Who didn’t grow up with a thick and hearty ham bone soup recipe?
A leftover meaty hambone is slow-cooked in a savory broth with veggies and aromatic herbs and spices, it’s true comfort food at its best!
Simple Soup Recipe!
- Traditional ham bone soup recipes call for carb-heavy beans like lentils, potatoes, or rice. This variation is considerably lighter but just as filling and flavorful with just a few carrots and lots of healthy cabbage!
- Easy prep! Just toss everything in the slow cooker and let the magic happen! This recipe can also be made on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or in an Instant Pot.
- Serve ham bone soup as a chill-chasing lunch or a hearty dinner with a side of cloud bread for dipping and dunking and a tangy cucumber onion salad.
- This is a great recipe that lets you use up whatever’s on hand, including leftover veggies! Cook up a pot and keep it warm in the Crock Pot for everyone to help themselves.
Ingredients And Variations
Ham Bone – Fresh from the holidays or taken from the freezer, ham bones have tons of flavor from the meat left on it but mainly from the flavor-infused bone!
Broth – Chicken or vegetable broth or stock adds lots of flavors, go for reduced sodium or sodium free if you can.
Cabbage – Cabbage keeps its crunch in soups and stews and absorbs the flavors of the herbs and spices so use as much as you like! Peel off any outer leaves that are torn or discolored. Red cabbage can be used with white (slice it thinly as an ‘accent’ color or else your soup will be pink)!
Vegetables – Carrots, celery, and onions add depth of flavor to broth-based soups as well as some color and texture. Feel free to toss other low-carb veggies like green beans, chopped kale, diced tomatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower florets.
Seasonings – Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme – and a couple of bay leaves are all it takes to bring out the best in ham bone soup. Be sure to pull the bay leaves out of the soup before serving!
How To Make Ham Bone Soup
- Toss in all the ingredients, except for the cabbage and parsley. Cook.
- Add the cabbage towards the end of the cooking time (as per the recipe below).
- Remove the ham bone and bay leaf.
- Garnish with a fresh sprinkle of parsley or some grated parmesan cheese.
Tips For The Best Soup
Yearning for ham bone soup but have no bone? Buy a smoked ham hock! But be sure to toss the bones after one use since they won’t be flavorful anymore.
Leftovers
Keep leftover ham bone soup covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop. Freeze portions in zippered bags for up to 4 weeks.
Low Carb Ham Recipes
Low Carb Ham Bone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups water
- 3 carrots sliced
- 4 ribs celery sliced
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 4 cups chopped cabbage 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the cabbage and fresh parsley in the slow cooker.
- Cover the soup and cook on high 5 hours or low 8-9 hours. After 4 hours on high or after 6 hours on low, add in the cabbage.
- Remove the ham bone and bay leaves.
- Chop meat from the bone and add back into the soup along with the fresh parsley. Stir and serve.
Notes
- The size of the ham bone and the amount of meat left on the bone will add more or less flavor.
- Soup can also be made with a smoked ham hock.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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