As everyone is packing up their holiday decorations, making resolutions and staying busy getting the new year started, we tend to drift towards healthier food options than what we may have indulged in over the holidays. This smokey ham and veggie soup is both soul-warming comfort food AND a healthy meal for all those new year’s resolutions.

I cooked mine in the Instant Pot, but I have also included stovetop/crockpot instructions and even a Vegan variation.

Although completely optional, I decided to put my cubed ham on the smoker with some Kerrygold butter while the soup was cooking in the Instant Pot. The smokey flavor it adds really deepens the flavor of the soup! I use a Traeger pellet smoker.

You can also make this more keto-friendly by omitting the flour and blending more, and omitting the beans, replacing with another veggie.

This recipe is a keeper for my kitchen!

Enjoy!

<3

Shannon

Creamy Ham and Veggie Soup

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Great soup for fall or winter, a healthy comfort food!

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Course Soup

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large bell pepper, diced orange, yellow, or red
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup Einkorn flour, AP flour, OR Gluten-Free flour blend
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp each – ground black pepper, garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 2 lbs pre-cooked or smoked ham, cubed

Instructions

 

• Set Instant Pot on the saute setting and add butter to melt.

  Once melted, saute the onions, carrots, celery, and peppers in the instant pot until soft.

  Add the flour and mix well. When the flour coats all the veggies, pour in the broth. Add green beans, pinto beans. Then, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery salt.

  Cancel saute setting on Instant Pot and run the Instant Pot for 30 min on the "chili/beans" setting "Hi/Normal OR just on Pressure Cook "High/Normal"

  Optional: If you have a smoker/pellet grill you can put the cubed ham in at 250° with some butter and your favorite BBQ seasoning (do this earlier in the day/week OR while the soup cooks). Getting smoke on the ham deepens the flavor of the soup. But, it's not necessary!

  ***After the pressure cooker finished cooking, I recommend using the natural release venting method. Soups tend to splatter from the vent when using the quick release method.***

  After the steam has vented, add the cubed ham and heavy cream.

  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup for about 10-15 seconds. Or, in a regular blender/Ninja transfer about 2 cups of the soups, blend well, then pour back into the soup. This will give a creamier texture while still making a chunky soup.

  Add salt and pepper to taste.

  Enjoy!

Notes

Stovetop variation:

You can make this very easily on the stovetop.  Saute the veggies with the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Follow the same instructions for adding the flour and broth as directed above.  Then simmer on low for about 30 min, stirring often, before adding the ham, cream, and blendingas directed above.  Simmer on low on to stove or transfer to crock pot to stay warm.

Vegan/Non-Dairy variation:

I’ve had good luck making vegan versions of my favorite creamy soups using avocado oil instead of butter and unsweetened almond milk instead of cream.  Instead of ham cubes I recommend adding more beans (pinto, kidney, etc) or another of your favorite veggies.

Keyword chowder, comfort food, gluten free, keto, soup, vegan