Potlikker Soup Greens Ham

I made Potlikker Soup Greens Ham last Tuesday after work and honestly it’s one of those things where the name sounds more complicated than what you’re actually doing. You’re basically throwing ham and onions in a pot, letting them do their thing, then adding greens and broth. That’s most of it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in 40 minutes start to finish
• Uses frozen greens so you don’t have to wash and chop a mountain of fresh collards or mustard greens
• The ham gives you that smoky depth without needing a ham hock or waiting around for hours
• Everything happens in one pot which means less cleanup when you’re too tired to deal with it
• You probably have chicken broth and canned tomatoes already so it’s not a whole grocery trip
• The potlikker itself — that’s the broth — gets this rich thing going on that tastes way more involved than the effort you put in

The Story Behind This Recipe

I grew up eating greens but always the long-simmered kind that took half a day. Didn’t have that kind of time last week. I wanted that same smoky, savory vibe from a ham soup without blocking off my whole evening. So I started messing around with what I had — frozen greens in the freezer, leftover ham and some chicken broth. First attempt was too watery. Second time I let the onions cook longer and that made the difference. Now it’s my weeknight version that doesn’t make me feel like I’m cutting corners even though I definitely am.

What You Need

You’re starting with 2 tablespoons of oil — any neutral one works but I used vegetable because that’s what was open. Then 1 cup of diced ham which is honestly whatever leftover ham you’ve got or the pre-diced stuff from the deli counter. Don’t stress the size of the dice, just keep it bite-sized so you’re not sawing through chunks later.

The onions are 1 cup chopped and I went with yellow because they were sitting there but sweet onions would probably be even better for this. You need 2 cloves of garlic minced and I actually just smashed mine with the side of my knife then chopped roughly because who has time for perfect mince on a Tuesday.

Chicken broth is 6 cups and I used the cartons not the cans. The frozen greens are a 10-ounce package — I grabbed collards but mustard greens or turnip greens work too, whatever’s in your freezer aisle. You’re adding 1 cup of rinsed peas which I used black-eyed peas from a can but any pea or bean you like is fine here. The tomatoes are 1 can at 14.5 ounces, diced and drained because you don’t want all that tomato liquid thinning out your potlikker soup even more. Salt and pepper you’ll adjust at the end based on how salty your ham and broth already are.

How to Make Potlikker Soup Greens Ham

Get your large pot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat and pour in those 2 tablespoons of oil. Once it’s shimmering a bit toss in the 1 cup diced ham and 1 cup chopped onions together. You’re cooking them for about 5 to 7 minutes and what you’re watching for is the onions turning translucent and soft, not browned really, just cooked through.

The smell that starts happening is that caramelizing onion thing mixed with the smoky ham and that’s when you know you’re on the right track. When I made this the onions were still a little firm at 5 minutes so I gave it the full 7 and that made all the difference.

Now drop in your 2 minced garlic cloves and stir for roughly one minute. The raw bite of garlic mellows fast and you’ll smell it go from sharp to fragrant but you don’t want it to burn so keep stirring. If it starts turning brown you’ve gone too far.

Pour in all 6 cups of chicken broth and crank the heat until it reaches a boil. Once it’s bubbling dump in the frozen greens straight from the bag — don’t bother thawing them first. The cold greens will drop the temperature briefly which is fine, just bring it back up to a boil then cut the heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes.

The greens should soften and the broth deepens in color and flavor as it cooks. I lifted the lid once around the 12-minute mark just to check and the greens had wilted down completely by then but they needed the extra time to get tender. The broth gets this darker thing going on that looks richer than it did when you started.

After the simmer add your 1 cup rinsed peas and the drained 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste but start light because the ham’s already salty. Let the soup cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to meld everything and warm the tomatoes and peas through.

You’ll notice the broth thickening slightly and the colors from the vegetables getting more pronounced. Taste it now and adjust your salt and pepper if it needs more. Serve it hot and the smoky ham and greens really come through with each spoonful.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

First time I made this I added the garlic way too early with the onions and ham thinking it would all cook together fine. By the time everything else was done the garlic had this burnt edge taste that made the whole pot taste bitter and kind of off.

