Cauliflower Chowder
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A creamy, low carb, hearty and cozy soup, loaded with so many good-for-you veggies. Perfect for those chilly nights!
I have been making a lot of cozy soups to get us through these chilly nights. But instead of making my usual carb-loaded chowders that I love so much, I tried something a little bit lighter and a little more hearty. After all, Spring is officially here, sweater season is slowly coming to an end, and bikini season will be here before you know it.
Now I’ll be honest – I was very skeptical about using cauliflower in place of potatoes, but boy, was I in for a treat.
The cauliflower is an amazing low-carb substitute here, and it’s really such a perfect way to sneak in some veggies for those picky eaters. And to balance out all that veggie goodness, I just had to add some crisp bacon bits because at the end of the day, bacon just makes everything a thousand times better.
Either way, this is one cozy, hearty soup that the whole family will gobble up with zero complaints, promise!
Cauliflower Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup 2% milk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon excess fat in the stockpot.
- Melt butter in the stockpot. Add garlic, onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until barely crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken broth and milk, and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower are tender, about 12-15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Puree with an immersion blender until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Easy and delicious
I have made this soup several times and just love it. It is so versatile. We don’t do white potatoes at all anymore because of my husband’s diabetes and we both really missed potato soup. This really was amazing and actually tasted like a good potato soup. I have adjusted it for different occasions sometimes adding in some chicken or cheddar cheese. I also have used half and half instead of milk to make it creamy without using flour. Just really a great recipe!
This soup was perfect for a cool summer day! Easy to make and delicious! We also topped with cheddar cheese.
I make this all the time! I modify it, to not include the bacon and add matchstick carrots in with the onion and celery.
Was this recipe modified? I hadn’t made it in a while, but I know there was, and the picture shows carrots. Those are added in with the celery and onion? Thanks. I love this soup! I’ve shared with so many!!!
Made this tonight for dinner. So yummy and easy to make
This soup is delicious! I made it for my husband and I for lunch along with sandwiches. It was even good the next day. I will make it again. Thank you!
Loved this recipe. A hardy soup made out of a favorite veggie at my house. Definitely a keeper!
Can leftover soup be put in the freezer?
Yes, freezes really well. I use the Ziploc round soup containers and thaw and heat in the microwave.
This was great! Using the bacon fat for cooking the onions, celery and garlic was a great touch!
This is a real winner. Everyone in the family loved it. Some cauliflower versions of dishes can be underwhelming in the flavor dept., but this can out wonderfully tasty. I had a few leftover potatoes on hand that I cubed and added as well.
I made it according to the recipe
but added a little thyme. It turned out great, next time I will use a potato masher to have smaller chunks. Then use my immersion blender less so it has a little texture.
DELICIOUS!!! I just had it for lunch and topped it with steamed asparagus!!!!!
Wow! So tasty! I skipped the bacon but did use some bacon fat I had in my fridge. Used better than bouillon for the broth. My cauliflower was a bit small so soup was looser than it probably should have been but oh so delicious! Will definitely make again an again!
Do you have any nutritional stats for this soup? Thanks.
I have made this recipe several times, and it is delicious. I have shared it with others, and they love it too. I always make it as written, perfect as is.
So good! Added some carrots, used almond milk and pureed it leaving some chunks for texture. Tastes like potato soup (-: Will make again.
Made this and it was great. Actually tastes like a potato soup. We have taken potatoes completely out of our diet so this is really a great replacement. The only thing I changed was I added a cup and a half of white cheddar cheese and reduced the amount of flour. Also after I used the immersion blender I took half and put in my vitamix blender and really pureed that then put back in with the rest. It made it really creamy. This can be used in so many ways. Excellent! Family loves it.
Easy peasy and so VERY delish! Will definitely make it over and over. Thank you!
Hi, I have 500 g bags of cauliflower rice on hand all the time. Is that ok to use or full head is best?
If you choose to blend, cauliflower rice will work, if you prefer a heartier soup than full head is ideal.
Shocked at how good this was. Making it again tomorrow. I don’t like cooked carrots and did not have any, so made it without. I worried it may not be to good without then, it was delicious, just don’t forget the bacon. Yum.
Did I miss something I didn’t see carrots in the recipe?
I’ll definitely make this again! I really didn’t want a puréed cauliflower soup, and this feels hearty, with a good bite. It’s great the way it is, but also easy to adjust for variety. This will be a delightful work lunch. Thanks for this!
This is going to be in a rotation to fix at my house! This is so good and was extremely easy to make. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Super delicious and perfect for these chilly winter days! Followed completely. Even better as leftovers! Question on the carb count in nutri info:-is that count (17.4) for the entire batch of soup-6 servings? Thank you for great recipe~it’s a keeper.
Delicious and easy to make
Easy to put together, very tasty!
This chowder is so yummy! Next time I will add 3 1/2 cups chicken broth though and thin if needed. It was just a little soupy for me and I like my chowder on the thicken side. (Note: I added a little more flour and it came out great!) After reading other comments, I will add a little grated white cheddar too.
Great recipe! I added some red pepper flakes and a handful of cheddar cheese for a little oomf. Thank you for sharing!
Soooo good! The first time I made it with bacon and milk, but since then I’ve tried making it with almond and oat milk, and omitted the bacon (I’d add half a teaspoon of paprika for that smoky flavour) and it always turns out damn delicious! Cheddar cheese is a great addition too.
Very delicious! I left out the bacon, doubled the milk, and added shredded cheddar cheese at the end. This is a keeper!
Delicious! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
I’m surprised at how good this is for such a basic recipe. This is soon to be a staple!
I used instant garlic red skined mashed potatoes to thicken the soup instead of flour. It turn out yummy.
Simply delicious!
Surprisingly a very good soup!! Thank you!!
