Still trying to polish off the last of your Easter spread? Unfortunately, my vegan macaroni and cheese didn’t go over as well as I had hoped, and so I’ve been chipping away at the leftovers all week. (My apple crisp, on the other hand, disappeared quickly!)
And while my mom’s ham was a hit, we hardly made a dent in it. So, of course, she sent some home with me. But since I’m not much of a meat eater, the parting gift has sat untouched in the fridge.
Well, I woke up this morning and finally put the pork to use by preparing soup – namely, a creamy and delicious ham and potato chowder packed with veggies. Topped with duck fat croutons, it’s a complete meal!
Recipe adapted from RecipeTin Eats.
Ham and Potato Chowder
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chopped ham
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 cup peeled and diced sweet potatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- duck fat croutons (for serving, optional, see notes)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook ham on medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Wash pot to remove any brown bits.
- Add butter and olive oil to pot and melt over medium heat. Add yellow onion, green onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Slowly add milk; stir and bring to a boil. Add chicken broth and water; stir and bring to a boil.
- Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10-12 minutes.
- Add corn, parsley and thyme and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes.
- Add ¾ of the cooked ham and stir to combine. Remove soup from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with remaining ham and duck fat croutons, if using.
Notes
To make croutons, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups bread cubes, 1 tablespoon duck fat and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, stirring halfway through. Let croutons cool completely before using.
This looks so delicious! I’m pretty sure this would be a big hit in my house!
Thanks so much, Karly! And it’s so easy to make, too. 🙂