Ham Chowder

After Easter a lot of people have plenty of leftover ham. My mother-in-law had purchased an entire extra ham, and insisted I take a freezer bag full of ham back home with me. My wife doesn't like ham any where near as much as I do, so I decided to make a great soup to help me use up a bag full of ham.

Serves: 10
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, diced
½ lbs frozen corn
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tbsp flour
6 cups milk
2 lbs russet potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1.5 lbs ham
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne powder

Optional:

Diced chives
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Pour the olive oil into a stock pot or large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the corn, thyme, and basil and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour until all moisture on the bottom of the pot is absorbed then turn the heat to low.

Slowly pour in the milk while vigorously whisking. Once all the milk is in, add the potatoes, bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced by a fork.

At this point you have a fairly thin soup, if you like it that way, feel free to add the ham and the rest of the seasonings and serve. If, like me, you want it thick and creamy, grab your handy stick blender and blend until creamy. After you get the consistency right, add the ham and the rest of the seasonings and serve garnished with the chives and cheddar cheese.