Ham & Cheese Potato Soup

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Melt the butter in a pot and sauté the diced onion until translucent and releasing its sugars, without caramelizing.
   ▶ ≈0:47
2. 2
   Add the flour to the onions and stir to form a roux, cooking briefly.
   ▶ ≈2:20
3. 3
   Pour in two cups of milk and mix well until the mixture thickens.
   ▶ ≈2:52
4. 4
   Stir in the chopped garlic and thyme, reducing the amount if using dried herbs.
   ▶ ≈3:12
5. 5
   Reduce the heat and add the diced potatoes, celery, and carrots, stirring to combine.
   ▶ ≈3:46
6. 6
   Season with cayenne pepper and cumin, then stir in the chicken stock.
   ▶ ≈4:14
7. 7
   Simmer for about 30–45 minutes until the vegetables are very soft, adding more stock if needed.
   ▶ ≈5:21
8. 8
   Once the vegetables are soft, stir in the cheddar and Gruyère cheeses until melted.
   ▶ ≈6:48
9. 9
   Add the diced ham and heat through briefly, since it is already cooked.
   ▶ ≈7:07
10. 10
    Stir in another cup of milk (for a total of three cups) and about a cup of heavy cream for extra richness.
    ▶ ≈7:14
11. 11
    Separately cook instant barley in stock (about 10–12 minutes), using roughly one part barley to two parts stock.
    ▶ ≈8:20
12. 12
    Add the cooked barley into the soup for extra texture.
    ▶ ≈9:57
13. 13
    Bring the soup to a boil, and if too thin, stir in cornstarch slurry until it thickens to a cream-like consistency.
    ▶ ≈11:14
14. 14
    Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed.
    ▶ ≈14:00
15. 15
    Prepare cheese crostini: slice bread thin, top with Parmesan and Swiss or mozzarella cheese, and broil for about a minute until melted.
    ▶ ≈11:37
16. 16
    Ladle the soup into bowls, arrange the cheese crostini around the top, and serve.
    ▶ ≈14:49