I use the amount of ham that I have leftover from a big ham dinner. If I make the soup the day after the dinner, I use about half of the leftover ham. If I make the soup a few days later, I use up the rest of the ham. My family likes a heartier soup, so I always add about 3-4 cups of diced/shredded ham. You can add more or less ham depending on your family's preference.