You have no idea how much this chowder made my day. For health reasons, I have to eat a Paleo diet. The only changes I had to make were using almond milk instead of regular, Paleo flour (Bob’s Red Mill) instead of regular, and ghee instead of butter. Also, one of my boys has texture issues, so I blended the chowder until completely smooth, and the whole family devoured it, even the picky ones! It reminded me of a creamy potato soup I used to make, which made my heart so happy. Thank you for this delish recipe! 🙂
Delicious!!! I added the bacon back in when I put in the chicken broth and milk. Additionally, I added a little cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and parsley. I mixed the milk and flour together before adding it to the pot. Very easy to make! Definitely recommend!! Yum!
Made this tonight for dinner, very good. Great eay to utilize cauliflower from the garden
I followed the recipe except left out the flour and used 1/2 and 1/2, not milk. Blended half the soup and it was thick enough without the flour. Highly recommend throwing in two handfulls of chopped lacinato kale at the end – delicious.
This is a delicious chowder. Since we don’t eat bacon but we do use prosciutto, I add 3 slices of that chopped while sautéing the celery, onions, etc. And since I am dariy free free I used oat milk. This was a nice creamy chowder with just the right amount of salty flavor. Will be making this again!
I made this and it’s so yummy. Cauliflower is my favourite veg so it’s not hard to please me on this one. I substituted garlic powder and I didn’t have any celery but the result is just as good. It looks good for serving too.
Wow, That was Damn Delicious !!
As a new vegetarian I am looking for simple recipe on a tiny budget.
I enjoy your loaded potato corn chowder and your slow cooker corn chowder .
Do you have any more vegetarian recipes. My budget for food is $100. A
month. So I really need simple recipe. Plus I am learning how to cook.
Ty for your time.
This recipe is absolutely delicious!
!! Very easy to make snf greast for a warm bowl of soup on a chilly night!!!
This was so good!!! Followed directions except used frozen cauliflower!!
Brilliant‼️
Was looking for a Parmesan-Cauliflower soup recipe & found this. Looks wonderful & intend to try it ASAP!
One question: when should bay leaf be removed?
Remove bay leaf when soup is done before you purée.
very tasty. Used more bacon. Added thyme and parsley as well as cheddar cheese and cream cheese. garnished with real bacon bits. will make again.
I love this recipe. This soup is so delicious. How would a converted to cook in an instant pot?
i was good but needed something – I read reviews and did add 2 small potatoes, some basil and a can of corn with the liquid – then ate it with Ritz crackers and then i would give the recipe 4 stars
Love this recipe! Have you tried frozen cauliflower? If so, how much approximately and how did you change the recipe?
This was really great! It didn’t take too long to cook, and it was simple enough for me to make it without any help. I ended up using evaporated milk, which made it a bit creamier, but I didn’t mind at all!
I used a 12oz bag of frozen cauliflower. Otherwise followed directions. Worked great!!
Delicious soup !! Added small chopped potato for extra creaminess, also with the cauliflower I added some broccoli because I needed to use it as well as some fresh thyme.
Used olive oil instead of butter for health reasons but it still tasted good.
This soup is so delicious, I could eat it everyday. I used heavy whipping cream instead of milk and added more seasoning. Also added shredded cheddar. Yummy! It is to die for! Love it.
Made this tonight since it is cold here! Added a cooked potatoe & lots of spices like smoked paprika, garlic & onion powder, smoked garlic sea salt & thyme. Oh also cooked a little toasted onion basmati rice in it to absorb the excess liquid. Pretty awesome in flavor & consistency! Will be adding this to regular rotation! Thx for idea
It wasn’t bad but wasn’t what I thought. I made it exactly as described but the soup didn’t really thicken up much even after cooking it an extra 10 minutes. I ended up hitting it with the immersion blender slightly and adding nutritional yeast.
I have made this a couple times now and it is my husband and my favorite soup. I always double the batch.
Very easy to make and delicious! I used broccoli since I had that in the refrigerator and the family loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Phenomenal!!! So much flavor. I didn’t include carrots or celery as I didn’t have on hand and it was still so good. I will definitely be making this again and again.
I hit it with the immersion blender so it was half creamy, half chunky. I also added sweet corn which gave a nice contrast to the savory and salty flavors. I always know that when I make a Damn Delicious recipe, it will be, well…. delicious!
Absolutely delicious! All my boys gobbled it up and wanted seconds and thirds. Even my youngest, who I have such a hard time getting to eat his veggies, gobbled it up. Thank you!!!
This was delicious! Hubby even liked it (which was a small miracle)!
Made this last night and WOW!!! My family and I aren’t huge cauliflower eaters and they weren’t too interested when I told them I was making a cauliflower chowder but once served, it was gone so quickly!! It really doesn’t taste like cauliflower (in a good way!). I added shredded cheddar and corn and it was amazing! I also used pre- diced pancetta instead of regular bacon. This is a quick, easy, delicious recipe that I recommend everyone try!
This looks so delicious! I want to add this to my dinner party menu.
Question. Can I make 2 days ahead and then reheat before serving?
I like a bit of kick so I added cayenne pepper, paprika, and some thyme as well. Plus I put some frozen corn in at the end just long enough to warm it up. Sososo good, my boyfriend and I were so pleased with this recipe.
Question- I know it says one head of cauliflower but with so many varying sizes does anyone have an estimate of how many cups that would be? Worried mine is too small
When I buy cauliflower I go through the bin to get the biggest one but even a small one should be ok. You can always add a diced potato or two but always taste the soup throughout to adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Recipe and photos looked so tasty… as I made it, felt like it was going to turn out bland. BOY WAS I WRONG! So So So flavorful and tasty! Definitely going in my recipe box! Added green onion and a bit of cheese to garnish! Have shared with friends and definitely will make again!
Delicious and easy to make! Just did it for the first time tonight and will make it again.
This is an easy to make, delicious recipe!
So delicious. Made with 1% milk instead of 2%.
Whole family loves this recipe ❤️ I’ve been making it since last fall. Even the non cauliflower eaters love this soup! Great recipe! Thanks.
I’m still enjoying this recipe. I switch it up with different ingredients sometimes. Adding hot peppers for a kick or extra seasonings. Love this soup!
