This delicious Ham and Vegetable Soup is a great way to use leftover ham and vegetables. Easy and satisfying meal for the whole family.
The ingredients called for below are just suggestions, so feel free to use what you have or like best or have as leftovers. I used carrots, onions, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower, but diced tomatoes would be good too.
If you’ve got some leftover ham from Thanksgiving that needs using up this is a great way to do it! I used my leftover ham and and the ham juice. I had both in the freezer.
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Using Leftover Holiday Ham
It seems we are always making a ham for a holiday meal. After eating ham a few days in a row, I tend to get sick of eating it. However, I was always taught not to waste food. Therefore, I cut up the ham and freeze it in containers that hold about 2 cups worth of meat. I do label and date. This way, I know what is in the container and when I froze it. You can even freeze the juice! When I make a soup like this, there is rarely a need for additional seasoning.
I hope this recipe helps you save some money and inspire you to use leftovers and turn them into a new meal to feed your family for pennies.
This ham and vegetable soup is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holidays. It’s also a great recipe for using up all those extra vegetables you might have in your fridge at this time of year. This dish only takes about an hour to make, so it’s perfect if you’re busy on weeknights but still want a healthy meal. Try out this meal tonight.
Leftover Party Tray Vegetables
Clean and Use Party Tray Vegetables Right Away
Recently, we hosted a party for over 100 people and the venue that hosted the party for us had vegetable platters leftover. We took them home. Guess where the vegetables ended up?
I could have diced up the vegetables and placed them in airtight containers and froze them. However, I decided to use them right away with the ham and the ham juice I knew I had in my freezer.
The end result is a delicious low calorie easy meal.
Due to all of the vegetables in this recipe, this makes this a great low calorie option.
Quick Meals
On the nights when I get home from work late, I welcome my freezer stash. I can quickly make up a home-cooked meal that doesn’t brake the bank.
Hint to Using the Ham Juice
When freezing the extra juice from meat that I cook, the fat solidifies on the top. Once the container is thawed enough, you can scrape the extra fat off the top-or in today’s case, it was still frozen, but thawed enough to be removed from the container.Next, I removed it, put it on the cutting board and cut off the fat. Then, I returned it to the original container and waited a few minutes until the vegetables were cooked. I feel that this makes it much healthier to use. In the photos below, you can see the difference. This helps make the soup so healthy.
Delicious Hearty Soup
This soup comes together quickly and the flavors of the holiday ham shine through. The vegetables add a bright taste to the soup. On cold winter days here in Wisconsin, this soup warms up the insides and is a delight to eat.
Ham and Vegetable Soup
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Cauliflower cut in bite-sized pieces
- 2 Cups carrots cut in bite-sized pieces
- 4 Cups Broccoli cut in bite-sized pieces
- 2-3 Cups ham Pre-cooked and cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1 Small onion Diced
- 2 Cups Ham Juice
- 1 Can Great Northern Beans 15.8 ounce size
- 2 TBL olive oil
- water enough to create the thickness/thinness of soup you desire
Instructions
- In a large soup kettle, add olive oil, vegetables, and the onion. Cook over medium-high head until 1/2 cooked through.
- While the vegetables are cooking, dice the ham pieces.
- Remove the fat from the ham juice-I talk about that process-with pictures above. Add the juice to the kettle.
- Add the can of beans. Put enough water in the kettle to make the soup the desired consistency you want for soup. maybe a couple of cups of liquid.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Taste to see if it needs any seasoning. Mine did not. Enjoy…your soup is ready.
Your Own Private Notes
Nutrition
A few of my favorite things
The Power of Positivity
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.