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a bowl of smooth pale creamy potato soup with tiny pink ham dice and finely chopped chives stirred through it, without large potato chunks or a cream swirl
Rachel Kim

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

Steam the russets and pass them through a ricer while they're hot, then stir that fine potato into the broth instead of running a blender through the finished soup. The texture stays smooth without becoming gluey, and mascarpone softens the flavor with a small amount of dairy rather than a large flour-thickened sauce. Tiny ham cubes give each spoonful something to bite while the potato itself becomes the body of the soup. Warm the milk before adding it so the pot doesn't need a hard boil to recover its heat. This is the creamy option to choose when you want the potato flavor spread through the whole bowl rather than sitting in separate chunks.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 cups water for steaming plus 2 cups hot water if needed
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 medium shallots finely minced
  • 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 oz mascarpone
  • 12 oz fully cooked ham cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt only if needed

Method
 

  1. Bring steaming water to a simmer below a steamer basket in a covered pot, keeping the basket above the water. Add potatoes and steam for 20 to 25 minutes until very tender, adding some of the measured hot water if needed to keep the pot from drying.
  2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a soup pot over medium-low heat and cook shallots for 4 to 5 minutes until soft without browning. Add broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Warm milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Pass the hot drained potatoes through a potato ricer directly into the broth, then stir gently with a whisk to distribute them without beating.
  4. Stir in warm milk and mascarpone until smooth, then add ham, white pepper and nutmeg. Warm over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until ham reaches 165°F, avoiding a hard boil.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in chives. Taste before adding up to the measured salt.
  6. Divide among six bowls and serve while the soup is smooth and steaming.