This looks delicious and I am planning on trying it tomorrow. I won’t be adding carrots however because I am diabetic and they will spike my sugars but the rest of the ingredients look good. Thanks so much.
I make this almost weekly. So easy and so delicious! I do make quite a bit more bacon though. I mean you can never have enough bacon.
Literally eating this for lunch at my desk right now and had to stop to write a review. This is my first Damn Delicious recipe undertaking, and it did not disappoint!
I made a few changes as I am a vegetarian. I pulverized some Bella mushrooms with smokey tempeh in a food processor in place of bacon and left in while adding in the other ingredients. Also added one can of “southwestern corn” from Del Monte, drained and rinsed, and used “Imagine” Organic No-Chicken Chicken Broth, low sodium in place of traditional chicken broth.
Also used an inversion blender to smooth out the consistency as one other reviewer suggested for texture-averse husbands.
Yum. Cue heavy lunch rotation! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing, Kayla! We hope you find many more recipes you’ll enjoy!
Just made this, added a little cheddar cheese. It was fantastic. I’ll definitely be making this in the future.
I LOVE this recipe but I make a few additions…to me it’s good but just missing a full flavor on its own.
So first of all I throw in whatever chicken I have – if I have any leftover cooked chicken from something else, rotisserie chicken, or I’ll just cut up a chicken breast and throw it in the skillet before adding to the soup. I also go a lot heavier on spices than the recipe calls for, I add parsley, oregano, basil, and extra garlic (usually cut up 3-4 cloves for the beginning of the recipe and throw in some garlic powder at the end when I’m tasting it).
I have made this over and over again since the first time I saw your page, about 4 years ago now. It is my favorite soup and it’s HEALTHY. Thank you so much for posting the recipe! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I used gluten free flour instead and topped with cheddar cheese and bacon. Turned out fabulous.
Love this soup, very flavorful!
Very delicious and easy to make
Agreed!
I added shredded cheddar
Does this soup freeze well?
Unfortunately, soups that contain milk or cream, like chowders and bisques, do not hold up well in the freezer as they tend to take on a grainy texture and separate when defrosted and rewarmed. 🙁
This soup was AMAZING! I subbed the bacon for Italian sausage and added corn! This will definitely be in the rotation from now on!
Awesome, Lauren!
Love this soup!! I add 1/4 cup vermouth or white wine, dry thyme, oregano & dill just before the flour. I finish it with 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg, 1 tsp. Honey, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 cup grated parmigiana reggianno cheese, 1Tbsp. Each of fresh parsley & dill and kernels from on cob of roasted corn. SO Yummy!!!
This soup is the best!!!! I add a half a teaspoon of paprika and it is amazing!
Absolutely delicious! I subbed whole cream for the milk to cut out sugar and used a gluten-free, low-carb nut blend flour. Love it!!!
I would like to know how this is low carb when it has all purpose flour in it. Would it still work with almond flour?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Made this soup. So easy and delicious. Wonder can you cut it down in half and still get the great flavour. Or can you freeze it.
Yes, you can halve the recipe.
As for freezing, unfortunately, soups that contain milk or cream, like chowders and bisques, do not hold up well in the freezer as they tend to take on a grainy texture and separate when defrosted and rewarmed. 🙁
I made this recipe with several variations. Since I don’t eat pork I used tempeh bacon instead. I added a diced potato and red pepper to the veggie mix. I also added some leftover cooked salmon. It is absolutely delicious and will be added to my repertoire.
That’s awesome. Thanks, Karen!
what is the serving size?
Hi Colleen! You would have to divide the full amount by 6 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
If you want to freeze, do you add milk right away or wait until ready to eat ?
I recommend freezing without the milk. Hope that helps!
Wondering how to convert this recipe to make in the crockpot? Has anyone done this?
Vivian, you can try this slow cooker version instead:
https://damndelicious.net/2016/04/20/slow-cooker-cauliflower-chowder/.
So I found this soup listed under “Keto soup recipes” but it calls for flour and milk in it…both are not Keto approved. Has anyone made this and substituted the flour for almond flour and the milk for heavy cream? This would make it suitable for the Keto diet but im not sure how it would effect the density and taste..any thoughts?
Really interested in this recipe but I can hardly call myself “comfortable” in the kitchen, so I am gonna ask:
After taking the crispy bacon out of the dutch over, you said to add butter. Is the assumption that you’re adding butter to the bacon grease in the pan to add flavor to the veggies, or should the bacon grease be drained and THEN add the butter?
Thanks for your time to answer this.
I prefer to leave the bacon grease in the pan but you can, of course, drain it. It’s completely up to you.
I love the look of this recipe but my doctor is always yelling at me to avoid saturated fats. Does anyone have any recommendations to reduce the saturated fat levels of this soup?
Honestly I don’t like cauliflower, but I love soup. I never thought that even soup can be done with cauliflower. The thought of having cauliflower soup is quite weird but this look quite different and colorful. I would love to try this once.
I attempted this recipe for the first time this week with a few little changes as I only had chicken soup and no stock and i took out the celery as i cant stand it and threw in some corn kernels instead.
Oh my gosh, this was seriously divine. Its just so tasty and delish and filling. I certainly didnt need any meat to go with it and in fact left out the bacon bits in the end. So for me to like something this much that doesn’t have a meat component is very rare.
My eldest son came over for dinner tonight and scoffed the left overs (about half the recipe) in one sitting and called it seriously good (and he detests meatless dinners lol).
So definitely a winner in my books
That’s so great! Thank you for your feedback!
This soup is so good! I did have to alter the recipe a little to accommodate our diet. I skipped the bacon, used ghee instead of butter, Pamela’s all purpose Gluten-Free flour, vegetable broth and coconut milk… all in the same quantities as specified in the recipe. I tripled the carrots and celery and used a very large head of cauliflower and added 1 TBSP of tapioca flour as well because I thought it wasn’t thickening. I ended up having to add 1 cup extra broth at the end as it was very thick! Ha… should have waited for it to cook a little longer! Anyways, this turned out amazing and even my 2 year old gobbled it up. I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the delicious recipe… another winner in our books!
