Five Ham Soups from Different Countries You Can Make Tonight

Craving comfort in a bowl? Five ham soupsfrom around the world, each loaded with smoky, meaty flavor — and, yes, you can make them tonight.

United States

Naturally, thiscreamy chowder is Southern and Midwestern soul food. We’re talking pieces of ham, tenderpotatoes, sweet corn and a silky broth that clings to your spoon.

Why It Works

I grew up on this soup. My grandmother always had some leftover holidayham and turned it into something else.

The key? Fat. Cubed ham supplements the richness, and potatoesthicken the broth. Corn adds ahint of sweetness.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Leftover ham (or ham hock)
• 1 pound potatoes (Yukon Golds are mypick)
• Corn, on cob or canned (frozen, fresh, orcanned)
• Heavy cream or whole milk
• OnionGarlic Butter Salt Pepper

Pro Tip

Simmer the soup until the potatoes are just startingto fall apart. Which gives you acreamy sauce and requires no flour. Pair with crusty bread.

France

Themagic that comes when: Caramelized onions + beef broth + melted cheese. With the addition of ham, thisclassic becomes a meal.

The French Secret

I first tried this in Paris. The ham isnot the star, the ham is a supporting player. Texture comes from crisp bits of ham, thebroth depth from onions that cooked long and slow.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ham (thinly sliced or diced)
• Onions (and lots of them — I like yellow orsweet)
• Beef stock
• Baguette slices
• Gruyère or Emmental cheese
• Butter, thyme, bay leaf

Pro Tip

Lowand slow: Caramelize onions. Rushing them = bitter soup. And to give it that unmistakable French touch, floata slice of cheesy bread on top.

Philippines

Ham hockand sour tamarind broth, pigeon peas, jackfruit. SOUTH FILIPINO PORK AND PICKLE SOUP This Filipino soup is both sour and hearty, buttastes like nothing you’ve had before.

A Taste of Home

This recipe was shown to me by a friendfrom Cebu. The sourness (or paksiw) offsets therichness of the pork and ham hock. The jackfruit contributes alittle sweetness.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ham hock or pork belly
• Dhall ( or anybeans) Or pigeon peas (sajje bowllu) (black-eyed peas)
• Green and unripe or green and unripe!!- Rawjackfruit ( or Green Papaya)
• Tamarind paste or fresh fruit
• Garlic, ginger, fish sauce

Pro Tip

For the ham hock, go with a pressure cooker— it tenderizes in a hurry. Ifjackfruit is unavailable, use chayote or squash.

Indonesia

Spicy and tangy studdedwith beef, offal and ham. Thisis a soup in the style of Makassar and a flavor explosion.

Street Food Magic

I had Sop Saudara in aJakarta night market. The broth is explosive, with lemongrass and limeleaves. Ham or pork contributes a smokynote.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Beef (brisket or shank)
• Ham or pork belly
• Rice vermicelli
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Lontong (rice cakes)
• Chillies, lemon grass, galangal,tamarind

Pro Tip

Serve with sambal and lime wedgeson the side. The noodles drinkthe broth in like a dream.

Mexico

Tomatoey broth, crunchy tortillas,avocado and … ham? Yes. This soup is Mexico’s comfortfood.

A Twist on Tradition

I tweaked myabuela’s recipe with ham. Its smokiness plays off cecina (dried beef) to a fare-thee-well, layering inwith the tangy tomato broth.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ham (shredded or diced)
• Fried corn tortillas (cutin strips)
• Tomatoes, garlic, onion
• Chile de árbol or chipotle
• Avocado, queso fresco, lime

Pro Tip

In the same pan that you used to cook the ham, frythe tortilla strips. The residual fat adds flavor.

Why Ham Soups Rule the World

Ham is a global MVP. It’s saltyand smoky and thrifty and the kind of dish that can extend leftovers out into meals for days.

Every culture has its take: the United States prefers potatoes, France sticks with caramelizedonions and the Philippines sours broth with tamarind. No wonder these soups stickaround!

Final Thoughts

Ham soups are love in a bowl. Whether you’ve got leftover holiday ham on your hands or just feel like doingsomething a little different, these are the recipes for you. Now, go cook.