We are just in one of those seasons of life when things are really busy. I’m sure so many of you can relate. You get a few months in a row when evenings and weekends are generally quiet and then you hit a stretch when there is something happening every single day. Jeff has a meeting at church, the boys have climb team practice, I have a women’s event or a planning committee meeting, Jeff has a men’s thing, we have small group, Marshall has a 7th-grade boy’s hangout, the kids have tubing with the youth group… It’s all good stuff and fun stuff, but it’s meant that we’re either eating early or late. So, meal prep on the weekends has been key and a big part of that is making soup jars. I cook one or two big pots of soup (usually a double recipe) and portion it out into pint-sized single-serving jars. That way, we can heat up just what we need and eat a quick, healthy dinner.
I’ll also make salad jars, make sure we have plenty of ready-to-eat fruits and veggies, and we’ll get a rotisserie chicken to pick from. (Jeff likes to add the chicken to his salads or to bulk up a vegetarian soup.) Sometimes I’ll prep some other foods like steamed rice, turkey avocado patties, sausage patties to have with breakfast, etc. to mix things up.
Today, I’m sharing one of our favorite soup recipes. Both Jeff and I have really enjoyed this one and I’ve made it about every 2-3 weeks. It’s hearty and creamy without being really heavy.
It starts, as most soups do, with a blend of carrots, celery, onion, and garlic cooked until soft in some butter.
The recipe called for adding stock and raw potatoes at this point, but I’ve learned that potatoes are so much creamier in texture when they are baked the day before and refrigerated overnight. It also cuts the time you have to babysit the soup a lot!
When I’m doing this, I’ll cook some extra potatoes, too, to use for a hash or other soups.
I peel and chop all of the potatoes into slices.
Because the potatoes are already cooked, I’ll just bring the stock to a boil and then turn it down and give it a few minutes (maybe 10-15) to allow the stock to absorb into the potatoes. I’ll then add a slurry of flour and heavy cream (sometimes I just use whole milk.) By mixing the flour and cream, it helps to reduce lumps when adding it to the soup.
There might be a few lumps, but they’ll work themselves out as the soup cooks. I’ve always had this soup turn out smooth and creamy.
Once it gets thick and bubbly, I’ll add in a finely chopped ham steak and the cheese. I’ll let it cook for about another 5 minutes to allow that ham to flavor the soup.
I really need to get a wide-mouth funnel, but at this point, I just use a small ladle to pour the soup into pint-sized jars.
(Since a few have asked, THESE are the jars I use and THESE are the lids.)
I loosely put the lids on while they’re cooling, so a cat doesn’t lick the soup when I’m not looking. Those cats are crafty!
And then I’ll heat them up for lunches or dinners through the week.
And there’s really no valid excuse for not making good eating choices or for grabbing food on the go. It’s all at-the-ready, quick, and easy.
Here’s the printable recipe for those who are interested in trying it!
You can find other recipes I’ve shared HERE.
Creamy Potato & Ham Soup
Equipment
- dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped or shredded carrots
- 1 32 ounce box of unsalted chicken stock
- 4 russet potatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream, half & half, or whole milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 8 ounce ham steak, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Wrap potatoes in foil and bake at 400 for 1 hour. If possible, refrigerate overnight.
- Heat butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and cook until soft. (About 8-10 minutes)
- Remove potatoes from foil, skin, and chop. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low once a boil is reached. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, so potatoes can absorb the broth.
- In a bowl or measuring cup, mix flour and cream with a small whisk. Stir into soup.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until soup is thick and bubbly. (About 10 minutes.)
- Add chopped ham steak and shredded cheese. Stir.
- Salt & Pepper to taste. Add fresh chopped parsley.
Yum! Can’t wait to try this one! Seems I crave good, homemade soups for lunch all year long. I remember on a trip to Ireland every lunch & dinner meal came with a soup or salad option so I would choose soup & they were always extra good (& usually with a creamy base;) I’ve found that meals in beautiful countries usually are extra delicious – must be the ambiance!! And Marian, even your soup jars are unique & beautiful!
The soup sounds yummy! We eat a lot of soup and prepare food ahead of time every week. I too use canning jars for food storage and bought a funnel from Amazon so I can still easily fill the smaller mouth jars without a mess. It really is a handy gadget!
I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe. I batch cook soups on the weekend and freeze in mason jars. Every day I take one with me to work. It thaws on the desk until lunch time, then heats up quick in the microwave—and mason jars stand up to the transition from cold to hot without a problem. I started doing this to have a healthy lunch, but I’m loving the unexpected money savings. Thanks for another great recipe to add into my rotation!
The soup looks delicious! I will be making this one soon. Can you share a link to the jars?
Can you freeze soup in a glass jar?
That looks delicious. My grandmother made a potato, leek, and carrot soup that she served with homemade sourdough bread. Added a small pat of butter on top and a little cheese. Very similar to your soup recipe. I still make it today, along with her split pea soup with barley, carrots, and onions.
You can microwave your potatoes to save time, about 5 or 6 minutes for two potatoes. Just don’t forget to prick your potatoes 3 or 4 times with a fork or they will explode in the microwave.
Are you keeping the jars of soup in the refrigerator or freezer?
Just the fridge.
Could you post a link so we can buy the same jars? They’re beautiful!
Yes, I posted the links just before I show the jars in the post.
How long do you keep them in the refrigerator before you toss the uneaten ones? I cook for just my husband and I.
For about a week.
Looks yummy for a cold rainy day like today ?
Yes, it’s perfect for a rainy or cold/gray day.
I need those cute jars !
I added the link in the post!
I enjoy your food notes as much as the other content. I have not forgotten that beautiful apple pie with the rosettes of thin dough on top ! Good show!
Sounds good. I always have trouble though with reheating soups with cheese. It seems o get grainy and stick to spoons and bowls. Is there a trick?
I’ve found if you add the ham to the sautéed mixture, then cook it for a few minutes, it tastes “ham-mier”. You can add the flour to the vegetables and cook and stir for a bit to cook the roux, then add HOT milk, it thickens faster without the worry of lumps. It’s just a different way to get to the same end.
Another reader commented about lumps. Here’s what I’ve done for years that works for me: put the flour-and-cream/milk mixture into a jar big enough to have room to shake it. I have several 32-oz Mason-type jars with lids that I use just for shaking things. I also add most of my spices to the jar for shaking, instead of adding separately to the pan/pot. Sometimes, I have to squish some errant lumps against the side of the jar, but, as Marian said, it all works out as the soup cooks. The jar is my “lazy” method for mixing cream soup bases, roux, salad dressings, etc.
Thanks for the recipe, Marian!
Mmmm. Looks yummy! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Let me know when you find a wide mouthed funnel. I need one too for the same thing!
I tried making the soup this weekend and it was creamy and delicious!
I was unable to post a picture of the finish product but it’s definitely picture worthy would the parsley and sprinkled cheddar on top.
Thanks Marion for sharing!
have you tested your ironstone for lead? I have a similar recipe that I add wild rice to. yummy.
Made this soup tonight and OMG it is so yummy!!! Thanks for sharing.
Oh, good!
Have you thought of writing a cookbook?
No. 🙂 I enjoy cooking and I’ve learned a lot over the years from trial and error, watching cooking shows, reading cookbooks, etc, but I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in that area.
This looked so yummy that I decided to try it out despite the fact that my husband does not care for potato soups. Lo and behold, he said it was the best potato soup he has ever had and even ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. The kids all loved it too. They thought it tasted liked scalloped potatoes:) Thanks for the recipe!