Love it! Thanks for sharing Heather!
Thank u!
About how much is equal to one serving?
About 1-2 cups.
Do u take the bay leaf out? Know this sounds stupid but at my age don’t know if u eat it or not. Thanks. For all of your wonderful recipes.
Yes, the bay leaf is removed prior to serving.
This soup looks really good! I like the idea that it is low in sodium too.I love your blog!!
Hi! I always go to your website for recipes & recommend Damn Delicious to my friends. I’m looking forward to making this soup. Question: are you leaving the bacon fat in the Dutch oven when adding the butter?
Thank you! Lisa
Yes! 🙂
High marks from the wife and kiddos! Simple to make and tasty as well
I made this twice this Fall, once being for thanksgiving. It was a big hit! Being a vegetarian, I swapped out bacon for smoky crimini mushrooms, chopped small. I used homemade veggie broth instead of chicken, and as one person suggested, I roasted the cauliflower first. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Twice a week, I pick something from your website to cook. And EVERY time, it’s delicious. You have inspired me to love cooking, and your recipes remind me that HEALTHY does not have to mean BLAND…
I was so excited to eat this, I went and bought the ingredients on my lunch break! Can’t wait to cook it tonight (on this ridiculously cold 29 degree Austin night).
Can’t wait for the next one 🙂
I made this a couple of nights ago – delicious! I did add chicken to it for more protein, used cream instead of 2% (we’re on a low-carb high fat diet for my husband’s diabetes), left out the flour and used an immersion blender to puree some of the vegetables. So creamy and good! In fact, so good that I’m making a fish chowder tomorrow based on the same recipe!
Unfortunately my family found this incredibly bland. Do you leave the bacon fat in the pan after cooking (when you add in the vegetables)?
Yes! Why clean the pan? There’s so much flavor with those browned up bits!
How could I make this gluten free?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This soup is delicious! I’ve made it a few times before and put it in my recipe book, then forgot about it. Today I came across it again so I made some ….Yummy, it was so good! I didn’t use bacon and only had skim milk but it was wonderful! Thanks for a great recipe.
I made it and it was delicious. The bacon grease added amazing flavor and because of the cauliflower base, I don’t even feel super guilty. I’m definitely going to make this often.
I tried this chowder and it’s so delicious that I’ll make it again. My husband who doesn’t like chunks of vegetables asked me to pass it in the blender to make a cream instead and it was so good also. Therefore, I’ll use this soup often and might also serve it to my guests. Thanks so much.
I made your soup today and it was very good. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
I’ve made this chowder on Wednesday… There is not a drop left! I LOVE this soup. thanks so much.
I loved it! Me and my husband are on a low carb (nightmare) diet. My husband is NOT a veggie guy and was quite surprised.
I have now made this soup a few times and it’s become one of our family favourites! Thanks for the recipe, so yummy!
I love your site – and I love love LOVE this soup!! During the fall and winter and I make a big batch every other week (and about once a month in spring/summer). It’s great for lunch or dinner and is the best when you have the sniffles! I love adding in extra garlic to help cure a cold 🙂 Our whole family craves it – even the toddler!! It goes great with the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits or topped with garlic focaccia croutons! Thank you for such amazing recipes to keep my whole family satisfied! It also helps fuel my creativity in the kitchen 🙂
You can omit the flour, altogether, and sub heavy whipping cream for the 2% milk, making it keto/lchf. 🙂
I have heard some people say they don’t like cauliflower so would use maybe broccoli. Let me assure anyone who feels that way, this doesn’t even taste like cauliflower. Don’t get me wrong, it does taste very good but just not like cauliflower. There are too many other ingredients that overpower the cauliflower. I can see that this would be a great way to get children to eat it, and anyone else who might not like that particular taste. Just don’t let it turn you off from making the soup. When it comes to cauliflower soup I prefer something a little more pure. Maybe only a little onion and some herbs. But as I said this tastes very good.
Just whipped this up for lunch and it was quite delicious. I was confused at the whisking flour part of the instructions, were the veggies supposed to be removed, then flour, then liquid to help thicken? I just added it on top the veg and even though it didn’t thicken like it said it would, I added arrowroot powder at the end to help thicken it up. I also blended up 1/2 the soup for a more creamy taste and I loved how it turned out.
The veggies do not have to be removed.
Anyone ever make this vegetarian? Without bacon and with veggie stock?
Any chance this could pass as a Clam Chowder with the simple addition of minced or whole baby clams?
Yes, with clam juice!
I made this tonight and my husband and I both thought it was delicious! I used an immersion blender to smooth it out some, but still left it chunky. Served with some grated cheddar on top, along with the bacon crumbles. Yummy, and very little guilt. Thanks for the great recipe.
By the way, for Niki Stull, I would think that coconut milk would make a good dairy substitute.
Your pictures are absolutely wonderful! Such talent!
Is there a dairy substitute that you can recommend?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I have made it with almond milk and it worked just fine! Couldn’t even tell the difference
Looking forward to making this. Do you saute the vegetables in the same pot you browned the bacon in?? Thanks!
Yes! Why dirty another pot? 🙂
I just ate it for lunch with my two year old. It was soooo good.
so good! I used vegan butter and homemade almond milk. I also added some soy sauce.
Fantastic chowder recipe, Chungah! It’s been fun to read how some people made the recipe to the letter and some made tweeks to suit their tastes. So many wonderful variations to a very yummy recipe. I added white beans and diced ham. Anyhoo…thanks for doing all the hard work! Btw, your photos are what really sold me. You know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words! 😉
Nice recipe, but the definition of a chowder is that it contains potatoes. So, this is a good cauliflower soup but by definition is not a chowder.
