Creamy, cheesy, buttery, velvety smooth…is there a soup broth more comforting? And comforting we were in need of! Four Nor’easters in one month already…and I am fed up with snow. I think little Ms. Mother Nature needs a DRINK. TWO of them. Because we are all MORE than ready for spring! So this Creamy Ham & Asparagus Soup was the perfect antidote to cure these wintertime blues that just don’t want to seem to go away!

 

A fully-cooked ham steak, fresh spring asparagus, and a handful of other assorted veggies, and we were feeling better almost immediately!

At least it took the chills out, and provided a basketful of vitamins and nutrients! A great pot of soup truly does fix everything!

 

 

 

 

And with Easter right around the corner, all kinds of hams will be on sale! So you can choose something small just for this, or make a big pot of this soup after the holiday with any extra ham (and veggies from a picked-over veggie tray!) you might have left!

 

 

 

 

 

My hubby and I have been passing a nasty cold and sore throat back and forth, so I loaded up on the veggies, too!

 

 

 

 

Besides asparagus, I tossed in celery, onions, baby carrots and a couple of potatoes just for extra fun!

Carbs do our bodies good! NOT bad! That’s what turns into energy! Like fuel for a car!

And with all of this messy, dreary weather, I need a little extra boost of natural energy! You, too?

 

 

 

 

 

The rich and velvety creaminess comes from heavy cream and cream cheese added to the chicken broth, all coming together for an insanely delicious broth that’s hard not slurp down!

And of course, Minerva Dairy’s real Amish butter plus flour are made into the roux to help thicken as well!

 

 

 

 

 

For the cheesiness, (besides the cream cheese), I even added white American cheese and a nice amount of freshly grated parmesan to boot!

A few seasonings were added for extra flavor, and OMG what a wonderful pot of soup this is!!

I can’t wait for you all to make this!

It truly is a dreamy soup that you’ll want to make again and again! I so hope that you all enjoy this as much as we did!

Stay warm and stay safe! These storms have really been horrific! And lastly, let’s all THINK SPRING!! 🙂

 

 

 

Creamy Ham & Asparagus Soup

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Ingredients

• 6 Tbl. real butter (I use Minerva Dairy Amish Butter)
• 1 large onion, chopped chunky
• 1 (12 -16 oz.) bag baby carrots, sliced into fourths, as much as you like
• 2 large celery ribs, sliced thickly
• 3 - 4 large garlic cloves, minced (can sub 1 tsp. garlic powder and just add later with rest of herbs)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk (I used whole, but 2% ok)
• 1 Tbl. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon base
• 1/2 tsp. each: dried thyme, coarse ground black pepper, and regular table salt
• 1 large bay leaf
• 4 large peeled and diced russet potatoes, (or unpeeled red potatoes)
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cut up
• 4 oz. white american cheese, not the wrapped slices, (sliced unwrapped kind, see note*) 7 - 8 slices
• 2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 lbs. cubed fully cooked ham
• 1/3 cup very finely grated fresh parmesan cheese, or to taste
• 1 lb. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into pieces, and steamed until crisp-tender
• more salt and pepper to taste (1/2 - 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pepper) depending on saltiness of cheeses and ham

Instructions

In stock pot over medium heat to start, add butter and melt, then add onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until the veggies are softened and the onions are translucent. (*Lower heat to medium-low about halfway through, then to low during last 5 minutes for best results. Cooking time is about 20 minutes.They will still be crisp-tender and cook further later.) Add the garlic, and cook one minute longer. Stir in the flour to coat, raise heat to medium-low, and sauté 2 minutes longer, stirring and folding to cook out the raw flour taste.

Slowly stir in the chicken broth and milk, then add the chicken bouillon base, thyme, pepper, salt, bay leaf and potatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, lower heat to medium-low, and cook for at least 20 minutes, gently simmering, until the mixture has thickened and veggies are tender through. *Stir frequently, scraping bottom of pot.

Add the cut-up cream cheese and white American cheese, and stir after each addition, until cheeses have fully melted and the broth is creamy.

Stir in heavy cream, ham, and parmesan. Cook over low just until heated through. Set aside to rest partially covered with lid tilted and cook asparagus until desired tenderness by steaming or roasting. (*I steam mine for 6 - 7 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus.)

Add asparagus to pot of soup and heat over Low until re-warmed through, check seasonings and adjust to taste, and let rest a few minutes. (*Do not bring to a boil.)

Remove bay leaf and ladle into bowls! Serve piping hot, garnished with finely chopped fresh parsley or just a sprig, and a little parmesan cheese grated over the top if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

*I use Land O'Lakes White American Cheese, the slices that come unwrapped. The slices are thicker. You can also purchase a 4 oz. piece from your local grocery store deli, and just dice it before adding to the soup. The individually wrapped slices just aren't as good and are more expensive. And all that extra plastic adds to our landfills.
*I used 7 slices, but depending on what brand you use, it will be 6 - 8 slices.