This ham and vegetable soup is a great way to use up leftover ham, and it’s a snap to make in your crock pot! Dairy and gluten free, Whole30 + paleo.
This nourishing soup is full of healthy goodness, with parsnips and sweet potatoes. It’s creamy, comforting, and SO delicious- you will love it!
It’s one of my favorite ways to use holiday ham or leftover turkey. Because we are about to kick off a new year, it’s also a paleo and Whole30 soup. So now, you can ease your way into New Year resolutions.
Ham and vegetable soup ingredients and notes
There really aren’t a lot of ingredients in this Whole30 soup; just a few basic staples. You can even use leftovers!
- Ham– Open your fridge and pull out the holiday ham you need to use up! If you aren’t using leftovers, check the ingredient label to be sure that it’s gluten free and preservative free.
If you’re on Whole30, avoid using honey baked ham. - Sweet potatoes– To keep the soup paleo, you need to stick with the sweet potatoes. Otherwise, feel free to use any thin-skin potato.
- Parsnips– This root vegetable looks like a creamy colored, oversized carrot. The flavor is nutty and DELICIOUS. If you don’t have parsnips, carrots or cauliflower will work, but they do cook faster.
- Onions– If you’re not a fan, or you feel free to use shallot, or just leave them out.
- Fresh basil– Unless you grow it yourself, it’s easier to find fresh basil in the summer months. During cooler weather, look for it with the packaged herbs in the produce section.
- Unsweetened non dairy milk– I typically use almond milk or coconut milk. If you aren’t on a paleo diet, feel free to use real cream or half and half.
- Coconut aminos– This salty sauce comes from the sap of coconut palm trees. It’s a great gluten free substitute for soy sauce.
- Potato starch– or tapioca starch
- Vegetable broth – If you prefer it, use chicken stock or broth
Nutrition in crock pot vegetable soup
- Sweet potatoes– Sweet potatoes are a starchy vegetable, loaded with Vitamin A. This means, we can all have better vision!
- Parsnips– These sweet root vegetables will replace grains in the ham and vegetable soup. Kinda like I did with the cauliflower curry.
Parsnips are a great source of folate, potassium, manganese, and fiber. Another SUPERFOOD and anti-inflammatory food to add to the list.
Also, you should so try parsnip mash in a crock pot next. It’s comfort food made healthy and magical! - Coconut Milk or Almond Milk– So, this allows us to get in our calcium without dairy, while still enjoying that creamy, dairy flavor.
- Onions, basil, and garlic– These veggies and herbs are actually prebiotics. Their non-digestible fiber naturally ferments in the gut AND THEN, helps feed the gut good bacteria!
Plus, basil is a power herb with 98% vitamin K, which is great for bone health. So really, you don’t even need dairy products to get the bone health perk. - And last but not least, the protein! Ham or even turkey is great in this Whole30 soup.
Enjoy the nourishment, y’all!
Whole30 Ham and Vegetable Soup (Crock Pot Recipe)
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Description
This Whole30 ham and vegetable soup is full of parsnips, sweet potatoes and other delicious veggies. It’s easy to make in a crock pot and is a wonderful way to use up leftover holiday ham! Gluten free, paleo, and dairy free!
Ingredients
- 4 parsnips, sliced and tops cut off
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, or 1 to 1.5 tsp minced
- 4 basil leaves (stems removed)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth/stock (less broth will give you a thicker soup)
- 8 ounces diced cooked ham (see notes)
- 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 2 tbsp potato starch or tapioca starch for thickening
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce/tamari (if whole 30 or paleo, use a coconut aminos)
- extra salt and pepper, to taste
- Extra herbs, olive, oil, coconut cream, and optional parmesan for topping/garnish.
Instructions
- Make sure your veggies (parsnips, potato, and onion) are peeled and sliced or chopped.
- Place veggies in crock pot with broth, basil, garlic, olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
- Cover and place on high for 2 hours or until vegetables are tender.
- After 2 hours, stir in your almond or coconut milk. Blend with an immersion blender until all is pureed and creamy. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a heat proof blender and puree in batches, then transfer back to the slow cooker).
- Add in the rest of your ingredients. Diced leftover Ham, potato starch, tamari/soy sauce, extra salt/pepper to taste, and any other seasoning of choice. Mix again.
- Place on low for another hour. When creamy and fragrant, it’s ready to serve.
- Serve into bowls and drizzle a little olive oil, cream/milk, pepper, herbs, and optional parmesan over each bowl.
Notes
- If you are not paleo, feel free to use real cream or half and half.
- If you don’t have parsnips, carrots or cauliflower will work, but will cook faster.
