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If you’re looking for leftover ham recipes, you’ll love this leftover ham bone soup with potatoes and cabbage! It’s hearty, flavorful, and easy to make too.
Leftover Ham Bone Soup
If you made a bone-in baked ham for the holidays, don’t throw away the leftover ham bone! It’s a key ingredient in this ham and potato soup. It adds instant flavor with minimal effort! I added some vegetables, potatoes and cabbage; you can also add a can of white beans if you wish. So delicious and easy to make! (Love ham soup? Try my Split Pea Soup With Ham and Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup With Ham too.)
Why You’ll Love This Ham Bone Soup Recipe
I made a baked ham the other day and saved the bone just to make soup.
- Versatile. You can make this ham bone soup on the stove in a big soup pot, Dutch oven or Instant Pot as I did here to save time. It would also be great in the slow cooker!
- Hearty and satisfying. With meaty ham, potatoes, and cabbage, there’s plenty in this soup to fill you up—but it’s still light and healthy.
- Minimize waste. This soup is so great to make after a holiday! Not only does it use leftover ham and ham bone, it’ll also help you use up any leftover onion, garlic, and potatoes from your holiday cooking.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Cooking spray – To cook the aromatics without adding oil and upping the calorie count.
- Onion, garlic, celery, and carrot – These four ingredients are the backbone of flavor for this ham and potato soup recipe.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – You can also use homemade chicken stock if you prefer.
- Yukon gold potatoes – If you have another variety of potato on hand, you can use those, but I love buttery Yukon golds.
- Ham leftovers – You’ll need some chopped leftover ham and the ham bone.
- Cabbage – Use green cabbage here. Red cabbage will give your soup an unappetizing color.
How to Make Leftover Ham Bone Soup
See the recipe card below for printable instructions.
- Cook the aromatics. Use the sauté option to cook the onions, celery, and garlic with the cooking spray until they’re softened.
- Pressure cook the soup. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cabbage with 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. (Stovetop version: Cook covered on low for 1 hour.)
- Finish. Let the steam release naturally, then stir in the cabbage and cook 5 minutes on high pressure. Use natural or quick release, then serve. (Stovetop version: Stir in the cabbage during the last 10 to 15 minutes and cook until tender.)
Tips and Variations
- Save the bone for later. No time to make soup right away? You can freeze it until you need it; the meat can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Make it creamy. For a creamier version of this soup, remove some of the potatoes and broth near the end of the cooking time, puree them in a blender, and then stir them back in. This makes the broth thicker and richer without increasing the calories.
- Substitute for the leftover ham. If you have a leftover ham bone for this soup but not ham, you can cook a ham steak, dice it, and add that. Or, just use the ham bone and add canned white beans for some extra heartiness. The ham bone alone will give the soup lots of flavor.
What to Serve With Ham and Potato Soup
- Crusty bread – Warm crusty bread is perfect for dipping into the soup and soaking up all of its deliciousness.
- Side salad – A simple green salad with Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing would be perfect.
- Cornbread – Sweet and savory Cornbread Muffins pair wonderfully with the flavors in this ham and potato soup.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: This soup will last for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: The texture of potatoes changes when they are frozen, but if you still want to freeze this leftover ham bone soup, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat or warm it in the microwave.
More Leftover Ham Recipes
Ham Bone Soup Recipe
If you’re looking for leftover ham recipes, you’ll love this leftover Ham Bone Soup with potatoes and cabbage! It’s hearty, flavorful, and easy to make too.
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 10 ounces yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small, from 2 medum
- 1 leftover ham bone
- 5 ounces chopped leftover ham
- 1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped (13 oz)
Instructions
- Instant Pot:
- Assuming your electric pressure cooker has a saute option, press the saute button and spray with oil, add the onions, celery, and garlic and saute, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, carrots, 1 1/2 cups water, potatoes, ham bone and ham and cook high pressure 20 minutes.
- Let the steam release naturally. Add the cabbage and cook 5 minutes high pressure. Natural or quick release.
- To cook on the stove top:
- Follow the same directions as above in a large pot or Dutch oven, cook covered low 1 hour adding the cabbage during the last 10 to 15 minutes. Cook until the cabbage and vegetables are tender.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 124 kcal, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Protein: 10.5 g, Fat: 2.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 22 mg, Sodium: 437 mg, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugar: 4.5 g