Hey Ranae! There are many variations of chowder that do not include potatos. Many do, but not all, and they are every bit a “chowder”. According to Wikipedia:
Chowder is a type of soup or stew often prepared with milk or cream and thickened with broken crackers, crushed ship biscuit, or a roux. Variations of chowder can be seafood or vegetable. Crackers such as oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker pieces may be dropped atop the dish. New England clam chowder is typically made with chopped clams and diced potatoes, in a mixed cream and milk base, often with a small amount of butter. Other common chowders include seafood chowder, which includes fish, clams, and many other types of shellfish; corn chowder, which uses corn instead of clams; a wide variety of fish chowders;[1] and potato chowder, which is often made with cheese. Fish chowder, corn chowder, and clam chowder are especially popular in New England and Atlantic Canada.
Happy cooking! 🙂
I am hosting a crock-pot group with a bunch of my friends this week and want to feature this recipe of yours, it looks amazing! I love that its vegetarian, and can easily be made GF and even vegan if desired!
One question though….any suggestions for making a crockpot version?
Thanks in advance!
It is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
Hi!I made this soup for the first time today, it was truly wonderful! I added a sprinkle of nutmeg to give it a little warmth, fantastic! Definitely a keeper! I am planning another version with sweetcorn and crab or prawns for a really luxury supper dish! Thankyou!
I’ve been meaning to tell you that my family loved this recipe. My hubby who was like, “where’s the meat?” when I told him what we were having for dinner enjoyed it too! I didn’t change or add anything to this recipe, I made it as written and it is now one of my favorite go to soups!!!
Just made this today for dinner and I have to say, one of the best soups hands down! I added peas and mushrooms for more heartiness.
Can this be made with Unsweetend Almond Milk? Without Bacon and Butter and perhap replace chicken broth with vegetable broth? It look so good, but I have started to remove meat product slowly from my diet.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This sounds wonderful! I was just wondering if you can use non fat milk?
Yes, absolutely.
This was so good! Thank you for sharing! Just one question… Does it keep? Like have you ever tried freezing it? Just making some meals for a friend and would like to include this recipe 🙂
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’m sure it will — any soup will because once the vegetables are cooked they can be frozen. I freeze portions of virtually every soup I ever make.
I just made this tonight, and it’s SO good! Thanks for the great recipe!
Amazing delicious simple recipe. Thank you!
Alterations: roasted 2 small heads of cauliflower w salt/pepper/coconut oil at 425 for 20 min (cut in florets); did not use bacon or butter (sub olive oil), added red pepper flakes, turmeric and pepper; used GF oat flour; blended half of the soup in a blender; added poached chicken along with roasted pumpkin seeds at the end.
This cauliflower chowder is delicious. I’ve made it four times now and even my teenage boys love it.
Hi There!
I have a head of cauliflower sitting in my fridge and would love to make this tonight! Is there anyway I can incorporate some sweet corn into this recipe without messing with the integrity? I have made some of your other recipes and the instructions are always clear and to the T. I don’t want to mess it up. Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. You can add it with the cauliflower. Hope that helps!
I haven’t been feeling well…getting bored of traditional chicken noodle soup…and living cauliflower as much as i do, i googled and came upon this recipe. Absolutely fantastic. The flavour is lovely. Made it exactly as made. As much as i love bacon, it’s just as good without it on top…oh i fibbed…i didn’t have fresh parsley so i sprinkled some dried parsley on before i brought it to a boil – delish! 5 stars in my book.
Thank you for posting.
I found this to be a bit thin, so added 2 cups grated cheese! Not a low fat version, but delish
Thanks for posting.
This looks delicious–I can’t wait to try it! I am curious though. How did you figure out how much cauliflower to use to replace potatoes? I also want to try a different recipe that is a Cabbage Cheese soup, and it calls for 2 potatoes that I cannot have. I am hoping to replace them with cauliflower, but I can’t find any information on how to do this.
Dawn, you can simply add as much or as less as you’d like – it’s up to you!
Made this soup – its a perfect recipe! so glad to have it as part of my weekly enjoyment. Thank you you for sharing.
Could this be done in a crock pot?
It is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
This was very tasty. I made it a couple weeks ago. Since I’m the only one in my home that eats soup I ended up freezing some. It froze just fine.
I like turkey bacon instead of pork bacon.also I think that sea salt is preferable to kosher salt. It has minerals that kosher does not have. Last, I would make sure to use low-sodium broth. The flavor is as good and less salt is healthier for people with high blood pressure and those trying to prevent it.
Thanks for the recipe. Hubby will try it out tomorrow.
I made this last night and it will now be one of our favorite cauliflower recipes! Really delicious. I substituted coconut milk for cow’s milk and didn’t use the flour at all. I pureed about 1/2 to make it thick. Really good! Thank you!
I made this today for lunch! Tasty! The bacon really finishes it off.
Lovely recipe!
Thank you.
I’m going to try this but substitute the milk with coconut milk – sounds delicious!
With a couple small adjustments, this came out great! I only used 1 tbsp butter and pureed about 1/4 of the whole pot to thicken. We didn’t have bacon and it tasted pretty plain on it’s own, so I added 1/2 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar. Super good! Each serving came to 1 1/3 cups. Macros with these adjustments are approx. 144 calories, 5g fat, 19g carbs and 7g protein for anyone interested. We added chunks of chicken to our bowls and dinner was perfect!
Great winter soup. Rather than cook the veggies, onion and garlic in butter, I reserved a T of bacon grease and used that. I topped the soup with the bacon crumbles and shredded cheddar cheese. My wife told me that I will be making this again real soon.
Making this right now as I type this!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Not even ready but already tastes suuuuper good 🙂 Never made even one recipe from your collection that was not a hit <3
Made this tonight and basically followed directions. It was SOOOOO GOOD!!! Only changes I made were cauliflower in food processor to make it fine (left a some a bit chunkier) and added some cayenne. So delicious that I can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow and I would be proud to serve to company. I discovered this blog Christmas 2014 and have been making delicious things from your recipes since! Thank you so very much for sharing your great ideas and talent for making wonderful food!
