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    Home » Recipes » Soups and Stews

    Ham and Wild Rice Soup

    Published: Nov 8, 2021 · Modified: Nov 10, 2022 by Elizabeth · 4 Comments

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    This creamy ham and wild rice soup is perfect for cold nights and hungry bellies. In this recipe, onions, carrots, celery, garlic and sage are sautéed in butter, flour is used as a thickener, and chicken broth, ham and a mix of white and wild rice make a warming, delicious soup.

    The ham and wild rice soup served in a white bowl with an aqua rim on a light blue table. To the top right side is a small wood cutting board with sliced bread loaf and to the right is a spoon and a beige linen.

    A ham and rice soup is an excellent way to use up leftover ham after the holidays. Just dice it or give it a rough chop for a rustic feel add it to the soup and enjoy. Still have leftovers, try this ham fried rice that’s easy and tasty.

    In keeping with the spirit of waste not want not, this soup is also a good way to use leftover rice, and so is this creamy chicken and rice casserole and this chicken and rice soup.

    This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ingredients

    The ingredients for the soup prepped and arranged in glass bowls and set on a white table. Each ingredient has a label with the name above it in small black letters.
    • Butter – Regular salted butter works well, if you are sensitive to salt use unsalted.
    • Produce – Onions, carrots, celery, garlic and sage create a delicious base for this soup. If you have some leftover sage you need to work through, try this sausage gravy recipe that is perfect for brunch.
    • Flour – All-purpose flour is used to give the soup body.
    • Broth – Use your favorite chicken broth. If you are sensitive to salt use low sodium broth, then adjust the salt at the end.
    • Cooked Wild Rice Mix – We used a mix of wild and white rice. Use your favorite wild rice mix and cook it according to the package directions.
    • Ham – As mentioned earlier, this is a great recipe for leftover ham. But if you do not have any, a ham steak from the grocery store works well too.
    • Cream – We use half and half instead of heavy cream. It’s lighter but still creamy enough to give us the flavor we need.

    Instructions

    Pats of butter melting in a white and blue pot.

    Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.

    Diced onions, carrots, and celery in a large pot.

    When the butter has melted and starts to foam, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables gently for 5 minutes, stir frequently.

    Minced garlic, herbs and spices added to the vegetables cooking in the pot.

    Add the garlic, sage and black pepper to the pot, cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

    Flour added to the vegetables cooking in the pot.

    Add the flour, stirring constantly until well incorporated.

    The sautéed vegetables in a large blue and white pot.

    Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly to cook out the flour taste.

    Chicken broth being added to the ingredients in the pot with a whisk is in the pot.

    Slowly add in the chicken broth while stirring briskly with a whisk or wooden spoon until it is incorporated.

    Cubed ham about to be added to the soup in the pot.

    Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a simmer (it will take about 5 minutes). Then, add the ham and let the soup come back to a simmer.

    A large blue pot half covered on a stove.

    Lower the heat to medium-low, half-cover the pot and continue simmering for 15 minutes, stir occasionally. Keep the soup at a simmer raise or lower the heat if necessary.

    Cooked white and wild rice being added to the soup in the pot.

    Add the rice, half cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Stir often to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.

    The cream being added to the ham and wild rice soup still in the pot.

    Take the pot off the heat and add the half and half, stir to combine.

    Return the pot to low heat and warm through, do not let the soup come to a simmer or boil. Taste and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra to ours.

    A close up image of the soup served in a white bowl with an aqua rim. There is a sliced bread loaf in the background and a spoon and beige linen to the left side.

    Recipe tips

    • Hold the salt until the end when making this wild rice soup with ham. If you are sensitive to salt, use reduced sodium ingredients like low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium ham and butter. Then, you can add at the end if needed.
    • Start the rice first (unless you are using leftovers) because it usually takes a while to make.
    • Sometimes the only wild rice mix we can find at the supermarket includes a seasoning packet. Do not add it in. Follow the instructions on the package but omit the seasoning pack.
    • If you don’t have a wild rice mix but do have leftover white rice, then cook about a quarter cup of plain wild rice and add it along with the white rice to the soup.
    • Have everything prepped and ready to go before you start the soup because things move quickly in the beginning. I like using glass nesting bowls to keep the prepped ingredients, so everything is at my fingertips when needed.

