Instant Pot Ham Bone Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of soup can be made from a ham bone? ›

This is a Ham Bone Soup made using the slow cooker which is the most effortless way to cook leftover ham bone. Set, forget, fall apart meat, flavour infused soup! You'll love the creamy broth (but no cream!), and how the tender beans absorb the flavour.

Ham bones leftover from a city or country ham make a rich and comforting broth that works well as the backbone for rich soups or comforting risotto. You can also try cooking winter greens like collards or kale in ham broth for a tender, flavorful side dish.

Instead, freeze the ham bone so you can use it later to add flavor to a soup or make homemade ham broth or stock. A ham bone will keep in the freezer for at least a few months. That buys you some time to make full use of it and you have a few days to properly prepare it for long-term storage.

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Sometimes we just make a gift of some good leg bones, which are prized and expensive. To achieve a milky-white broth, it's important to soak the bones in cold water first, then blanch them in boiling water for 10 minutes. You'll be surprised at all the impurities and blood that emerge.

If you can't find ham hocks, you can usually successfully substitute a ham bone, smoked bacon, or smoked sausage. And if you are going pork-free, try smoked turkey sausage or turkey bacon. For vegetarian dishes, smoked paprika and an extra sprinkle of salt can capture some of the qualities of ham hock.

Typically, bone broth simmers for a surprisingly long period of time. Cooking it for 12 hours produces a deeply flavorful and excellent result, but it's not uncommon to let bone broth cook for 24 or even 36 hours—at which point the bones begin to crumble, and their nutrients and proteins seep into the broth.

To enjoy bone broth while reaping its health benefits, sip it warm, use it as a base for soups, stews and sauces, or add it to homemade salad dressings. Consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if you have any questions or concerns about adding bone broth to your diet.

Instead, freeze the ham bone so you can use it later to add flavor to a soup or make homemade ham broth or stock. A ham bone will keep in the freezer for at least a few months. That buys you some time to make full use of it and you have a few days to properly prepare it for long-term storage.

Can you overcook soup bones? ›

You can tell the bones are spent when there's no meat or fat left on them and they're totally clean—usually after roughly 14 to 16 hours, depending on how large your bones were and the recipe you're following. Canora cautions against overcooking your bone broth, which can actually seriously hamper the flavor.

Submerge bone in cold water and add leftover ham scraps. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Skim any foam that appears on top during the first 30 minutes. Simmer for 3-4 hours or until ham that clings to the bone is limp and can be pulled off easily.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

Occasionally, a soup recipe will call for beaten eggs as a thickening agent. Both whole eggs and yolks can be used. To avoid curdling the eggs, start by drizzling about ½ cup of the hot broth into the eggs, stirring vigorously while you pour. Then add the egg mixture to the soup and cook until thickened.

The best bones for broth are full of connective tissue like joints or knuckle bones for beef and feet for chicken. Think about getting the big joints responsible for moving animals around. These are feet, hips and knees.

Is a ham hock the same as a ham bone? No, but they can definitely be used in the same way—both are usually smoked, so they add similar flavor to a dish. A ham bone will have more usable meat on it than a ham hock.