I love cauliflower and don’t really care for potatoes, so this soup is like a dream come true for me! I’m eating a leftover bowl from last night’s dinner, and I just love it so much. I ended up adding a bit of the extra bacon grease to the veggie mixture while cooking, and I have no regrets.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I don’t know about u but drives me crazy when everyone wants to change blogger’s recipes!
My only question is I live alone so wondering how well this freezes? Thank you
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’ve made this a couple of times now, and for anyone Paleo, dairy free or gluten free, I’ve made the following substitutions:
– used bacon fat to sauté the veggies (also did once with coconut oil and was delish)
– used unsweetened almond or cashew milk in place of regular
– used cassava flour in place a wheat flour
– added 3 Tbs nutritional yeast
– puréed 3 cups of the veggies and broth to make it extra creamy, then added back into the pot
Thanks!! This is wonderful!
My family was skeptical when I said I was going to make this for dinner.., Needless to say, they gobbled it up and said it wasn’t enough. Going to have to make a double batch next time. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I read all the comments before posting but I’m not sure the following has been asked/answered:
1. Step 2 ends with adding the cauliflower and cooking until tender. Step 4 also instructs cooking until cauliflower are tender. At what point should they be tender? Before adding flour or when the soup is completely combined and boiled/simmered?
2. There are a fair volume of veggies (and no liquid) in the pot when Step 3 commences (whisk in flour). Do you mean for the flour itself to be slightly browned or the veggie mixture? And why whisking as opposed to stirring?
3. Is there a specific reason to not make a “traditional” cream sauce with the butter, flour and milk separately and then add it to the veggies which are combined with the chicken broth?
4. Can I make this in a crockpot and can I freeze it? (totally kidding!)
Thanks again. Batch is coming off the stove now!
Michael,
1. The veggies should be browned and just beginning to soften in step 2.
2. The flour should be browned a bit. A whisk is simply easier for this than stirring it in but as always, please do what you are most comfortable with.
3. A traditional cream sauce just isn’t needed here! 🙂
Also, this recipe is meant to be quick and easy – if you want to stir versus whisk or if you want a cream sauce over broth, you can definitely experiment and see what works best for you and your preferences. Hope that helps!
After my barrage of questions (thank you for taking the time to answer, btw), it turns out that the chowder is amazing as is (I didn’t make any alterations)! I just didn’t have enough confidence in my recipe-following ability, I guess. Its now a keeper and will be in regular rotation. Thanks again.
I’m curious how you got to your calorie count. I was trying to figure out the calories without the bacon and I ended up with 325 calories for six servings. A head of cauliflower is 210 calories on it’s own.
Nutrition info calculations are always estimates. There are a lot of variations (size of bacon, size of vegetables, how packed the flour is in the measuring cup, etc). The idea behind nutrition information is just to give a ballpark amount!
I made this two nights ago and everyone loved it. I used Canadian Bacon in lieu of bacon simply bc that’s what I had available. It was easy and super yummy! I’m adding it my recipe collection!
I have made this soup twice now, and it is so delicious. I am passing this recipe on to a few friends.
What a GREAT chowder!! I’ve been in such a bad way trying to figure out good, hearty soups that work into my diet — and you give me real bacon and real butter!! Delicious! This one’s goin’ in the box!
Loved this receipe. First time made for company and they loved it also, I stuck to the plan. Second time used up some cauliflower and brocilli and added in some zuchinni, added some cheddar cheese on the top. Thanks for the seed.
Great Soup. Made it yesterday was very comforting on a breezy fall day. 🙂
If you are doing LCHF diet you can reduce carb count by using full-fat milk, ditch the carrots & flour and puree a portion to thicken it. Adding chicken is also a great option.
Made it tonight, you killed it, girl! Doubled the cook time for everything but whatevs, it was a huge hit. Thanks!
I can’t figure where the trans fat is coming from in this recipe, unless you’re using margarine instead of butter.
Would this work in the crock pot?
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
Does it freeze well?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Looking forward to trying this!! I have exactly 4 pieces of bacon left over from breakfast today and left over chicken broth I need to use up….it must be destiny! My husband hates cauliflower so hopefully he will like this….sending it in his lunch so guess he won’t have too much of a choice:-) He doesn’t always pay attention anyway so maybe if I don’t actually say it has cauliflower he will never know!
Chungah, I just made this soup tonight and it didn’t thicken. Do you have any thoughts as to why it didn’t? I didn’t understand what you meant by whisking the flour when you added it to the the veggie mixture. I did stir, but am not sure if that would have really affected it.
Marie, the flour needs to be stirred in thoroughly along with the chicken broth and milk. If this is not done properly, the soup will not thicken.
What an amazing looking soup! It couldn’t be much better with the added bacon too.
I made this last night! I added some sharp cheddar cheese as well as Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. It was fantastic! Warm and filling without the carb-loaded guilt trip.
Another great dish from damdelicious! I minused the bacon and added fresh corn kernels. Amazing
This is a DIVINE, WONDERFUL, & DELICIOUS Recipe! I left out the carrrots, not a fan of carrots. I used regular butter and milk due to budget constraints and it turned out just fine! Thanks Chungah!
Laurie
Why can not get your recipe to print? It wants to print all the replys with the recipe
Internet Explorer has recently made some updates that are causing print problems. I recommend using a different browser, such as Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. But if you can only use Internet Explore, you can highlight the recipe, left-click, and print from there. Easy peasy!
Tell your printer to print only the page you want.
Love this recipe. I made the soup today for lunch and everyone enjoyed it very much. Your time to help us in the kitchen is greatly appreciated!
I made this last night and my jaw hit the floor. I was hoping it would be yummy, but nothing prepared me for the love affair I was about to have with this soup! I want it again today! We only made half the recipe (in case it didn’t taste good, because thats happened before) Now I am upset that I didn’t make the whole amount!!! I added more salt and pepper so Im sure it wasn’t as healthy after that but boy was it delicious! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
My husband gave this two thumbs up, and he isn’t vegetarian in any sense of the word. I had only a small head of cauliflower, so should have adjusted the broth amount accordingly to achieve creamier chowder. Added ham to each bowl for more protein. Plan to add minced fresh jalapeno to the leftovers to give a little different flavor. Thanks for a new favorite recipe.