    Storing and reheating

    • Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze the soup, store it in an airtight container. Remember to leave enough room to allow for expansion; an inch or two should do it. Freeze for 2-3 months.
    • The soup will thicken as it cools and it will loosen as it heats up. If it is too thick add 1 tablespoon of chicken broth at a time while reheating until the desired consistency is reached.
    • Gently, reheat the soup in a covered saucepan over medium-low to low heat until it reaches at least 165°F, stir occasionally – or reheat in the microwave. Avoid letting the soup come to a full boil as the cream could separate.
    A close of image of a spoonful of the soup held up over the bowl with a peek of the sliced bread in the background.

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    The ham and wild rice soup served in a white bowl with an aqua rim on a light blue table. To the top right side is a small wood cutting board with sliced bread loaf and to the right is a spoon and a beige linen.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Ham and Wild Rice Soup

    This creamy ham and wild rice soup is perfect for cold nights and hungry bellies.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time40 minutes mins
    Total Time55 minutes mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: ham, leftover ham recipes, wild rice
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 378kcal
    Author: Elizabeth

    Ingredients

    • 6 tablespoons Butter
    • 1 Medium Onion finely diced
    • 2 Medium Carrots diced (about ¾ – 1 cup diced)
    • 1 Celery Rib diced (about ¼ cup diced)
    • 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
    • 2 teaspoons Minced Sage about 4 leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
    • ⅓ cup All Purpose Flour
    • 6 cups Chicken Broth
    • 12 ounces Ham cut into bite sized cubes
    • 2 cups Cooked Wild Rice Mix we used a mix of wild and white rice prepared to package directions
    • ½ cup Half and Half
    • Salt if needed at the end

    Instructions

    • Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted and starts to foam, add the onions, carrots and celery.
    • Cook the vegetables gently for 5 minutes until the onions become translucent and start to soften, stir frequently.
    • Add the garlic, sage and black pepper to the pot, cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
    • Add the flour, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly to cook out the flour taste.
    • Slowly add in the chicken broth while stirring until it is incorporated. Use a whisk to make it easier to dissolve the flour. If you don’t have one, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.
    • Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a simmer (it will take about 5 minutes).
    • Next, add the ham and let the soup come back to a simmer.
    • Then, lower the heat to medium-low, half-cover the pot and continue simmering for 15 minutes, stir occasionally. Keep the soup at a simmer raise or lower the heat if necessary.
    • Add the rice, half cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Stir often to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    • Take the pot off the heat and add the half and half, stir to combine.
    • Return the pot to low heat and warm through, do not let the soup come to a simmer or boil.
    • Taste and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra to ours.

    Notes

    Hold the salt until the end when making this soup. If you are sensitive to salt, use reduced sodium ingredients like low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium ham and butter. Then, you can add at the end if needed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1664mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3855IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg
    The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate.This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. KNM

      February 22, 2023 at 11:58 pm

      Have you tried this recipe with heavy cream instead of half and half?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth

        February 23, 2023 at 12:04 am

        Hi. I have not, but heavy cream will work too.

        Reply
    2. Amy Peters

      October 09, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      This soup was absolutely perfect! I didn’t have fresh sage, so I sprinked in some dried sage. The whole family went back for seconds. I added the recipe to our family favorites folder.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth

        October 09, 2022 at 8:45 pm

        Thank you Amy, so happy you all enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Elizabeth! welcome to Cook2eatwell. Food is my favorite subject; I like to cook food, talk about food, write about food, and most importantly, eat food. Lucky for me, my husband Eddie feels the same way. 

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