Had to start over because there’s no fixing burnt garlic once it’s in there. Now I wait until the onions are done their thing, then add the garlic for just that one minute and it stays sweet and mellow instead of taking over the whole greens soup.

Potlikker Soup Greens Ham

By Emma

Prep:

10 min

Cook:

30 min

Total:

40 min

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 10-ounce package frozen greens
• 1 cup rinsed peas
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes drained
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. 1 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in 1 cup diced ham and 1 cup chopped onions. Cook them together for about 5 to 7 minutes, watching for the onions to turn translucent and soft. The smell of caramelizing onions mixed with smoky ham should start to fill the kitchen.
2. 2 Add 2 minced garlic cloves and stir for roughly one minute until the raw bite of garlic mellows and the aroma becomes fragrant but not burnt.
3. 3 Pour in 6 cups of chicken broth and crank the heat until it reaches a boil. Once bubbling, stir in the frozen greens straight from the bag. The cold greens will drop the temperature briefly, but bring it back up to a boil, then cut the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes. The greens should soften and the broth deepen in color and flavor as it cooks.
4. 4 After the simmer, add 1 cup rinsed peas and the drained 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste. Let the soup cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to meld the flavors and warm the tomatoes and peas through. You'll notice the broth thickening slightly and vibrant colors from the vegetables.
5. 5 Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, letting the smoky ham and lively greens shine through with each spoonful.

Nutritional information

Calories

274

Protein

Xg

Carbs

Xg

Fat

Xg

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Tips for the Best Potlikker Soup Greens Ham

Don’t drain your ham too much if you’re using it from a package. That little bit of moisture that clings to the pieces adds salt and flavor to the oil when it hits the pan.

If your broth looks thin after the greens simmer, leave the lid off for the last 10 minutes instead of covering it. The liquid reduces just enough to concentrate everything without losing too much volume.

Frozen greens release water as they thaw in the pot so if you add extra greens thinking more is better you’ll end up with watery potlikker soup that tastes diluted. Stick to the 10-ounce package and call it done.

The peas don’t need much time since they’re already cooked from the can. I left mine in for 15 minutes once thinking it would help and they turned mushy and kind of gray which wasn’t the look I wanted.

Taste your broth before adding any salt because some chicken broths are already loaded with sodium and the ham brings even more. I over-salted my second batch and had to water it down which defeated the whole point of building flavor.

Serving Ideas

I ate mine with cornbread on the side which soaked up the broth and made it feel like an actual meal instead of just greens soup. The cornbread gets soft on the bottom and you can scoop everything together.

A fried egg on top sounds weird but the runny yolk mixes into the potlikker and adds this richness that makes it more filling. My mom used to do that with her greens and I tried it here on a whim.

Hot sauce is non-negotiable for me. Just a few shakes of whatever vinegar-based hot sauce you keep around cuts through the ham and wakes everything up.

Serve it over white rice if you want to stretch it further or make it more of a main dish situation instead of a side that happens to be soup.

Variations

Swap the ham for smoked turkey and it’s lighter but you lose some of that deep smoky thing the pork brings. Works if you’re trying to cut back but it’s noticeably different.

Use fresh greens instead of frozen if you’ve got them but you’ll need about 1 pound and you have to wash and chop them which is why I don’t bother on weeknights. They cook down to basically the same amount anyway.

Add a splash of apple cider vinegar at the very end for that tangy thing Southern cooks do with their greens. Maybe a tablespoon, not much. It brightens the whole pot without making it taste like salad dressing.

Throw in diced sweet potato with the broth and greens if you want it heartier. They’ll soften during that 20-minute simmer and add a slight sweetness that plays well with the smoky ham soup base.

FAQ

Can I use fresh garlic instead of minced jarred garlic? Yeah that’s actually what I used. Fresh tastes better and it’s not like mincing two cloves takes that long. Jarred works if that’s what you’ve got but fresh has more punch.

