You are going to love this low carb paleo, keto Creamy Ham Soup. Bursting with flavor, comforting and best of all, easy to make. It’s the perfect soup for this time of year! Great for your holiday spread or even for breakfast… but made without beans!
I grew up on potajes, these heavy duty legume soups loaded with ham and other meats. Usually a tomato base and a few other things, among the beans that I no longer consume. When I saw this ham hock at Whole Foods, I grabbed it. In that moment I could taste the smoky saltiness that I brought to those soups of my child hood.
Creamy Ham Soup in The Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
Yes! This recipe can be made in the pressure cooker in just 50 minutes or you can use your slow cooker and cook it on high for 4-6 hours! Either way, it’s minimal hands-on time. The soup alone without the toppings is only 5 ingredients. Cauliflower, bone broth, ham hock, bay leaves, and nutmeg. That’s it.
I used a Wilshire Farms Smoked Ham Hock. It’s nightshade free. I got it at Whole Foods.
I highly suggest the topping though because YUM + FUN.
The Toppings
A MUST is some fresh cracked pepper and a little extra salt. Because of the saltiness of the ham hock and the bone broth, I think this soup is best salted when served. Or you could just use my seedy seasoning mix which goes like this:
Grind together ¼ cup pepitas and ¼ cup flax seeds. Mix with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Sprinkle on all things!
The crispy Brussel sprouts take 8 minutes to make. Just grab a bag of shredded Brussel sprouts and spread them out on a sheet pan. Spray with avocado or coconut oil and broil for 6-8 minutes until toasty. Das it.
Fried egg, a scoop of ground beef, avocado slices, olive oil, AVOCADO OIL. The possibilities are endless!
Garnish and top this creamy ham soup with whateyour you heart desires, or leave it plain While not the prettiest soup, it sure is tasty!
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Creamy Ham Soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delicious and easy comfort food that is truly made healthy!
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (4 cups florets)
- 3 cups bone broth
- 1 smoked ham hock or shank, bone in (about 1-2lbs)
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into 4-5 pieces. Place them in your slow cooker or pressure cooker. Add in the ham hock, bay leaves, nutmeg and broth. If the ham and/or cauliflower are protruding a lot from the broth, add in water until they are just submerged.
- For Pressure Cooker: Set to HIGH FOR 50 MINUTES.
- For Slow Cooker: Set to HIGH FOR 4 HOURS.
- When it is done, the cauliflower should be tender and mostly falling apart.
- Use tongs and/or a slotted spoon to fish out the ham hock. It will be falling apart too. Set it in a small bowl and shred it. Remove the bone and any large pieces of fat.
- Transfer most of the liquid along with most of the cauliflower, aim for the bigger pieces, to your blender. Add in a few pieces of ham. Blend until almost smooth. It should be a beige color, with pearl sized cauliflower pieces and specks of pink.
- Pour this mix back in to the slow cooker or pressure cooker, add in the shredded ham. Mix well. It should be creamy with chunks of cauliflower about the size of beans (you see!) and pieces of ham.
- If you want the soup thicker or thinner you can add more broth or water, alternatively you can reduce it (bring it to a simmer until desired consistency is achieved).
- Serve and salt to taste. As I mentioned above, the ham is pretty salty, asis the seedy seasoning. Add your toppings and salt as needed when you serve the soup.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe Notes:
- Per serving (for 6 servings) Calories 349, Fat 23 g, Carbohydrate 5 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugars 2 g
- Protein 34 g
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 349
- Fat: 22.9g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 34.1g
Cindy Gomez says
Delicious and comes together fast. I cooked it in my instant pot. I will be putting this in my keto recipe file! Thank you!
MaWo says
So delicious! And comfort food for sure. I threw in some frozen spinach because that’s what I do – otherwise made as directed in pressure cooker. This is a keeper – thanks!
Janet says
Hello this looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Is this a quick release at the end of pressure cooking?
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
Either will work, depending on how much time you have
Heather Lape says
Curious can you use frozen cauliflower vs fresh? Or does turn too mushy?
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
It should be fine, reduce the amount of liquid in the soup by 1/2 cup
Terry says
I too was looking for a Keto friendly option for 2 smoked ham hocks I had on hand and it turned out terrific. My husband said it was delicious and he’s a very good cook in his own right. Thank you for sharing. We will be making it again and again throughout the winter.
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
Yeayyy!! We love this soup too!
Kat says
I was looking for a keto friendly/low carb recipe that would be similar to bean and ham soup, my favorite way to use leftover ham. The taste is nearly spot on, imo, comparing it to my own recipe for bean and ham soup. Even my 2yo was a fan, she asked for seconds. Thank you!
Cristina says
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! I too love ham and bean soup and this hits the spot
Dede Antonelli says
This soup is FABULOUS…. I did tweak it a bit-that’s how I roll. I added a can of coconut milk and saute celery and garlic. I and added the celery at the end to give the soup some crunch. IT WAS KILLER
Cristina says
sounds killer!!! Yum!
Sharon says
I’m so glad I kept the Christmas ham bone. I made this in an instant pot and it was awesome!!!
I made for my weekly lunch prep, but kept it for dinner when I could really savor the yummy goodness slowly. Thank you so much for this simple but scrumptious recipe.
Cristina says
Thanks so much Sharon!
Lesley says
Wow. I was really surprised by the depth of flavor in just a few ingredients. I didn’t have onion powder so I sauteed a small yellow onion. I didn’t have a pressure cooker either. About an hour and a half at a simmer on the stove worked for me. Thank you for sharing!
Brooke says
Can this be frozen? Or does it not reheat very well from freezer? Thanks
Cristina says
It freezes really well!
Brooke says
Currently have this in the slow cooker, wondering if it can be frozen for future easy work meals?, or does it not freeze/defrost well! Thanks
Shauna says
I just have some boneless ham.. I know it won’t impart as much flavor, but how much actual meat do you think that’d work out to?
Cristina says
You can do 1 pound boneless ham. If it’s not smoked I would add a drop or two of liquid smoke for flavor.
Tara Ford says
Yet another favorite! I love ham but was never a bean and ham soup fan. All changed!!! My house smelled so yummy on a snowy day and that first bowl…oh my word! You, girlfriend, are a genius!
Cristina says
yeayyy thank you so much! Thanks for commenting!
Taylor says
Can you use a frozen ham bone in the instant pot? Or should it be thawed first?
Cristina says
frozen should work just fine
Dholimon says
Beef or chicken bone broth?
Cristina says
which ever you have on hand