet potatoes peeled & cut into 1″ pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep your celery, carrot, and onion and add them to a large soup pot with the olive oil. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, prep your ham and potatoes (or you can prep them at the start – it's up to you!).
- Stir in the garlic, then add the ham, potatoes, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a gentle boil. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and reduce the heat so it's simmering. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender (I like them to easily fall apart).
- Using a potato masher, lightly mash some of the potatoes right in the pot. I like a mix of potato pieces and a bit of mash. Season with salt & pepper and serve immediately. This soup tastes even better the next day!
Notes
- Try the slow cooker version or the Instant Pot version of this recipe.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if salt is a concern for you.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello from Sydney, Australia! I made this today. The family loves it. We ate it with garlic bread. The ham I used was salty so we didn’t need to add any salt at the end. I even have to add more water to dilute it. I used pressure to cook so the veg were soft but doesn’t fall apart. Keeping the leftover the in freezer.
Hi!! I’m so happy it was a hit. 🙂
Soup was delicious!
I added some roasted corn for added texture.
This recipe is a keeper.
All kinds of fun things can be added.
Next time gonna add some hatch chiles
Fantastic!! Yup it’s definitely easily tweaked. Love the hatch chilies idea!
What is the serving size for one serving? A cup? I see it says it makes 6 servings, but doesn’t say how much the serving is. Thank you 🙂
Hi! I honestly don’t know. I am not good at math (at all lol). The recipe card automatically calculates the nutrition info by dividing the recipe into 6 equal parts. As to how much that actually is, I don’t know – sorry!
No worries! Just figured I’d ask. Math isn’t my fav either. lol. I’m making the soup right now. I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for thr reply.
You’re welcome. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful! I hope you enjoy the soup. 🙂
Amazing Recipe !! I used 6c of Veg Broth & Simmered for 1.5hrs to allow the potato to really soften, break down & fall apart 🙂 Delish !!
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Has anyone actually froze this soup and had it turn out ok after it has been defrosted and reheated ?
I have! The potatoes do fall apart a bit, but it’s fine. Since there’s no dairy in here it doesn’t separate or anything. 🙂
I’m so excited to make this tomorrow with leftover Christmas ham. I’m lactose intolerant Thank you for posting it.
You are very welcome!!
I made this for just hubby and me and served with cornbread muffins. I used the leftover ham and it was so delicious. I usually make creamy potato soup, but this was a really nice change.
I’m so happy you two enjoyed it! 🙂 Now I want cornbread muffins haha…
Simple and delicious! Leftover Christmas ham put to good use. The whole family enjoyed this. Thank you!
That makes me happy! Thank you 🙂
Loved it! I did add a T of chicken -better than bouillon because I needed more broth.
Wonderful!
I made this today. It was easy to make and very delicious. I am going to try other recipes on your website.
Wonderful! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Leihoku. Let me know if you end up making other recipes! 🙂
This was SO good! Thank you for another great recipe! It was a great way to use our left over spiral ham. We had everything except celery, and it was still awesome. I’m looking forward to eating this soup again tomorrow!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it!! Thank you for leaving me a comment! 🙂