Ham & Cheese Potato Soup

A comforting, creamy soup that turns the classic ham and cheese sandwich into a hearty bowl. Onions, potatoes, carrots and celery are simmered in chicken stock, enriched with milk, cream, cheddar and gruyere, then finished with diced deli ham and barley for texture. Served with cheesy crostini.

smart_display Published 2025-02-24 download Extracted 2026-05-19

20m Prep

55m Cook

1h 15m Total

8 Servings

soup american comfort-food ham cheese potato cheddar winter hearty main-course

Ingredients

4 oz butter (1 stick)
3 cups onion (diced (about 1.5 large onions))
3 oz all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
2 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried thyme)
2 large baking potatoes (peeled and cut into medium dice)
3 stalks celery (cut into small pieces)
4 medium carrots (sliced into wheels (4-5 depending on size))
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (omit if you do not like heat) optional
2 tsp ground cumin
8 cups chicken stock (unsalted, plus more as needed)
to taste salt (be careful if using store-bought stock with sodium)
5 oz cheddar cheese (grated)
2 oz gruyere cheese (grated (1.5-2 oz; mozzarella works too)) optional
0.75 lb deli ham (sliced 1/4 inch thick, then diced)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (approximately, for richness) optional
1 cup instant barley (raw (about 1-1.5 cups); cooked in stock at 1 cup barley to 2 cups stock) optional
as needed cornstarch (diluted in water, to thicken if too thin) optional
as needed baguette or crusty bread (thinly sliced, for crostini) optional
as needed parmesan cheese (for crostini topping) optional
as needed swiss or mozzarella cheese (for crostini topping) optional
a pinch dried oregano (for crostini topping) optional

Steps

1

Have all ingredients prepped and ready (mise en place) before you start. Melt the stick of butter (4 oz) in a large stock pot over medium heat and add the diced onion. Saute until the onions turn translucent, releasing their sugar; do not caramelize them for this soup.

Tip: Mise en place lets you enjoy the pleasure of cooking instead of scrambling to prep in the middle of it.

~8 min
2

Add the flour (3 oz) to the butter and onions and mix to form a roux with the onion juices. Cook briefly; it does not need a long cook since it will continue cooking in the soup.

~2 min
3

Add 2 cups of milk and mix everything until it gets thick. Then add the chopped garlic and fresh thyme. Reduce the heat a lot so you do not burn the bottom of the pot, and cook for a little while, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Tip: If using dried thyme instead of fresh, use only half the amount (1 tbsp) since dried herbs are much more potent. Rosemary or oregano can substitute.

~3 min
4

Add the diced baking potatoes, celery and carrots on top. Add the cayenne pepper (optional, omit if you don't like heat) and the cumin. Pour in 8 cups of chicken stock and mix well. Be careful with salt if using store-bought stock, as it may already contain enough sodium.

~5 min
5

Simmer for about 30-45 minutes until the vegetables become really nice and soft (about 80-90% cooked). Add more stock during cooking if needed.

~40 min
6

Once the vegetables are soft, add an extra cup of milk (3 cups milk total) and about a cup of heavy whipping cream for richness. Stir in the grated cheddar (5 oz) and gruyere (about 2 oz). Cheese quantity is personal; use more or less to taste.

Tip: The heavy cream is optional but gives a beautiful richness; no need to measure it precisely.

~3 min
7

Add the diced deli ham (about 3/4 lb). Since the ham is already cooked, it only needs to heat through. Continue cooking and adjust the stock if needed.

~5 min
8

Separately, cook the instant barley in chicken or vegetable stock (never water, which has no flavor) at a ratio of 1 cup barley to 2 cups stock for about 10-12 minutes. Add a portion to the soup for extra texture. Bring the soup to a boil to judge the consistency.

Tip: Texture is a conductor of flavor. You can substitute orzo pasta or rice for the barley, or omit it entirely. Cooked barley keeps a good week in the fridge and is great in salads or risotto.

~12 min
9

Bring the soup to a boil and adjust the texture. If it is too thin, add a little cornstarch diluted in water (consistency like heavy cream) and let it boil to thicken. Add gradually, as there is a fine line between too thin and too thick.

~5 min
10

Taste and adjust the salt (wait until it is not so hot to taste accurately), adding a little at a time. Make the cheese crostini: thinly slice bread, top with parmesan, oregano and swiss or mozzarella cheese, and broil for about a minute until melted.

Tip: Always wait until the soup cools slightly before tasting for salt, so you don't burn yourself and can judge the seasoning accurately.

~5 min
11

Ladle the soup into bowls, arrange the cheese crostini around the edge, and top with a little extra barley and olive oil. Serve hot and enjoy this hearty soup that eats like a meal.

~2 min

Nutrition (per serving)

420

Calories

20g

Protein

32g

Carbs

24g

Fat

Fiber

Cultural Context

Chef Jean-Pierre, a classically trained French chef and longtime YouTube cooking educator, created this soup as a play on the universally loved ham and cheese sandwich. It reflects his teaching philosophy that good cooking is simple and approachable ('we're not rocket scientists, we're chefs') and his French roux-based technique applied to a comforting American-style soup. The addition of barley for texture is his signature touch, demonstrating his belief that 'texture is a conductor of flavor.'