Leftover Hambone Soup
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You can use up your leftover hambone to make this cozy, hearty soup loaded with tons of veggies and chunks of sweet ham!
Featured Comment
reasons to make hambone soup
- Repurposes leftover holiday hambone
- Makes for an amazing, flavorful ham stock
- Warm, cozy, hearty, hug-in-a-bowl vibes
- Great clean-out-the-fridge meal, adding in leftover vegetables and extra herbs
tips and tricks for success
- Use a hambone. Not only can you repurpose a leftover hambone, but the hambone will add such luscious flavor, richness and body to the soup.
- Add pasta. Add ditalini, macaroni or a small shape pasta for a heartier soup.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Freeze as needed. Hambone soup is a great recipe to freeze, perfect for a quick, cozy weeknight meal in the coming weeks. Always use airtight, resealable freezer bags, label, date and freeze up to 3 months.
what to serve with hambone soup
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Leftover Hambone Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
This can certainly be made without the hambone. It may not have the exact same flavors or richness than using the bone, but it will still be a great way to use up all that leftover holiday ham.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Yes! This is a great IP version for an even quicker time stamp.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop.
Leftover Hambone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 leftover hambone
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup frozen corn kernels
- ¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups leftover diced ham
Equipment
Instructions
- Place leftover hambone in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover the bone halfway, about 6-7 cups. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until very fragrant, about 30 minutes to 1 hour; set aside ham stock and discard hambone.
- Heat olive oil in the large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in ham stock, beans, corn, thyme and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in ham until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
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The base of the soup is great but I added and changed some things to make it pop more. Instead of water, I used 6 cups of chicken stock (low sodium) to marinate the bone in along with a whole quartered onion, celery leaves, chunks and fat of the ham. I let the stock simmer for 6 hours before I started the soup. I used a sieve and strained the stock, removed the bone and reserved the ham for my dogs (can’t waste ham). I made the soup as directed but used 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced up, one can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, a small bag of frozen kale, celery leaves and diced celery in addition to other ingredients listed. I seasoned with white pepper and salt and the seasoning was spot on. Simmered for an additional 2 hours and then had it for dinner. Very filling and excellent.
you are too funny….this is a totally different recipe! It does sound good though!!
I thought the same thing! A completely new recipe. Sounds good though.
This is our favorite soup! The kids are always excited when I buy a ham because they know Ham Bone Soup is coming up. Thanks!
I have made this multiple times. I rarely follow it to EXACTLY anymore just bc leftovers are different each month. I’ve even gone to our local butcher got the bone for around $2. So much flavor and so economical!!! I highly, highly recommend!
Made this with ham hocks instead of a ham bone and it had that extra smoky flavor. Great recipient!
I’ve made this several times now and it is absolutely PERFECT! In fact, my family looks forward to this soup after holidays than the ham itself! Great recipe! Simple and delicious.
simple but delicious. we ate with hot homemade biscuits.
Delicious! I’m making for the third time!
This soup was great, the whole family enjoyed.
Best soup ever! Only time I have ham is after Easter. So I make this once a year. But i could eat it every day. So good!
Ham bone soup DELICIOUS.
This recipe was fabulous!! I didn’t have beans so I added some peas towards the end. I followed the recipe as written, except I added a dash of Worchestershire sauce. So delicious. Thanks!!!
This soup is so delicious and budget friendly! I did not except to get so much comfort from this bowl of soup.
my son and husband really enjoyed it, easy to make just let it cook.
This is amazing! I’ve made it 4 times now. It is so flavorful. It tastes just fine with dried thyme if that’s all you have on hand. I like to add a little chopped celery & also a 15 oz. can of italian style diced tomatoes. It’s very simple to make & made with staple ingredients that I normally always without having to run to the store.
Wow, this was delicious! I wasn’t sure if I should veer from my family favourite recipe but this is my new favourite! It is really delicious and I will definitely cook it again and again. I did use some of the ideas suggested in the comments: added celery, a spoonful of chicken stock, and I did three quick whizzes on a hand held blender to slightly thicken it. It is a very, very, very tasty soup! Thank you!
Fantastic. Will use again. Think it needs a little “kick” of something, but its perfect the way it is! Thank you for sharing.
I love this recipe. It’s my go to recipe for hambone. I add in celery. It’s delicious. Thank you so much for such a great recipe
Relatively quick and very easy to make! My husband and I loved it. I’ve made turkey and rice soup after Thanksgiving but had yet to try a soup from our Christmas ham. This one was so much easier! Thank you.
Will be making this every fall and winter going forward,
Easy to make, recipient very easy to follow, and absolutely delicious!
Have been doing this for years we let this simmer for 8hours, we do the same with turkey carcass , beef steak and rib bones just endless combinations.
Wow! Made this tonight and was incredibly full of flavor. I only let the bone simmer for 40 minutes and the rest was followed to a T. Was worried the ham bone wouldn’t give off much flavor but I was so surprised. No need for salt. Ingredients were a perfect match. Thank you!! Definitely going to make this after we have a ham!!!