This is a meal that follows after a Holiday Ham Feast, utilizing the Ham Bone with surrounding Meat & Fat to create a rich Ham Bone Broth that is used in turn to make this incredible Canadian Ham Bone Soup! With tender, succulent chunks of Ham in a Homemade Ham Bone Broth with Butter, Cream and Vegetables, it’s just a wonderful bowl of hearty goodness.
Building upon the fundamentals of East Coast Canadian Cuisine by incorporating the heavy use of Butter & Cream in the classic dish, Hodge Podge. With the seasoning of Savory, Thyme & Bay Leaves used in Canadian Split Pea Soup and the Ham Bone with chunks of torn Ham. We create the uniquely incredible Canadian Ham Bone Soup.
Ham Bone
With a Whole Ham, break it down just the same as in the Holiday Ham Feast. Preparing the Ham this way gives you the Fat trimmings, the Ham Bone, and surrounding meat to make a Ham Bone Broth that is further used to make this soup recipe. Be sure to leave a good amount of meat on the bones, as this will later be stripped away and added to the final soup, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Ham Bone Broth
Prepare the Ham Bone Broth the day before, allowing it to cool and refrigerate overnight. The next day, scoop off the fat that has settled at the top. This rendered fat (Fat Cap), along with the meat in the broth, really elevates the flavors of the soup.
Use the rendered Ham Fat to cook the Vegetables when preparing the Ham Bone Soup, which enhances the dish with even more Ham flavor. You can also save any leftover Ham Fat to use for Eggs, Hash Browns, Roasted Vegetables, Fried Cabbage, and more.
The Ham Bone Broth post covers the process of making Ham Broth. Through this process you will end up with a rich flavorful Ham Broth, Rendered Ham Fat and Chunks of Tender Ham. All of which are used to make Canadian Ham Bone Soup.
Although, for an easier version, just simmer the Ham Bone with surrounding meat in 8 Cups of water to soften the meat that will be stripped off of the bone. Use Butter or Neutral Oil in place of the rendered fat. Either way is fine. This is discussed further, under Easy Canadian Ham Bone Soup towards the end of this post.
Canadian Ham Bone Soup Vegetables
A mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery) with garlic serves as the base Vegetables. But you can easily add other Vegetables to customize it. One of which I really love, is the addition of Salted Cabbage. The chunks of Ham with Cabbage is just so pleasant. Other Vegetables can include a Frozen Vegetable mix, added in during the last few minutes of simmering to soften.
Salted Cabbage
Coarsely chop or tear about 1/2 lb of Cabbage and place into a bowl with some Salt (about 3/4 tsp for 1/2 lb of Cabbage). Mix and crush the Cabbage, then leave it sit to break down and release the juices, about 30 minutes. You can optionally do this overnight while refrigerating the Ham Bone Broth.
Use 2% Salt per the weight of your Cabbage. Ex; 228 g of Cabbage x .02 = 4.56g of salt.
Use previously salted cabbage that has been portioned into Ziploc bags and frozen. In that case, just grab about a 1/2 lb worth and add to the Pot to cook with the Vegetables.
Frozen Vegetables
A Frozen Vegetable mix that contains Beans & Peas is good, or include individual frozen vegetables of Corn, Carrots, Green Peas & Beans. You can include a can of Yellow Waxed Beans and a can of Green Beans with a Frozen Vegetables mix of Green Peas, Carrots, and Corn. Add the canned waxed beans at the very end. Just before covering and resting the soup, as they are already soft and only need to be heated through.
Butter & Cream
Just the addition of Butter followed by 10% Cream or heavier towards the end to heat through.
Add Butter Popcorn Seasoning to boost the butter flavors and color, as well as contribute a bit of Salt. This is especially useful here where we want the flavors of the Rendered Ham Fat, but also a Buttery Rich Flavor.
How to make Canadian Ham Bone Soup
This recipe is a Follow-up Meal that is prepared after making a Braised Ham. Which is derived from breaking down a Ham for a Holiday Ham Feast. The biggest amount of effort is in making the Ham Bone Broth. Which has to be refrigerated overnight.
Before making the Canadian Ham Bone Soup, ensure you have ready both the Ham Bone Broth & rendered Ham Fat ready to go. As well as the stripped Ham Meat from the Ham Bone, about 1-2 lbs. As well as your vegetables ready to go.
