Did you make a ham for the holidays and didn't know quite what to do with the leftover ham bone as well as any extra ham? Well, this soup along with my Whole30 Leftover Ham Bone Soup, is a great way to use up the leftover ham bone and any other pieces of leftover ham from Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Serve it alongside my Keto Bread Sticks and you’ve got yourself and super easy and very filling lunch or dinner!

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Leftover Ham Bone

Soup is one of my favorite keto meals as it comes together quickly without making a huge mess in the kitchen. This hearty and delicious Keto Ham Soup recipe is chock full of pureed cauliflower for a deliciously creamy, cozy, and comforting meal. It’s easy to make and the perfect way to use the leftover ham bone from your holiday meal.

The bacon is quickly cooked in the same pot as the soup so that the grease is actually used to cook the onions as well as to soften the celery. I love the extra flavor the bacon adds and you know this frugal gal hates to throw anything away so using the bacon grease is a win-win situation!

Don't like bacon? No problem! Just eliminate the bacon and add 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil instead!

WHAT KIND OF HAM BONE DO I USE IN THIS RECIPE?

Any smoked ham will do.

Make sure to avoid honey ham or maple ham varieties because of the added sugars.

If you don't have a leftover ham bone and still want to try this soup, you can use a ham hock instead. Ham hocks are sold in nearly every grocery store and are perfect for use in soups or other slow-cooked meals and side dishes.

Making a creamy soup dairy-free

By pureeing cauliflower and adding a pinch of xantham gum, you end up with all the creaminess of your favourite soup without any dairy.

If you don't have any xanthan gum, you can still enjoy this soup as xantham gum has no flavour. If you look at the ingredient list in almost all store-bought creamy soups, you will see "guar gum" or "xantham gum" in the list of ingredients. Xantham gum thickens the soup just like cornstarch thickens the gravy. However, unlike cornstarch, xanthan gum is corn-free and has zero grams of carbs!

To puree the soup, you have 2 options. You can use an immersion blender and blend everything directly in the pot or you can use a high speed blender like a Vitamix. The high speed blender is somewhat easier and will result in a creamier soup. Make suret that regardless of which method you use, that you make sure to remove the ham bone/hock and the bay leaves before you puree the soup!

Soup Ingredients

Cauliflower - I am fortunate enough to have a Trader Joe's store around the corner from my house so getting riced cauliflower is not an issue. I have tried both plain riced cauliflower but I have also made this soup using mashed cauliflower. You can buy frozen riced cauliflower at Trader Joe's as well as most supermarkets as well as the mashed cauliflower. Green Giant, Trader Joe's and Bird's Eye all make mashed cauliflower and can be found in the forzen food section. If you want this soup to be dairy-free, do not use mashed cauliflower as most brands contain some milk product in the form of heavy cream and/or butter. Regardless of which type of cauliflower you use, if it is frozen, allow it to thaw before adding it to the soup.

Shallots - I love the onion-y/garlicky flavour that shallots have. They are the best onion to use in soups such as my Whole30 Instant Pot French Onion Soup or to use to make Quick and Easy Microwave-Fried Onions. However, if you don't have any shallots, you can simply replace the shallots with 1 small regular onion.

Garlic and Celery - It is used as an aromatic and helps to deepen the flavour of the soup.

Broth - Although I used vegetable broth, you can use any type of chicken broth or even mushroom broth.

Ham & Ham Bone - The leftover ham is cubed and only being added after the soup has been pureed. The actual ham bon is added at the beginning to create a nice deep ham flavour. IF you don't have a ham bone, you can replace it with 1-2 ham hocks.

Bacon - By adding bacon initially to the stockpot, you are going to get all the flavour and fat you will need to cook all the vegetables. To make sure that the bacon stays nice and crispy, it is removed at the beginning and added right at the end for a crispy and crunchy topping.

Thyme, Bay Leaves, Salt & Pepper - This are all standard spices that you add to almost any soup. However, feel free to add any additional spices. Also, since ham varies in terms of it's saltiness, you will have to taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper at the end.

MAKING Creamy HAM SOUP:

The first step in this recipe is to cook the bacon until it becomes nice and crispy. Then, the aromatics (veggies) are added to the pot which is what gives this soup so much flavor. The onion and celery get cooked in the bacon fat and once they are slightly tender, you will add in the garlic and riced cauliflower. This cooks for a few minutes before adding in the broth.
Once the broth is added in, then add in the ham bone and seasonings. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it down to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is nice and tender. Remove the bay leaves and the ham bone.
Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the mixture (you can also use a blender or a food processor) until it is as creamy as you want it to be. If the soup seems to thin and you would like it thicker, add ⅛ teaspoon of xantham gum at a time (while the immersion blender or highspeed blender) is still running, until the desired thickness has been reached. Then, stir in the ham cubes.
Taste the soup and add any addiitonal salt and pepper as needed. Salt level will depend on type of ham used and broth so you will most likely have to add some additional salt.
Divide the soup among 8 bowls and top each bowl with the crumbled bacon.

HOW LONG WILL HAM SOUP KEEP IN THE FRIDGE?

I am fairly conservative as far as how long I keep leftover foods. I tend to keep soup in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

CAN YOU FREEZE THIS CREAMY HAM SOUP RECIPE?

I tend to shy away from freezing soups that are creamy as most include ingredients such as cream cheese, heavy whipping cream or cheese as they often break down and become grainy when they are reheated.

Since this soup does not contain any dairy, you can easily freeze this soup for up to a month. If you freeze this soup in a container, make sure you leave room at the top. When you want to eat it, simply let it thaw in the fridge and then heat it on the stovetop once it has thawed.