📋Leftover Ham and Macaroni Soup Recipe

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.

Course bruch, dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword ham, leftover, macaroni, soup

Special Diet weight watchers

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 282kcal

Ingredients

1 cup leftover ham diced *fresh or previously frozen
2 whole carrots chopped chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 med onion chopped
14 cups beef broth
28 oz - can of diced tomatoes *I use low-salt
19 oz -can of kidney beans *drained and rinsed
5 oz - can of tomato paste
3 tsp brown sugar
¾ tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar *I use Kirkland brand
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese *I use light parmesan cheese
1 cup uncooked macaroni * I use regular elbow macaroni

Garnish

1-2 tablespoon fresh parsley
additional grated Parmesan cheese for serving

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

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, ⅓ 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

Expert Recipe Tips

Sauté the onions and garlic first. This builds a deeper, more savoury flavour base for the soup.
Cut the ham into even pieces. Uniform cubes ensure the ham heats evenly and you get a bit in every bite.
Add the macaroni near the end. This prevents it from getting overly soft or absorbing too much broth as the soup cooks.
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer. A low, steady heat helps the flavours meld without over-reducing the broth.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Leftover ham can vary in saltiness, so add salt at the end only if needed.
Add the balsamic vinegar last. Stirring it in near the end brightens the flavours and balances the richness.
Stir occasionally as the pasta cooks. This keeps the macaroni from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Thin the soup with extra broth if needed. Macaroni absorbs liquid as it sits, so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
Use freshly grated Parmesan. It melts better and gives the soup a creamier, more integrated flavour.
Add parsley just before serving. Fresh herbs lose colour and flavour if added too early.

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!

🌡️Storage

Wait 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!

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