Thanks for giving the “print” option!
I made this soup tonight and LOVED it!!! Thank you for the recipe, it’s going into my favourite recipes book! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Soup is one way my kids will eat vegetables, and this cauliflower chowder has a good variety of veggies. Plus, it tastes great, especially with the bacon 🙂
If you’d like to see my post about it, here it is: http://busymomrecipes.com/dinner/cauliflower-chowder/
I typically don’t write comments on recipes but I loved this recipe. My husband who is not a big soup person loved this.
I made this last night and my family thought it was a tad watery tasting, so we had to add a bit more salt. Next time I would add in a bit of cream cheese or parmesan cheese + extra bacon. I’m having leftovers for lunch today and it is better the second time around.
This chowder is amazing! Simple to make and delicious. My hubby and kiddos all gobbled it up. I’m definitely adding this to my Meatless Monday rotation. I love cauliflower and this recipe does it justice. Thanks and I love your site!
Just wanted to thank you for the delicious recipe! Due to allergies, I made the following substitutions: coconut milk, earth balance soy/dairy-free spread, and GF flour mix. Also used the immersion blender to make it creamier. It was perfect!! So flavorful and easy to make – a definite keeper! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi- This soup looks so yummy! Can I make this soup ahead of time and reheat it?
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, absolutely!
I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious! I didn’t have 2% milk, so I used half 1% milk and some leftover half and half that I had from something else. It was great!
Do you have the brand of that pot that you used? It looks pretty awesome. I’ve seen it in a few of your recipes and I really want to get one! 🙂
Yes, it is Le Creuset.
You are AWESOME!!!! I have gone through your site and planned my next 3 weeks of meals!!! Everything is AMAZING, easy, and low maintenance. Great Job and Keep it UP.
Thanks for this recipe. I have placed it on my menu planner for next Monday night. Can’t wait to try it. I just recently found your website and have already tried three recipes, and have more planned. My husband & I have been eating healthier this year and your recipes are delicious. Thanks again. Keep them coming!
I made this last weekend for my family, and we LOVED it. My son-in-law is not a veg fan or very demonstrative. He must have said three times how delicious it was.
Just made this. It’s the bomb! The hubby and I are detoxing so I made it nondairy by replacing the butter with olive oil and the milk with almond milk. I also subbed gluten free flour (a little cheat on the detox). I added a generous spoonfull of coconut cream for texture. Really good! I would make it even if I wasn’t detoxing.
Delicious and easy soup. Thank you!!
I added the bacon to the soup instead of as a garnish. Also added a little cayenne pepper. Shredded Cheddar for the garnish. Delish!
This soup was easy to make and so good! I didn’t have all of the ingredients and made some substitutions. I used fat free milk and 1/4 cup of heavy cream instead of the 2% milk. I ate my bowl without the bacon and loved it. I will definitely make this again.
SO GOOD! My husband said, “This is the best vegetarian thing I’ve ever eaten!” I then reminded him it had bacon and chicken broth in it, but hey… it was still a huge hit!
Made this for dinner tonight, and it was a hit, even with the 2 year old! Thanks for a great recipe!
This is delicious! I’ve made it a few times now and has been a crowd pleaser. The first batch I did not cook with bacon which gives so much yummy flavor, so the soup seemed a bit bland. I added some Tabasco and it gave some great flavor, but still missing something. My second batch, I still omitted the bacon, but I added cubed sweet potato and chipotle chili powder. Yummy!! Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m eating my first bowl as i type, and man is this good!
I added a bit of curry powder, and some corn, and it’s so perfect in my mouth!!
Thank you for this recipe!
I made the soup this morning. As I type, I am eating a bowl and it is SO delicious! Easy to follow recipe. I added diced zucchini only b/c I had it in the fridge and it added to the flavors. Thank you!
This soup looks amazing! I would like to know if I can make without the flour? I eat gluten free, but I also don’t use the gluten free products on the market, just all natural. Could I just take some out and blend it up to make it thicker? Thank you.
Yes, that should work just fine.
Great soup! I replaced the flour and butter with 1 can of white kidney beans which I pureed in my Blendtech and added a pinch of herbes de Provence. At the end, I added frozen Peaches and Cream corn, chopped kale (this gave it beautiful Green color) and pieces of cooked chicken and just reheated and served. I sprinkled smoked paprika on each serving once in the bowl, which gave the soup some zip and also looked great! More protein, less fat and gluten-free!
Can I make it with broccoli instead of cauliflower?
There are two broccolies in my fridge for several weeks. No cauliflower. 🙁
I haven’t tried this with broccoli but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
i’ve made this twice. Very good!! No bacon, bay leaf or parsley. I used fresh dill instead of parsley.
Just made this recipe! The only thing I did differently was add the bacon to the chowder. It is absolutely AMAZING!
Added cup of corn, couple of red potatoes, snow peas and roasted poblano pepper. Replaced the flour with a cup of milk, 2 Tbl cornstarch and an egg yolk. Seasoned with thyme and red pepper flakes. A very substantial vegetarian gluten free chowder.
Wow, this looks delicious! I’ll definitely be making this next week 🙂
Everyone in my family loved this! I added fat-free shredded cheddar at the end for little extra flavor! So delicious!!
Hey what do you mean by whisk in flour? How do I do that if the pot is full of the onions, carrots, celery etc?
Exactly that! You can still whisk the flour in without any problems.
I made this exactly as stated. It is delicious! Putting this recipe in my “MAKE OFTEN” file.
Made this last night exactly as written and it came out perfectly delicious! Great way to eat lots of good veggies. Awesome recipe and will definitely make it again and again.
Thanks so much.
This looks fantastic and is very close to how I make my clam chowder. I have subbed caulflower for over 4 years now, and my family (7 kids) say to NEVER use potatos again.
