Corn Chowder with Ham
This corn chowder with ham uses easy to find ingredients like frozen corn, ham, chicken broth, milk, potatoes, butter, and flour. Corn chowder is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover ham from Easter.
Corn Chowder with Ham and Potatoes
Typically the weather in April can go either way, but there always manages to be one cold day right after Easter making this soup the perfect bowl of comfort to snuggle up to. Growing up, my mom used to always use the ham from Easter to make split pea soup, but I like to change things up. I prefer the sweetness of corn and it really shines in this soup.
My favorite ways to use up leftover ham are to make either this recipe for Corn Chowder with Ham or my Ham, Egg, and Cheese Stuffed Biscuits. Both recipes are easy to make and so tasty! This corn chowder uses easy to find ingredients like frozen corn, leftover ham, chicken broth, milk, potatoes, butter, and flour. The potato in this soup is not necessary, but I love potatoes in chowder and I think it adds to the texture of this soup.
Easy Ham and Corn Chowder
I love this recipe so much and so does my family. Most of the soups that I make in the winter are made with a vegetable puree base like broccoli or cauliflower, so this soup is a nice change of pace.
Substutions/Tips for Corn Chowder with Ham
If you do not want to use potato, you can double the amount of corn in this recipe. The flour in this soup is needed to make the consistency a little bit thicker than just regular milk. I added ground sage to give this soup a comforting flavor but rosemary can also work.
How long can you keep corn chowder in the fridge?
It lasts about 3 to 5 days. If you make this Corn Chowder with Ham with your leftover ham, you can eat some immediately and store the rest in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing it because of the milk in it and also because there is a roux in this.
Ingredients for Corn Chowder with Ham:
- Ham
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Celery
- Potato
- Frozen Corn
- Flour
- Milk
- Chicken Broth
- Water
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ground Sage
- Thyme
- Optional – Yogurt, Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the butter to a large soup pot and put the heat on medium
- Then, add the diced onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until they start to brown and get a little stuck to the pan. This is ok and it will come off once you add your broth
- Add the minced garlic and ham cubes to the pot and let them start to brown.
- Slowly add a little bit of the broth and use a spoon to scrape any of the brown bits off the pan.
- Raise the heat to medium high heat, and add in the rest of the Chicken Broth, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and the diced potatoes. Continue to stir, making sure it does not get stuck to the bottom of the pot. Let it cook, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender without being mushy.
- When the soup is almost done cooking, make your Roux. I added 3 tablespoons of butter to a saute pan. Once it is melted, I add 3 tablespoons of flour. Mix it around until the flour is coated in butter. Cook it for a few minutes so that the raw taste of flour cooks out. Then slowly add 1 cup of milk to the pan. Whisk the butter, flour, and milk together until smooth and let the mixture come to a slow boil on medium high heat. Once it is smooth and starts to bubble, turn off the heat and continue to mix. Once you get a thick and creamy mixture, add it to the soup once the potatoes are done cooking.
- When the potatoes are done cooking, add in your corn kernels, and then turn off your heat. Then, add the roux. Stir the soup and the heat will warm up the corn.
- Add in optional cheese and yogurt/sour cream.
NOTES
-The potato in this soup is not necessary, but I love potatoes in chowder and I think it adds to the texture of this soup. If you do not want to use potato, you can double the amount of corn in this recipe.
-I added ground sage to give this soup a comforting flavor but rosemary can also work.
Corn Chowder with Ham
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Frozen Corn Kernels
- 1.5 cups Diced Ham
- 1/2 Large Onion finely diced
- 1 stalk Celery chopped
- 2 Carrots chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 lb Potatoes diced. I prefer to buy yukon gold because the skin is soft and you can keep it on.
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 1.5 cup Milk
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt plus more to taste
- 4 shakes Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Ground Sage
- 1/2 tsp thyme
Optional
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large soup pot and put the heat on medium
- Then, add the diced onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until they start to brown and get a little stuck to the pan. This is ok and it will come off once you add your broth
- Add the minced garlic and ham cubes to the pot and let them start to brown.
- Slowly add a little bit of the broth and use a spoon to scrape any of the brown bits off the pan.
- Raise the heat to medium high heat, and add in the rest of the Chicken Broth, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and the diced potatoes. Continue to stir, making sure it does not get stuck to the bottom of the pot. Let it cook, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender without being mushy.
- When the soup is almost done cooking, make your Roux. I added 3 tablespoons of butter to a saute pan. Once it is melted, I add 3 tablespoons of flour. Mix it around until the flour is coated in butter. Cook it for a few minutes so that the raw taste of flour cooks out. Then slowly add 1 cup of milk to the pan. Whisk the butter, flour, and milk together until smooth and let the mixture come to a slow boil on medium high heat. Once it is smooth and starts to bubble, turn off the heat and continue to mix. Once you get a thick and creamy mixture, add it to the soup once the potatoes are done cooking.
- When the potatoes are done cooking, add in your corn kernels, and then turn off your heat. Then, add the roux. Stir the soup and the heat will warm up the corn.
- Add in optional cheese and yogurt/sour cream.
This is one soup that I don’t feel is second to the original holiday meal. Love the recipe!
I didn’t even have leftover ham, so I bought some just because I couldn’t wait to try this recipe. It was as delicious as it looks! It came together so easily and the flavors blended together perfectly. Definitely keeping this one!!
Love this recipe, my go-to corn chowder on Fall evenings…..but I usually guess at my broth/milk ratio. When I follow the directions, as opposed to the ingredient list I lose 1/2 c. milk..?…