Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

What a wonderful soup to have on a rainy, chilly night. The frozen potatoes and broccoli, along with the pre-shredded cheese really cut down on prep time. If you haven’t messed with leeks because they are bothersome to clean and chop, look for frozen, pre-chopped leeks at the grocery.

Ingredients:

Croutons:
2 Tablespoons canola oil
4 slices pumpernickel bread, torn
1 teaspoon garlic salt

4 Tablespoons butter, divided

Soup Base:
1 cup chopped leeks (or onion)
5 cups chicken broth
2 ½ cups frozen hash brown potatoes, slightly thawed (I’m using the cube style rather than shredded)
2 cups fully cooked ham, diced
2 ½ cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese sauce:
2 Tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: In a medium skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Toss in the bread, toss gently in the oil, and sprinkle with the garlic salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, or until the croutons are crisp around the edges and are fragrant. Remove to a plate and set aside.

In a large (5 or 6 quart) Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, or until the leeks are soft and translucent, but not brown. Add in the broth, hash browns, and ham. Bring this soup base up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the soup base is done simmer, put a skillet on the stove and melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When it’s melted, add in the flour and whisk for a minute. Add in the milk gradually while still whisking. Bring the mixture to a low boil by increasing the heat to medium high. Slowly add in the cheese, whisking the whole time until each addition of cheese is melted. Turn off the heat for the cheese sauce.

Whisk the cheese sauce gradually into your soup base and then add the broccoli and salt and pepper. Let simmer 20 minutes more, stirring often. Taste and adjust seasonings (a little dry mustard perhaps?) and then serve in bowls topped with the reserved croutons.