Ham and Cheese Soup with White Wine and Gruyere
This Ham and Cheese Soup with White Wine and Gruyere is yet another recipe to show you how easily you can repurpose your leftover ham. This soup is rich and decadent, and it will keep your loved ones coming back for seconds guaranteed.
This Ham and Cheese Soup with White Wine and Gruyere is yet another recipe to show you how easily you can repurpose your leftover ham. This soup is rich and decadent, and it will keep your loved ones coming back for seconds guaranteed.
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 medium size chopped)
- 1.5 cup ham (cooked cut into small cubes)
- 0.5 cup white wine (dry)
- 1.5 cup gruyere cheese (shredded)
- 2 triangles spreadable cheese ((optional))
- 0.5 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh grated)
- 2 tbsp green onions (to garnish)
- Carbohydrate 0.556187500706291 g
- Cholesterol 344.006041705649 mg
- Fat 72.7528270943287 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 76.5001145838686 g
- Saturated Fat 24.6204027846401 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (433g)
- Sodium 320.998888910174 mg
- Sugar 0.556187500706291 g
- Trans Fat 5.88071986170844 g
- Calories 981 calories
Step-by-step
- In a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, melt the butter and add onions. Cook for 2 minutes until translucent.
- Add ham and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add white wine and let reduce in half for a minute or two.
- Add chicken stock, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add one cup of cream and cook for a few more minutes.
- If using spreadable cheese, melt them in a cup of hot water and add to the soup.
- Turn off the heat and add gruyere, nutmeg and black pepper.
- Check for seasoning and add salt if needed.
- Serve with fresh scallion or chives, bread on a side or toasted croutons.
A printed recipe hides the chemistry occurring inside the heavy pot, specifically how dry white wine interacts with high-fat dairy during reduction. When scaling this batch up for a larger dinner party, do not simply double the dry white wine linearly; instead, increase the reduction time by an extra three minutes to prevent an overly acidic base from breaking the heavy cream. Here are operational adjustments for consistency:
- Shred the Gruyere cheese finely on a microplane rather than a box grater to ensure it melts smoothly into the hot broth without graininess.
- Maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil once the heavy cream enters the pot, as high heat causes milk solids to separate and curdle.
- Substitute dry vermouth for white wine at a one-to-one ratio if the bottle is empty, yielding a slightly more herbal undertone.
- Turn the heat completely off before stirring in the grated cheese, keeping temperatures below 140 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve a silky mouthfeel.
Proper temperature control separates a velvety soup from a separated broth. Storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days works well, though gentle reheating requires a double boiler to prevent scorching.