Vegetables
Cook the Vegetables (Onion, Carrots, Celery, Garlic, Salted Cabbage) in rendered Ham Fat for about 5-10 minutes.
Simmering
Add the Ham Bone Broth and bring to a boil over max heat. Stir every so often. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10–12 minutes.
Add the Bay Leaf, Savory, and Thyme with enough Black Pepper to taste.
Ham
Add the Ham that was stripped off of the Bone, about 1-2 lbs, and mix. Wait for it to come back to a simmer.
If adding in Frozen Vegetables, they can be added here.
Butter & Cream
Add in the Butter and stir, followed by the Cream. Once it starts to simmer again, cover and remove from heat to rest for 20 minutes.
Easy Canadian Ham Bone Soup
A quicker or easier way skips the entire process of making a Ham Bone Broth, well sort of. It places the Ham Bone with surrounding meat into a stockpot with water just the same, adding an extra 3 Cups of water to account for evaporation. Instead of simmering 4–6 hours and refrigerating overnight. It is only simmered for 2 hours to soften the meat and create a lighter and weaker Ham Broth.
Then the recipe is made the same using Butter or Neutral Oil to fry the Vegetables. You can even fry up chopped Bacon and use the Bacon Fat to fry the Vegetables. Either way, add the seasoning and Ham Broth, simmer for 10–12 minutes, followed by the Ham, then Butter & Cream, just the same. Although you may have to adjust the seasoning more since the Ham Broth will be very light.
Canadian Ham Bone Soup Diet Type
This Ham Bone Soup is Diabetic and Keto-Friendly, as only the carrots contribute to the carbs; however, you can reduce or omit them if desired. Additionally, it contains no gluten, starches for thickening, or added sugar. The recipe is made with whole foods, except for butter popcorn seasoning. You can easily replace it with 1 teaspoon of salt, instead of the 2 teaspoons of butter popcorn seasoning, or adjust the salt to taste. By making this adjustment, you can turn the recipe into a completely whole-food dish.
Ham Bone Soup with Dinner Rolls
Serve the Candian Ham Bone Soup up with some Oven Fresh Dinner Rolls slathered with Butter for a complimentary side.
Equipment
- 1 Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 5 C Ham Bone Broth - prepared in advance and set aside
- 1+ lb Torn Ham - prepared in advance and set aside
- 1/4 C Rendered Ham Fat - prepared in advance and set aside
- 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 2 Stalks Celery - diced
- 2 Med Carrots - sliced 1/8-1/4 inch
- 1 Large Onion - diced
- 1/2 lb Cabbage - Torn in pieces and salted
- 2 tsp Butter Popcorn Seasoning
- 1 tsp Thyme & Savoury - each
- 2 or 3 Bay Leaves
- As Desired Pepper - to taste
- 1 C Frozen Mixed Vegetable - Carrots, Green Beans, Corn & Peas
- 1/4 C Butter
- 1 C 10% Cream - or heavier
Instructions
- Prepare the Ham Bone Broth the day before. This will give you the Ham Broth, Ham Fat and Ham Meat that is used for this recipe. Or you can simmer the Ham Bone with surrounding meat in 8 Cups of water instead of 5 Cups for 2 hours, partially covered. Use Butter in place of the rendered Ham Fat. After 2 hours, remove the bone to cool and strip the meat off.
- Tear 1/2 lb Cabbage leaves and salt with 3/4 tsp salt. Mix well and set aside for 15–20 minutes or, if preparing the Ham Broth and refrigerating overnight, you can salt the cabbage and refrigerate as well.
- Prepare the Vegetables and place 1/4 C of Rendered Ham Fat into a Stock pot along with Onions, Celery, Carrots, Garlic. Squeeze out all the juices from the Cabbage and add into the pot with the fat and mirepoix. Toss and cook for about 5–10 minutes. Add the Bay Leaf, Butter Popcorn seasoning, Savory, and Thyme with enough Black Pepper to taste.
- Pour in Ham Broth and bring to a boil over max heat, reduce to medium and keep it simmering for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the torn pieces of previously cooked and stripped Ham when making the broth and mix. If adding Frozen Vegetables, they can be added here as well. Wait for it to come back to a simmer. Then add Butter, followed by Cream, and mix while heating through. Just as it returns to a simmer. Cover and remove from heat to rest for about 20 minutes.