Potato and Ham Soup

A quick search on the Yankee Belle Cafe blog will show you that we love soups around here. Chowders, Stews, Chilies, Soups... If it's cold and snowy outside (or even just cloudy and cool), we're getting out our Crock Pots, Instant Pots, or Stew Pots and whipping up some comfort food.

As you can see by the title of this post, today is no exception!

After a very mild week or so before Christmas, we finally got the winter weather we've been expecting. On Wednesday, a storm blew through bringing high winds, c-c-cold weather, and a few inches of snow to our area. East of us, in "East River," they got the real blizzard. 10" - 12" of snow, plus the cold and high winds.

One of my favorite pictures from last winter - we haven't been up
to the Hills since October!

At our house, cold weather means a fire in the wood stove and soup. We had some ham and potatoes, so I decided to try this recipe for my Instant Pot (no worries - you can easily fix it in your slow cooker or on top of the stove.)

Potato and Ham Soup
serves 8 - 10

ingredients:

6 - 8 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 8 cups)
4 stalks celery, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup frozen or canned corn (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons finely minced onion
1 pound ham, cubed
3 cups broth - ham, chicken, or vegetable
1 teaspoon rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

To add at the end of the cooking time: 2 cups whole milk or 1 cup half and half, 1 cup milk. And if you like your soup a bit thick and "chowdery," whisk a quarter cup of flour into the milk before adding it in.

*note: if you're using a slow cooker, add the rosemary and salt and pepper at the end of the cooking time.

Put the potatoes, vegetable, garlic, onion, ham, and broth in your pot and stir to combine.

Instant Pot: Lock the lid and set to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes (allow 30 minutes or so for the pot to come to pressure.) Let the pressure release naturally (about 15-20 minutes.) Switch the pot to the high slow cooker setting, then add the milk. Stir to combine and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker: Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 6 hours. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper, and milk, and stir to combine. Cook on high for another 30 minutes.

Stove top: Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and let it cook for at least an hour. Add the milk and bring back to temperature (close to boiling, but not quite.)

That's it! Serve with your favorite toppings and some good bread, and I guarantee you'll feel warm all night. :-)

Are soups a part of your winter menu like they are for me?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.