Add ¼ cup (½ stick or 4 tablespoons) of butter in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook until butter is melted.
When the butter is melted, add the chopped onions and sauté until tender and translucent, about five minutes.
Add your diced ham and minced garlic to the onion butter mixture and cook an additional one to two minutes.
Pour in the hash brown potatoes and the chicken broth and gently stir to combine. Bring the ham and hashbrown soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Add the heavy cream, and the cornstarch mixed with water and the parsley. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Continue simmering until the soup has thickened, around 10 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste
Serve immediately with either crackers or crusty bread on the side. This ham and hash brown soup recipes makes 8 servings.