Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Soup is a thick, creamy stovetop soup of chopped ham, fresh broccoli and bowtie pasta simmered in chicken stock, finished with heavy cream and 2 cups of shredded Cheddar. The flour goes right in with the vegetables, so there’s no separate roux and no blender. It takes about 45 minutes and serves 4.
How to make it: Sauté the onion and broccoli in butter, then brown the ham. Stir in the garlic and flour for a minute, add the chicken stock and pasta, and simmer about 20 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the cream and Cheddar on low until melted and 165°F, and serve right away.
What Goes in This Soup?
This one uses butter, onion, fresh broccoli, chopped ham, garlic, flour, chicken stock, bowtie pasta, heavy cream and shredded Cheddar, plus salt and pepper. The ham and pasta make it a full meal, and the cream and Cheddar make it rich and cheesy. It’s a good way to use up leftover holiday ham.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot, no roux: the flour cooks right in with the vegetables and ham.
- Really cheesy: 2 cups of shredded Cheddar for 4 bowls.
- A meal in a bowl: ham, broccoli and pasta together.
- Uses leftovers: leftover ham works, even straight from the freezer.
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli: Four cups, about 1 pound, chopped into bite-sized pieces. Throw away the bottom inch or two of the stem, then chop the rest of the stem small and use it.
Ham: Two cups, chopped. Leftover holiday ham is perfect.
Onion and garlic: One small onion (about 3/4 cup chopped) and 2 cloves of garlic.
Butter and flour: Three tablespoons of butter to sauté and 1/4 cup of flour to thicken.
Chicken stock: Five cups, or 4 cups of stock plus 1 cup of water.
Pasta: One cup of dry bowtie pasta. Medium shells, ditalini or macaroni work too.
Cream and Cheddar: One cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of shredded Cheddar go in last.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 4 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 cups chopped ham
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 5 cups chicken stock (or 4 cups stock and 1 cup water)
- 1 cup dry bowtie pasta (or other short pasta)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
How to Make Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Soup
1. Sauté the onion. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion to sauté.
2. Add the broccoli. Wash the broccoli well, discard the bottom inch or two of the stem and chop the rest into bite-sized pieces. The stem can be chopped small and used. Add the broccoli to the cooking onion and season with the salt and pepper. Cook together about 5 minutes.
3. Brown the ham. Add the ham and keep sautéing, letting the ham get a little color, another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and flour. Add the garlic and flour and stir for a minute to incorporate.
5. Simmer with the pasta. Add the chicken stock and pasta and simmer about 20 minutes, until the pasta is al dente (cooked through but still with a bite and not mushy). Turn the heat down as needed to keep it at a gentle bubble.
6. Melt in the cream and cheese. Add the cream and shredded Cheddar and simmer a few more minutes on LOW to melt and thicken, until the soup reads 165°F on a food thermometer. Serve right away.
How to Get a Smooth, Thick Cheesy Soup
Most cheesy soup problems come from the order and the heat. Here are the common mistakes and what to do instead:
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Adding the cheese too early | Stir in the cream and Cheddar last, after the pasta is tender |
| Melting the cheese on high heat | Turn the heat to low and let it melt slowly |
| A hard, rolling boil with the pasta in | Keep it at a gentle bubble and turn the heat down as needed |
| Mushy pasta | Stop at al dente: cooked through but still with a bite |
| Raw flour taste | Stir the flour into the vegetables and ham for a full minute before the stock goes in |
| Throwing away the stem | Chop it small and cook it with the florets |
| Letting it sit | Serve right away, while the pasta is just right |
Give the ham some color. Letting it sauté for about 5 minutes adds flavor to the whole pot.
Heat it through. Leftover ham counts as a leftover, so bring the finished soup to 165°F before serving.
Variations
- Different pasta: medium shells, ditalini or macaroni instead of bowties.
- White cheddar: use sharp white Cheddar for a paler, tangier soup.
- Herbs: add a little dried thyme and basil, or a pinch of ground mustard.
- Thinner broth: use 4 cups of stock plus 1 cup of water.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Divide leftovers into shallow covered containers and refrigerate them within 2 hours. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days. The pasta keeps soaking up broth, so the soup will be thicker the next day.
Freezer: You can freeze it for 3 to 4 months, but cream-based soups don’t freeze well; the cream can separate and look curdled after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat covered on the stove until it comes to a rolling boil and reaches 165°F. Add a splash of stock if it’s too thick. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it hot with crusty bread, homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks or 3-ingredient cheddar biscuit bites. For more cozy soups, try Crockpot potato broccoli cheddar soup (no ham), ham and potato corn chowder, baked potato soup or Crock Pot ham and beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in a cheesy broccoli soup with ham?
Butter, onion, broccoli, ham, garlic, flour, chicken stock, pasta, heavy cream and shredded Cheddar, with salt and pepper.
What are common mistakes when making broccoli cheese soup?
Adding the cheese too early, melting it over high heat, boiling the pasta too hard and letting the soup sit too long before serving.
Can I use leftover ham?
Yes. Leftover holiday ham works, even if it’s frozen. Bring the soup to 165°F before serving.
What pasta works in this soup?
Bowtie pasta, or another short shape like medium shells, ditalini or macaroni.
Can I freeze this soup?
You can, for 3 to 4 months, but the cream may separate after thawing. It’s best fresh or refrigerated.
Final Notes
Chop the broccoli and ham while the butter melts, and keep the heat low once the cheese goes in. Serve it right away while the pasta still has a bite. If you make it, tell me in the comments what kind of ham you used.
Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Soup
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped, about 3/4 cup
- 4 cups broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces, about 1 pound; discard the bottom inch or two of the stem and chop the rest of the stem small and use it
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 cups ham chopped; leftover holiday ham works, even if frozen
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 5 cups chicken stock or 4 cups stock and 1 cup water
- 1 cup bowtie pasta or other short pasta such as medium shells, ditalini or macaroni; measured dry
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion to sauté.
- Wash the broccoli well, discard the bottom inch or two of the stem and chop the rest into bite-sized pieces. The stem can be chopped small and used. Add the broccoli to the cooking onion and season with the salt and pepper. Cook together about 5 minutes.
- Add the ham and keep sautéing, letting the ham get a little color, another 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and flour and stir for a minute to incorporate.
- Add the chicken stock and pasta and simmer about 20 minutes, until the pasta is al dente (cooked through but still with a bite and not mushy). Turn the heat down as needed to keep it at a gentle bubble.
- Add the cream and shredded Cheddar and simmer a few more minutes on LOW to melt and thicken, until the soup reads 165°F on a food thermometer. Serve right away.
