Creamy Potato Soup with Ham & Hatch chiles | paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free | Recipe Renovator

This creamy potato soup reflects the perfect confluence of ingredients: organic red potatoes, roasted Hatch chiles from New Mexico, and heirloom ham from a new company called Fork in the Road. The ham provides smoky notes and just enough seasoning, while the chiles add rich depth of flavor and a pleasant afterburn.

I was sent some frozen chiles from The Hatch Chile Store a while back, and promised them that I’d develop a recipe when I was back to blogging. They are also very generously providing the same frozen chiles in this Friday’s giveaway: 5 pounds of roasted, peeled, seeded, and stemmed chiles, ready to thaw and cook with.

Then, I found out about heirloom meats produced by a new company called Fork in the Road. I got in touch, and found out that one product, their uncured maple & honey ham, was low-sodium enough for me to test it. While I can’t eat it straight up (too much salt for my restrictions), its fantastic flavor is perfect to season a soup or omelet. Since it is uncured and contains no nitrates, it’s suitable for migraine diets. It does contain a small amount of maple syrup and honey, but that’s mainly on the rind.

The renovation

This recipe is actually dairy-free, but you could also make it with whole milk if you use dairy. Most paleo diets don’t include white potatoes, but I still use them from time to time as potatoes are super high in potassium, which is important for my Meniere’s Disease. Using a measured amount of this specialty ham, 2 ounces, allows me to enjoy the flavor throughout the soup without too much of a sodium hit. It’s 124 mg of sodium per serving, with 800 mg of potassium per serving. You could omit the ham and use salt-free vegetable stock to make this soup vegan.

Suitable for:
gluten-free, GFCF, dairy-free, reduced-sugar, migraine, low-sodium, some paleo diets

Not for:
vegan or vegetarian diets (unless you omit the ham)

Creamy Potato Soup with Ham & Hatch chiles | paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free | Recipe Renovator

Creamy potato soup with uncured heirloom ham and Hatch chiles

Rich, creamy soup is seasoned with special ham and mildly spicy Hatch chile peppers from New Mexico.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound potatoes red or russet, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup chicken stock (low-sodium)
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
  • 6 ounces chile peppers (Hatch or Anaheim mild) roasted, peeled, seeded, destemmed
  • 2 ounces ham (reduced sodium, uncured) Fork in the Road heirloom maple honey ham
  • 1 cup coconut milk full-fat, or organic half and half
  • 1/2 tsp cumin (dried)
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
  • 1 pinch cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized chunks. Let sit in cold water at least 30 minutes to reduce the starch content in the finished soup.
  • Drain the potatoes, cover with filtered water, and bring to a boil in a saucepan with the garlic. Boil for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
  • Dice the ham and sauté in a non-stick pan until golden brown. Set aside a few pieces for garnishing the soup.
  • Thaw and drain the chiles. Set aside a few chiles for garnish, if desired.
  • Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a blender with the chicken stock and purée just until smooth. Do not overwork or the soup becomes gummy.
  • Put back in the saucepan with the coconut milk, ham, chiles, and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes until the soup is completely infused with flavor.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved garnishes. Serve at once.

Notes

Per serving:
  • 245 calories
  • 13 g fat
  • 11 g saturated fat
  • 1 g monounsaturated fat
  • 0 g polyunsaturated fat
  • 0 g trans fat
  • 7 g cholesterol
  • 124 mg sodium
  • 800 mg potassium
  • 26 g carbohydrate
  • 3 g fiber
  • 4 g sugars
  • 3 g protein
  • 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus
Required FTC disclosure: I received the ham from Fork in the Road and the chiles from The Hatch Chile Store. I was not paid to write this post.