- For Whole30, do not use honey baked ham
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: main
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 247
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 7.7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 35.3g
- Fiber: 8.2g
- Protein: 10.7g
- Cholesterol: 25.9mg
Keywords: ham and vegetable soup, Whole30 soup, crock pot vegetable soup, paleo, gluten free, dairy free
Check it out! There’s a mega use of leftovers in the slow cooker vegetable soup recipe! You know, so you can keep feeding that family; paleo, gluten free, dairy free for all!
I actually shared half of this ham and vegetable soup with my Honey Baked Ham loving family. Yes, they love ham. And secretly, I like playing the “but it’s healthy and PALEO” card on them, since many of them are not paleo. Mawhaha! The funny thing is, once I said it’s paleo, they grabbed tortilla chips and started scooping up the chowder with the chips. Which made it no longer paleo. LOL! Either way, it was THOROUGHLY enjoyed!
Do you have a favorite way to use leftover ham?
Please share your ideas in the comments. I need ALL of the ideas!
Cheers!
LC
OTHER HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES HERE!
You can find other delicious soups to make in our post, 10 Healthy Soups, Chili and Stew Recipes for Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. Check it out!
What is the safest way to freeze the lovely soups?
In glass containers I presume, however can one use large mason jars too?
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
OMGEEEEEE!!! I just made this, and it is so delicious that I burnt my tongue, when “tasting” it turned into, eating it in spoonfuls right from the crockpot! LOL My question is this: My son is allergic to almonds so I used coconut milk (canned from Thai kitchen). Is that the right kind of coconut milk, or do you mean “coconut milk beverage,” like the one SoDelicious makes? Thank you! It’s delicious, either way! ~ Sarah
★★★★★
Oh yay! So glad you enjoyed it Sarah! I’ve actually used both types of coconut cream. Whatever I had on hand really, ya know? Both work great!
wow, this dish looks delicious, i will try it for my family to eat, thank you for sharing the way.
Thank you for your post, I look for such article along time, today i find it finally.
this post give me lots of advise it is very useful for me !
★★★★★
Ohhhh yum! Looks incredible!
Thanks Lisa!
YUM!!
I’ve moved 48 times in 43 years; I feel your pain!
This recipe sounds wonderful, especially since I am a huge fan of parsnips. I’d have to use turkey in it, though, since in my faith we don’t eat pork or shellfish (and I’ve always detested both, anyhow). I do believe this recipe is going to be on my list this week–and since I live alone, so cook only for me, I can do what I want to it, and nobody can complain 🙂
OMG you are brave! 48 times?? Impressive!! I hope you get to stay put for this year. haha!
Yes, turkey or beef or even tempeh would be great! let me know if you try it!
I am now wishing we had leftover ham to make this!
Good luck with all of the moving, sweet friend! What an exciting season you have ahead of you! <3
we are one step closer to New Zealand! So maybe if we move in a few years there, we can jump the ditch and visit you! haha
Looks pretty dang good!! Good luck Lindsay!!!! Wishing you safe travels & a smooth move!!! xoxoxo
Thank you! So needed. LOL!
We all love split pea soup and this is a fun twist on that …. and we were sent home with leftover ham! Best of luck with the cross country move… we did it twice, and I don’t envy you! But I know you’re super organized and will get it all together.
LOL! I am so not organized this time. I am avoiding all the things. Pray for me!
Oy… boxing day. I still have PTSD from moving. BUT… because I love you… I’d come help you. If I could have some of this soup. LOL! Good luck, brother. Don’t forget to leave the wine out. 😉
i’m gonna stock up at costco for wine before we move. Load up that truck! haha. not kidding
Wow Lindsay; you even put up a recipe while moving. You’re pretty amazing! 🙂 I would love to come help you unpack, but I’m a little far away.
haha well I have a lot of content I tried to get done beforehand. Phew!
Good luck with the packing and moving, lady! Christmastime is crazy enough, so I can’t imagine tossing a cross-country move on top of it, but you’re basically superwoman so I’m sure everything will be totally fine 🙂
Oh girl, i am super behind woman. Haha.
Healthy, happy, and love-filled New Year to you and your husband. Keep everything in perspective during the move. You are to smart to let something like that be anything but positive. Where you moving to??
thank you! we are moving to salt lake city. Just outside it about 30 minutes.
Oh I’m sure the move is going to be just fine. This soup looks so comforting. I would eat this for breakfast!
haha i totally ate it for breakfast. 😉
p.s the move is going to be in the middle of cold front. That’s my only concern and a blizzard. LOL!
What an interesting idea! I love it. I bet your are more than waist deep in boxes right now…. GOOD LUCK
Thank you! wanna come help? LOL!