Soup for a ham bone


 

Josh Z.

TVWBB Pro
I have a smoked ham bone that I would love to put to use.

I'm looking for a soup recipe to use it in, but I do not want to make split pea soup (yuck) any variation of pea soup, I am also not a fan of soup with a lot of beans it it. Call me picky I guess, but I still can remember my mom making split pea soup and there was always a good smell of ham and then a stench of nastiness.

Thanks,
Josh
 
I make this as I go (without measurements) but it is easy and flavorful and I doubt you'll have trouble winging it as it's obvious you know your way around a kitchen (and Q pit!).

In a soup pot large enough to contain the ham bone, preferably horizontally: Saute 2 slices of bacon slowly to render the fat; remove the bacon. Add a little unsalted butter to this then 2 diced medium onions and 1 peeled and diced apple. Cook till softened, about 7-8 min. Add a small minced clove of garlic and cook till fragrant but not browned, about 1 min. Add the leaves from a sprig of fresh thyme or about 2 t dried and a small bay leaf.

Add to the pot 5 or 6 large sweetpotatoes which have been peeled and quartered then pour in enough light chicken stock and/or water (I'd use a 50-50 mix) to cover by 3-4 inches. Stir in a sprinkling of ground white pepper and a very light dusting of allspice. Submerge the ham bone in the pot and bring to a boil then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for an hour or so; remove the bone and the bay leaf.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender (or use an immersion blender) till very smooth. Reduce, if necessary, for a thicker soup, or add a little stock to thin it. (I like it somewhat thick, like a bisque or chowder.) Adjust salt and white pepper. (If desired, add just a little ground chipotle--seek just the hint of background heat and chile flavor.)

Serve in bowls garnished with a dollop of good sour cream and a sprinkling of minced fresh or drained pickled jalapenos. The combination of smoky, sweet and hot, smoothed by the creaminess of the sour cream and highlighted by its sour note is one of my favorites.
 
Excellent I'll let you know how we like it. Sounds like a winner to me. I'm always looking for a use for my homegrown/homesmoked chipotles.

Where would you dollop that sour cream? It would seem that it would go like a drop in the middle of the soup, but I'm not so sure.

Josh
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Josh Z.:
Where would you dollop that sour cream? It would seem that it would go like a drop in the middle of the soup, but I'm not so sure. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Yup, dead center of the bowl right on top. For the typical dinner service soup bowl about 1 heaping T is good (more or less as desired) then about 1/2-1 t minced jal (more or less as desired) dropped right atop the sour cream. Some will stay there, some will spill off onto the soup surface.

I often serve soups in coffee mugs when I have guests (or, actually, even when I don't) to be enjoyed before dinner out on the porch, in the yard, or when I or my guests might be milling about the house and chatting. I offer spoons if the soup is thick and/or contains elements that require use of a spoon (garnishes needing mixing in, vegs or meats or seafood in the soup, etc.). Sometimes this is the only app I serve, sometimes other apps are placed about--away from the dining table so as not to clutter it and/or give me time to set it after people arrive, and I usually do this well before dinner is ready. I find it rather nice (and guests do too) to be able to have the soup (and not just finger food apps) while mingling, sitting on the porch, or attending to the grills. Because the surface of a coffee mug is smaller than a soup bowl I'll garnish with proportionately less so as not to cover its surface and allow the soup to be seen.
 
Kevin,

What would you call this soup? We called it Really Freakin Good! I served this up for Thanksgiving and everybody loved it. I'd love to write up the exact measurements and put it into a recipe form, but as I followed your recipe I did exactly what it called for and winged it. Next time I make it maybe I'll try to figure it out, but for now I have a ton of left over soup that I'm going to enjoy (only 6 adults for 5 quarts of soup....)!

Not only did it taste good, but it was an impressive looking soup too. Great texture, great thickness, and of course the taste had a ton of depth that kept our guests guessing at the different things that were in the soup. I personally was sold with the subltle spiciness of the white pepper. I know it was the white pepper because in the chaos of my kitchen I couldn't find my chipotles that I smoked up this summer.

My mom thinks it is really great that I could post a request for a recipe and not only get a recipe as a response, but a recipe that tasted so good. I would have to echo such sentiments and thank everybody who posts on this forum and makes this such a great place to read. Specificly I want to thank Kevin for this great recipe and all the help you have provided me in my persuit of cured meats and great food in general.

So thank you Kevin and I'll be stashing this "winged" recipe in the file of must do agains.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as we enjoyed your soup!

Josh
 
I am very pleased you liked it.

This soup came up in conversation yesterday and that reminded me that I'd posted it for you and I wondered if you'd made it.

You are quite correct about the white pepper. It is a must with any regular potato dish or any sweetpotato dish (and not a few others!).

I very much enjoyed my Thanksgiving. I ended up having 13 people. It was a breezy but sunny day, with temps in the upper 60s. When the sun got low and the temps dropped we lit a huge bonfire of scrap wood, old logs and dried brush and enjoyed that. Knocked off the last of the limoncello--but I picked a 1/2 bu of newly ripe Key limes this morning for my next batch I'll start this afternoon.

I'm glad your dinner went well.
 
First things first.... what would you call this soup? Sweet Potatoe Soup or do you have something better? It needs a name to get filed under.

That sounds like a nice time. Whats crazy is that here in IL our temps weren't too far off from that. I spent the today outside working in shorts and t-shirt.
 
Spaced that question out earlier ... . It was vogue in the 80s not to name menu items, a trend that's continued. I simply called it Smoky Sweetpotato Soup.
 
Kevin, lacking a ham bone, what other options could I use? Perhaps 1/4 of a ham steak cooked with the other ingredients, then shredded back into the soup? Brown it first, or not? Of course, there is always ham base.
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Rita
 
I'm thinking I'd go with a Ham Hock if I didn't have a ham bone. Most grocery stores in this area sell them cured and smoked. I think a couple of hocks would make up for the bone. Thast my guess at least.
 
Ham hocks would be a good idea and base could work too. Especially with the base, keep it on the light side so as to keep the sweetpotato prominent. With hocks, I agree; a couple should do it.
 
when I read the recipe request I was gonna suggest potatoe soup from ham stock

but sweet potatoe soup? ... neat idea, I'll have to give this a go ... we're in soup season here having -30C for the last while
 
Made this over the weekend using a couple of ham hocks that have been in the frig for a long time. Thank you Kevin. This soup is great - having for lunch right now.
 

 

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