Step by step

Method

4 steps

1. 1

   Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté 1 medium diced onion, 2 diced carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks 5–6 minutes until soft and the onion looks translucent — a little golden edge is fine.

2. 2

   Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook 1 full minute, stirring, until it smells toasty (not raw paste). Slowly whisk in 4 cups chicken broth until smooth with no lumps.

3. 3

   Add 4 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes, 2 cups diced cooked ham, and ½ teaspoon dried thyme. Simmer 15–18 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender and a cube smashes easily. Mash a few cubes against the side of the pot for natural thickness.

4. 4

   Stir in 1½ cups milk and heat through without boiling hard (a hard boil can split the dairy). Season with salt and black pepper — taste first, ham is salty. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar and green onions if you want. You want a creamy, spoon-coating soup with soft potato cubes and smoky ham — not thin broth or a gluey flour paste.