Ham and Potato Soup

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With the weather cooling off here and the fact that I cooked a small ham in the crockpot the day before I decided it was time for Ham and Potato Soup. I love this soup it's filling, healthy and inexpensive to cook. And a little goes a long way. I used this ham three different nights and then we finished it for breakfast this morning along with scrambled eggs.

1 cup cooked cubed ham
3 large potatoes peeled and cubed small
1 large carrot peeled and cubed small
1/4 cup of green peas (I used frozen)
1 tsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped finely (from a jar is okay)
Water, milk, salt and pepper

I started with a 4 quart pot. I filled it 2/3 of the way full with hot water. I then added my potatoes and carrot and boiled for appx 10 minutes until semi-tender (do not over cook). I then added my peas and cooked another 5 minutes. At this point I poured off about half the water out of the pot. Add in the butter. Take about 1/2 cup of the potatoes out and mash. Then add back to the soup. That will act as a little thickening agent. Add ham and approximately 1 cup of milk (I used 2%). Add salt, pepper to taste. Add parsley. I then simmered it maybe 5 more minutes just to let the ham flavor mix with it all. We really enjoyed this and will have it again.