This Leftover Ham and Macaroni Soup is a delicious, economical, and healthy way to use up ham leftovers. Made with pantry ingredients like kidney beans, macaroni, and other ingredients you'd have on hand, it's quick and easy to make.
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Add everything (except macaroni, Parmesan cheese and parsley) to a large pot . Bring to a boil, then turn down to med- low and simmer for 15 minutes.
1 cup leftover ham, 2 whole carrots chopped, 4 cloves garlic, 1 med onion, 14 cups beef broth, 28 oz - can of diced tomatoes, 19 oz -can of kidney beans, 5 oz - can of tomato paste, 3 teaspoon brown sugar, ¾ tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, 1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 bay leaf
Add pasta and cook for another 20 -30 minutes, or until pasta is tender (al dente) stirring regularly.Stir in the Parmesan cheese in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove bay leaf and discard.
1 cup uncooked macaroni, â…“ cup Parmesan cheese
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
1-2 tablespoon fresh parsley, additional grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Notes
Top tip- which pasta should I use?Then there’s the question of which pasta to use. Whole wheat pasta is healthy but takes a long time to cook and personally, I find it a bit too dense. I prefer to use Catelli “smart pasta” because it cooks faster than whole wheat but you still get 4X as much fiber than if you ate white pasta.Although it’s not quite as healthy as whole wheat, you are still getting that fiber. And if you’re not a fan of whole wheat, it’s a good alternative. You can read more about healthy pasta HERE. And if you are following the WW program, there are also WW friendlier pasta alternatives you can use instead. Check out this WW pasta cheat sheet!Variations & Substitutions
Ham- you can use any type of cooked leftover ham you prefer. I even use defrosted frozen ham.
Onion- you could use yellow or red onion instead of white onion.
Elbow Macaroni - you could use another type of pasta, such as fusilli or penne pasta. Or you can use whole wheat macaroni or smart pasta (see top tip) .
Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking or add sriracha sauce.
Parsley - you can garnish with dried parsley if you don't have fresh!
🌡️StorageWait for the soup to cool completely before refrigerating it. If you refrigerate soup while it is still hot direct temperature changes will cause oxidation and acidification of the soup and can make it taste sour.Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months in a sealed container. However, the noodles tend to get a bit mushy when the soup is reheated. Therefore, if you know you're making it in advance and going to freeze it, it's best to either undercook the macaroni a little or add it (step 3 ) just prior to serving. *You can also cook the macaroni separately. Personally, I'm not a big fan of this because it dirties another pot that I have to wash!