Easy (and Fast) Creamy Potato Leek Soup With Ham

One bowl of creamy soup with chunks of ham and sliced scallions. There are a few long pieces of fresh leeks sitting beside.

5 from 6 votes

Easy (and Fast) Creamy Potato Leek Soup With Ham

This soup is one of the simplest soups you can make. Potatoes and leeks simmer until falling apart. To finish, do a quick mash or whisk to make it as creamy as you like, then add in chunky ham and luxurious cream to finish it off. Serves 4 for dinner or 6 as an appetizer or light lunch.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, canadian

Keyword: ham soup

Servings:

Calories: 592kcal

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups leeks sliced crosswise (about 3 average sized leeks, cleaned and tough outer leaves peeled off)
1 clove garlic minced
4 cups chicken broth or 4 cups of water and a ham hock
1 bay leaf
4 cups russet potatoes peeled and diced (about 2-3 large potatoes)
2 cups ham diced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
optional shredded cheddar cheese or chopped green onions to serve

Instructions

Place a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Once heated, add the chopped leeks and garlic and stir occasionally until the leeks are bright green and turning translucent.
Pour in the chicken broth (or water and ham hock), diced potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring it to a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Let is simmer gently until the potatoes are fall-apart tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove ham bone at this point if needed, then stir or mash until your soup is creamy. (Don't use a blender or hand-held immersion blender for this soup or the potatoes will get a gluey texture.)
Add in the diced ham (or ham picked off the bone) and simmer for 10 more minutes. Pour in the cream, stir and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Let it heat through for 1 more minute, then serve and enjoy while hot.
Garnish soup as desired with shredded cheddar, chopped green onions or chives, a scoop of sour cream or extra cubes of ham.

Notes

If you've used a ham hock, remove it once the potatoes are soft. Let it cool enough to handle and then remove the meat and chop into bite sized pieces and add the meat back to the soup, discarding the bone.

Nutrition