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A bowl of ham and vegetable soup sitting on a wooden board.

Hearty Ham and Cabbage Soup

This soup is a great way to use up leftover ham from a holiday like Christmas, Easter, or New Year's Day. Packed with ham, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, corn, and more, it's the perfect warm and hearty meal for a cold winter night.
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 10
Author: Camy

Equipment (Shop on Amazon)

  • Large Oval Le Creuset Dutch Oven (6.75 QT)

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp salted butter
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic pressed
  • 1 large sweet onion finely diced
  • 5 large carrots diced
  • 5 stalks celery diced
  • 1 small head of cabbage diced (See Note 1 below)
  • 3 cartons of chicken bone broth (32 oz each)
  • 3-4 cups ham chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp onion powder
  • 2 packets of sodium-free chicken bouillon (4g each) (See Note 4 below)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (See Note 3 below)
  • 3/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
  • 5 medium potatoes diced
  • 4 large ears of fresh corn (See Note 2 below)
  • 4 oz cream cheese (optional- see Note 5 below)
  • 1 cup heavy cream (optional- see Note 5 below)

Instructions

  • Before starting this soup, I recommend prepping the ham and all of your veggies. Finely dice the white onion. Dice the carrots, celery, and cabbage. Cut the potatoes and ham into bite-size pieces. Cut the fresh corn off the cob. (Or take a few extra minutes and grill the corn first—so yummy!)
    Ham and Cabbage Soup Ingredients- Veggies
  • Add the butter, sweet onion, celery, carrots, and pressed garlic to a large soup pot. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    3 tbsp salted butter, 3 cloves fresh garlic, 1 large sweet onion, 5 large carrots, 5 stalks celery
    Onion, Carrots, Celery, and Garlic
  • Add the cabbage and one carton of chicken bone broth (32 oz). Stir and cook on medium-high heat for another 4-5 minutes.
    1 small head of cabbage, 3 cartons of chicken bone broth (32 oz each)
    Veggies Cooking in the Pot
  • Add the ham, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, salt, and black pepper to the soup. Stir. Then add another carton of chicken bone broth (32 oz). Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. Once the soup reaches a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the soup. Allow it to cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    3 cartons of chicken bone broth (32 oz each), 3-4 cups ham, 1 tsp dry basil, 3/4 tsp garlic powder, 3/4 tsp onion powder, 2 packets of sodium-free chicken bouillon (4g each), 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
    Adding the Ham to the Soup
  • Add the potatoes, corn, and last carton of chicken bone broth (32 oz). Bring the soup back to a simmer. Then lower the heat again and allow the soup to cook for 15-20 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
    5 medium potatoes, 4 large ears of fresh corn, 3 cartons of chicken bone broth (32 oz each)
    Adding the Potatoes and Corn
  • Optional—Put the heavy cream and cream cheese in a microwave-safe dish or measuring cup. Heat for about 45 seconds or just until the cream cheese is melted enough to easily whisk it into the heavy cream. Add the cream mixture to the soup and stir well.
    4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup heavy cream
    Adding the Cream and Cream Cheese Mixture
  • Keep the soup warm on low heat after adding the cream mixture—serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat any leftovers within a couple days. See my thoughts on freezing the soup earlier in this post.
    Ham and Cabbage Soup Recipe

Notes from the Happy To Be Here Kitchen

Note 1. Cabbage: One small head of cabbage may sound like a lot of cabbage, but it cooks down a lot. Make sure to core the cabbage before dicing it. 
Note 2. Corn: I like to use fresh corn, lightly grilled and cut off the cob. If you don’t have fresh corn, frozen will work too!
Note 3. Salt: Only 1/2 teaspoon of salt is initially added to the recipe in an effort to not oversalt the soup, as the ham will be salty. You may choose to not add salt until you have tasted the soup after it has simmered and then adjust the salt level to your taste. 
Note 4. Chicken Bouillon: I like the Herb Ox brand of sodium-free bouillon. Each packet is 4 grams. You may choose to substitute your favorite sodium-free bouillon in an equivalent amount. 
Note 5. Cream Cheese Mixture: The soup is very tasty (and healthier!) without the cream cheese mixture—so taste it and then decide if you’d like to add some decadent creaminess to finish this soup. 

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