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Ham Bone Soup

There is a particular pleasure in cooking after the holiday table has been cleared. The ham has been carved, served, admired. What remains — the bone, the fragments, the quiet excess — is where the real work begins.

Ceramic bowl was wheel-thrown and glazed by me

I look forward to leftovers more than the centerpiece itself. A ham bone tucked into the freezer feels less like scraps and more like promise. It becomes Ham Fried Rice on one day and, on another, a pot of Ham Bone Soup that simmers slowly and steadies the house.

This is not a flashy soup. It is structural. Broth deepened by marrow. Aromatics softened into submission. Bits of ham returning to the pot that first rendered them tender. It is economical without feeling spare, practical without being austere.

INGREDIENTS
[serves 2–3 as a main]
one leftover ham bone with bits of ham on it
one cup of leftover ham, diced
twenty ounces of oxtail broth
fifteen ounces of chicken bone broth
ten ounces of water
five celery stalks, sliced
a half cup of carrots, sliced
a half of yellow onion, diced
four garlic cloves, peeled
four French thyme twigs
one teaspoon of smoked paprika
a half teaspoon of sea salt + a pinch or two
freshly cracked pepper


If you do not keep oxtail broth on hand, chicken bone broth alone works perfectly well. I tend to use both during colder months for additional depth, but the recipe does not depend on it.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the broths, water, ham bone, garlic cloves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about forty-five minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Stir once or twice and season with smoked paprika. If using only chicken bone broth, taste before adding sea salt, as some broths are already well seasoned. Add freshly cracked pepper to taste. Cover and continue to simmer for twenty minutes.

Check the consistency. For a thicker broth, leave the lid off and allow it to reduce slightly, watching carefully so it does not reduce too aggressively. For a lighter texture, keep the lid on. Continue simmering for about twenty-five minutes.


Add the diced ham and stir. Simmer for an additional thirty minutes, adjusting the lid depending on your preferred thickness and monitoring the broth as it reduces.

Before serving, remove and discard the thyme stems. Taste once more and adjust with a pinch or two of sea salt if needed. Remove from heat.

While the soup stands well on its own, I often serve it over wide egg noodles or strozzapreti. Place a handful of cooked pasta in each bowl and ladle the soup over the top.

Simple. Deep. Worth saving the bone.

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