This is a new twist on using leftover ham that I would never have thought of ... but some other people did. Try this soup as part of a soup and tossed salad lunch, along with some chilled Pinot Grigio wine.
You might serve some stone ground wheat crackers or some Hawaiian sweet rolls, with butter on the side.
Remember to buy/chill the wine and get crackers/rolls and make and chill the salad first. Use a vinaigrette dressing for the salad to contrast with and complement the mild creamy soup.
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Ingredients: (Four adult servings)
3 tbsp. of butter
1/2 of a medium size sweet onion, diced (or two shallots, sliced thinly)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of chicken broth
2 medium size boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, albumin rinsed/rubbed off, and then cut into 1/2" cubes
6 ounces of leftover ham, all fat removed, cut into 1/4" cubes
4 teaspoons of stone ground mustard
6 ounces of sliced Swiss cheese, cut into 1" x 1" pieces
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup of fresh parsley sprigs (as a garnish)
Croutons at serving time
Directions:
Melt the butter in a three quart saucepan or small soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat with some stirring until it is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. You can cover the saucepan/pot to make the onion cook faster. Add the minced garlic and cook for two minutes with stirring.
Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to create a roux. Stir the roux until it is smooth. Cook for one to two minutes.
Pour in half of each of the milk, cream and chicken broth while whisking the mixture, until it is smooth.
Gradually add the rest of the liquids. Bring the soup to a low boil, stirring often with a wooden spoon, then stir for one minute.
Remove the saucepan/pot from the heat and add the chicken cubes, ham cubes, cayenne pepper, mustard and Swiss cheese pieces.
Stir the soup until the Swiss cheese is completely melted. If needed, return the soup to the heat briefly, with stirring, until the Swiss cheese is melted.
Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. Your guests can add additional salt and/or pepper as wanted at serving time.
Serve the soup hot immediately with a bowl of croutons at the table for your guests, and with a parsley sprig on the top of each serving as a garnish.
This soup will go very well in a soup and salad lunch, along with the crackers/rolls and butter and glasses of chilled Pinot Grigio wine.
Enjoy!