Ingredients

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped (around 1 1/4 c.)

3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise (1 c.)

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise (3/4 c.) 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1/4 c. all-purpose flour 

1 c. dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc 

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into roughly 1" chunks

12 oz. (3 c.) cooked ham, chopped into small pieces

1 bay leaf

3/4 c. half and half

Chopped parsley, for serving 

Preparation

Step 1Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and light golden, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and cook until lightly toasted, about 1 minute more. Turn heat to high and pour wine into pot. Bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.Step 2Pour broth into the pot and add potatoes, ham, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir half and half into the pot and season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove bay leaf and discard. Serve warm topped with parsley and more pepper.

And when we say extra, we don’t mean extra complex or difficult! Instead, we’ve added a few non-traditional flavors like white wine to add brightness, and smoked paprika to compliment the natural smokiness of the ham. The best part? This one pot wonder has a super creamy texture without the use of a blender (nope, not even an immersion blender!). Our secret? We keep this soup both creamy and chunky by cooking vegetables in the same butter we then use to make a roux. Once the flour and butter have thickened, we add broth and potatoes and bring them to a boil. Once the potatoes are tender just add a splash of half and half to round out the creaminess and this simple, yet flavorful soup is done! Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.