Hearty Potato Soup with Corn and Ham

On a chilly fall day, there is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup. Seeing as there have been flurries in the wind over the last couple of days...and it's only OCTOBER...soup and hearty fall dishes are going to be showing up more regularly on my dinner menu helping to ward off the chill.

Yesterday, after the first showing of snow, I was inspired to get out some fall decorations. After unearthing them from a long-forgotton box tucked away in the storage room, I realized when it comes to fall decorations, my options are pretty limited. I tend to keep things around the house pretty simple and clutter-free, so I don't get too carried away with specific holiday decorating unless it's Christmas. I did however stumble across this little gem of a fall quote, and think it would be really cute to write on a chalkboard or use as a wall hanging.

Anyways...back to the soup. This soup, in addition to being warm and hearty, is super simple and inexpensive to make, and doesn't require hours of preparation. Woohoo! ALERT: You will want to have a crusty bread to serve alongside this cozy little dish.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

HEARTY POTATO SOUP WITH CORN AND HAM | Yield: 6-8 servings | Total Time: 45-50 min.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 stick butter
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp flour
8 medium russet potatoes, peeled & cubed (about 6-7 cups - OK to substitute different types of potatoes)
4 C milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissoved in 1/2 C hot milk
1 can corn
1 pkg ham steak, grilled or broiled, cut into bit-sized pieces
1 C half-and-half
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Cheddar, bacon bits, green onion or chopped dill for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a soup pot, melt butter and saute the onion and carrots for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add potatoes, milk and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are very soft. Meanwhile, cook the ham. You can follow package instructions and grill or broil to your liking. Add the half-and-half, corn, diced ham, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve with shredded cheddar, bacon bits and green onion or chopped dill for garnish.

What is your favorite fall soup?