Who else gets excited about using up a leftover ham bone? Anyone? Every year, I get SO excited and spend probably hours dreaming up ways to use up the ham bone (I’m a food blogger after all) and you guys, THIS rich and creamy ham soup is my favorite recipe to date! It’s absolutely drool-worthy delicious! Really, look up “drool-worthy delicious” in the dictionary and you will find THIS SOUP. And well, maybe my whole blog 😉 (I’m such a child, I know). Even if you make the juiciest and most flavorful ham ever, chances are you and your family won’t be able to finish said ham. Earlier this week I shared my recipe for heating ham in an Instant Pot and I highly recommend you make my recipe for ham as it is delicious! Also, you will most definitely need a ham bone – DO NOT MAKE THIS SOUP WITHOUT THE BONE! The ham bone is full of magic flavor and this soup will not be the same without it! Okay, hopefully that didn’t come across as angry shouting. I worry about that with the internet sometimes. In one of my previous jobs, we had to write in all-caps all the time and sometimes I’d forget to make the switch when chatting with friends on Gchat while at work. My friends probably thought I was either excited or angry all the time, lol. Or well, since they’re my friends they probably just thought I was being goofy. OH oh oh! Did I mention that this recipe is gluten-free AND can be dairy-free too?! Yes, it’s true. I know that gluten-free and dairy-free wild rice soup is practically unheard of, especially if you find it in restaurants. But my friends, this soup is both of those things AND it’s so good that you won’t even notice! I use potatoes to make a roux instead of flour! I blend cooked potatoes with coconut milk (you can use heavy cream or whole milk if you want to) and the result is a thick and creamy sauce that makes this soup so rich and velvety. Everything about this soup is perfection: creamy sauce, tender smoky ham and slightly chewy, nutty wild rice.
I use cultivated wild rice in this recipe – I buy mine from Trader Joe’s, but if you can get your hands on hand harvested wild rice then please know that I am jealous. One thing you should definitely know about this soup is that it makes A LOT of soup. Like 10 cups worth. But trust me, you’ll want it all! This really is the best leftover ham soup – absolutely perfect for the holiday season. You can serve it with some biscuits (try my 4-ingredient coconut flour biscuits) or if you’re not gluten-free then enjoy it with some crusty bread. Make sure to come back and tell me how much you loved this recipe!
For more Leftover Ham Recipes, you might like:
Ham and Red Lentil Soup Spicy Ham and Potato Breakfast Hash French Garbure Soup Cantonese Ham and Lotus Root Soup
Need to make a ham first? Here’s my recipe for ham with a spiced honey glaze (instant pot). Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