Do I have to use frozen collard greens or can I use kale or spinach? Collards mustard greens or turnip greens are traditional and hold up better to the long simmer. Kale would probably work but spinach gets slimy and breaks down too much so I’d skip it.

How do I store leftover potlikker soup? Let it cool completely then put it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The greens will keep soaking up liquid so it gets thicker as it sits which isn’t necessarily bad.

Can I freeze this soup? Yeah it freezes fine for about 3 months. The texture of the peas might get a little softer when you reheat but the flavor stays good. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.

What’s the best way to reheat leftovers? Stovetop over medium-low heat works best so you can stir it and add a splash of water or broth if it’s too thick. Microwave works too but stir it halfway through so it heats evenly.

My soup tastes bland what did I do wrong? You probably didn’t let the onions cook long enough at the beginning or your ham wasn’t very smoky. Also check if you undersalted because ham and broth saltiness varies a lot between brands.

Can I use a different type of canned bean instead of peas? Cannellini beans or great northern beans would work. I wouldn’t use kidney beans because they’re too thick and starchy for this. Black-eyed peas are traditional but use what you like.

Do I really need to drain the canned tomatoes? Yes because that liquid is mostly water and a little tomato paste and it’ll make your broth too thin. You want the tomato chunks for flavor and color not the packing liquid.

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead? You’d need to brown the ham and onions in a pan first then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours then add the peas and tomatoes for the last 30 minutes. It works but you don’t really save time.

What size pot do I need for this? A 5-quart pot or Dutch oven is good. You need enough room for 6 cups of broth plus all the greens which take up space before they wilt down even though they’re frozen.

Why are my greens still tough after 20 minutes? Your heat might’ve been too low and the soup wasn’t actually simmering just sitting there warm. Make sure you see small bubbles breaking the surface when it’s covered.

Can I add more vegetables to make it healthier? Sure but don’t go overboard. Diced carrots or celery with the onions would be fine. Too many vegetables and it stops being greens soup and becomes vegetable soup with some greens in it.

Is there a way to make this vegetarian? Leave out the ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken. Add smoked paprika or liquid smoke for that smoky flavor you’re losing without the meat. Won’t be the same but it’ll be decent.

My potlikker is too salty how do I fix it? Add a peeled and halved potato to the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes. The potato absorbs some salt then you fish it out and toss it. Or just add more unsalted broth and a bit more greens to dilute everything.

Can I use bone-in ham instead of diced ham? Yeah throw in a ham bone or ham hock at the beginning with the broth. You’ll need to fish it out before serving and pull any meat off to stir back in. Takes longer but the flavor’s deeper.

Do the onions need to be a specific size when I chop them? Not really just keep them bite-sized. I did a rough chop and some pieces were bigger than others and it was fine. They soften enough that size doesn’t matter much.

How do I know when the onions are translucent enough? They’ll look kind of see-through instead of white and opaque and they’ll be soft when you press them with your spoon. If they’re still crunchy give them another minute or two.

Can I skip the garlic? You could but you’d lose that background flavor that makes the soup taste fuller. It’s only two cloves and one minute of your time so I wouldn’t skip it unless you really hate garlic.

What happens if I forget to drain the tomatoes? Your soup will be thinner and more watery. It’s not ruined you’ll just have more liquid and less concentrated flavor. You can simmer it longer uncovered to cook off the extra water.

Can I use homemade chicken broth? Yeah and it’ll probably taste better than store-bought. Just make sure it’s not super gelatinous or the texture might be weird. Regular homemade broth works great.

How long can this sit on the stove after cooking? An hour or so on the lowest heat setting is fine for keeping it warm. After that the greens start breaking down too much and getting mushy.

My soup is too thick what should I do? Just add more chicken broth or water half a cup at a time until it’s the consistency you want. The greens and peas soak up liquid as the soup sits so this happens sometimes.