Ham and Sweet Potato Soup - AIP elimination compliant

The hardest part of this soup happens at the grocery store, not the stove. A ham steak with only pork, water, and salt on the label is harder to find than you would expect. Once you have it, everything else is a slow cooker and an afternoon you get to spend doing something else.

Sweet potato is a genuine source of beta-carotene, the compound your body reshapes into vitamin A, playing a real role in mucosal immunity, the layer of defense along the gut and lungs where a lot of Autoimmune activity begins. A clean ham steak, sourced without additive spice blends, is still a real source of zinc and B vitamins, both connected to immune regulation.

Buy extra ham when you find a brand you trust. This soup reheats well, and having a good meal already made for a harder day is its own kind of care. Set a real bowl on the table tonight, whatever today asked of you.

Ingredients

• 1 ham steak, diced (choose a clean-label product with no nightshade-derived additives or spice blends)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium sweet potato, diced
• 4 cups beef broth (homemade is ideal to avoid added spice blends; use a clean-label store-bought if needed)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional: 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water, for thickening

AIP notes: The flax milk sometimes used as a dairy alternative in the original recipe is excluded (seed). Skip it. Use plain sea salt with no anti-caking additives. Choose homemade or a verified clean-label broth with no non-AIP spice blends.

Method

Slow Cooker

1. Add the diced ham, onion, celery, and sweet potato to the slow cooker.
2. Pour in the beef broth. Add the sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and bay leaf.
3. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the sweet potato is completely tender and the flavors have melded.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt.
5. If you want a thicker soup, whisk the arrowroot powder into 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the hot soup and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes - it will thicken as it sits. Do not boil after adding arrowroot or it may thin out again.
6. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Instant Pot Variation

1. Set the Instant Pot to Saute. Add the ham and onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens slightly.
2. Add the celery, sweet potato, beef broth, sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and bay leaf.
3. Lock the lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 12 minutes.
4. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
5. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt.
6. To thicken: switch to Saute, whisk the arrowroot slurry into the soup, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Turn off the heat.
7. Ladle into bowls and serve.

*Adapted from predominantlypaleo.com*