I tried it and this was delicious!! I omitted the bacon and sprinkled smoked paprika on top and finishing salt. Outstanding. Thanks for sharing.
Chungah, I just made this soup for dinner and I just had to share that my granddaughter said it’s her favorite soup I’ve ever made! Thanks for another great recipe.
New favorite soup! My husband will not eat cauliflower but loved this soup! Surprise ingredient was bay leaf but PERFECT…
This was so yummy! I did a mixture of cauliflower and diced russet potatoes. I used ground thyme instead of bay leaf and added a pinch of cayenne pepper. So delish! Thanks for the great recipe. 🙂
I made this soup last night. I had a cauliflower sitting in my frig so this recipe was perfect. We also just bought a pig and there is lots of bacon in the freezer. : ) I really enjoyed the soup and did not take much time to put together. I’m looking forward to leftovers for lunch. Thanks!
I made last night but I add a can corn/with peppers 1 lb fresh cooked shrimp also I had a piece of ham so I cut it in small pieces fried in pan with olive oil this is the crazy part I did ? I took all items put them in a separate bowl also a cup of cheddar cheese! Same way with the bacon the reason some one would say i don’t want shrimp or cheese but I love ham chowder! Plus omit celery? We all hate celery! Extra salt and paper and garlic and a hint of hot sauce!
Made this soup yesterday for dinner and it was a it! My sister-in-law, when taking the first spoonfull, just opened her eyes widely and said after “what is this? Is one of the most delicious soups I’ve ever tasted” 🙂 Thanks! Is on my top five favorite soups now*
Can arRow Flour be used instead of all purpose flour?
You can certainly try substituting arrow flour but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
How can this soup be altered to decrease fat? Love the chowder but need something 10g or less of fat. Thank you!
Jen, you can try reducing or omitting the bacon as needed.
I just made this tonight for dinner. I’m doing Paleo so, I substituted the milk with coconut milk and the flour with almond flour and it was absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much! Even my husband and 13 year old son tore it up!
This was so amazing! Needed to make a few adjustments for one head of cauliflower was to much, doubled all other ingredients except for the cauliflower and the thickening agents (milk and flour) . WILL be making this again and actually trying in with smoked ham instead. AMAZING thank you so much!
Ghee works great for the butter.
I made this with coconut milk instead. I think next time if I use the coconut milk I have to put it in first then add broth…it came out too thin!
Can I use almond milk instead? I’d like to keep the fat down as much as possible also.
You can certainly try substituting almond milk but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
I love this recipe. The only thing I changed was to add some tarragon. Not because the soup wasn’t good as posted, but because I love tarragon in cream soups. This is a new favorite!
I have everything on hand to make this…except for AP flour. I do have whole wheat though…Do you think that would work for the roux? Thanks for the great recipe!!
You can certainly try substituting whole wheat flour but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Please use your best judgment to make the appropriate substitutions.
I made this last night and it turned out wonderful!!! I roasted the cauliflower beforehand, adedd one diced chicken breast, added 1/2 cup of cheddar/parm, and put in a splash of Worcestershire and hot sauce. Seriously a great soup, so yummy, low carb, low calorie– A+!
can i make this in a crockpot? JUST KIDDING! i made this last night and it was AMAZING! i don’t like celery so i left that out, but i added a couple of handfuls each of coarsely chopped spinach and baby button mushrooms when there was only 10 minutes of cook time left, and then a half of a cup of shredded mature irish cheddar once i took it off the heat.
this chowder was absolutely delightful and thanks so much for the recipe. when my sister-in-law comes over from london, i’m going to make a gluten-free version… but right now i’m going to have a wee nosy through some of your other recipes 🙂
Made this for dinner! So great that I shared the link on Facebook.
Thanks for this amazing winter cozy chowder!
I rarely make soups but when I saw cauliflower my interest was peaked. I made this last night and we loved it, I had two bowls. Next time I am doubling the batch. I only have one serving left.
I’m not a carb ‘worrier’, but this sounds fabulous. Love cauliflower soups, so I really need to give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. Thank you. I just made this soup for our family’s Holiday Hangout tomorrow and it is delicious. (I used half a bag of cauliflower florets from Cost Co…maybe a bit more than half)
I haven’t even made the bacon yet and it is scrumptious. I have a feeling I am going to be making this seeeeeeveral more times in the coming weeks.
Thanks so much for this and all you do.
Probably a silly question, but I have not seen it addressed in the comments… do you think this will be any good with a vegetable stock instead of chicken? I am cooking for a sick vegetarian!
Yes, that would work just fine.
Henry, I use homemade vegetable stock in all of my soups. 🙂
I can’t figure out how you got those nutrition facts… I have tried counting it multiple times and end up with only about 150 calories per serving if you divide it into six servings.
Mary, it may come down to the bacon discrepancy – the amount of bacon in one slice is going to vary quite a bit from slice to slice and brand to brand.
I made a cauliflower soup twice before. First time: very good. 2nd time: not great.
I believe it’s because of the size of cauliflower head that I bought. My husband will love this soup because it is CHUNKY, not smooth 🙂 Anyway, about how many pounds is the head of cauliflower you used? Thanks!
I honestly can’t remember how many pounds my cauliflower head was but I can’t imagine it being more than 2 pounds.
This was the first recipe by you that I tried and I must say it is an absolute must for cold days. The flavor is spot on and you can’t stop eating! I ended up doubling the amount of ingredients the 2nd time I made it just so it would last longer. Thank you so much!
I am so glad I found your site. I have this on the stove as I write. It smells so good. I Can’t wait to try it and all your other fabulous looking recipes. My tummy just growled at me… Soup’s On!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was divine! Even the meat-loving hubs gobbled it up, then had seconds. With some crusty bread and a green salad this soup makes a perfect meal.
Any way to make this in a slow cooker? Thanks.
Ginny, please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to the slow cooker method without further recipe testing. I recommend using your best judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
Mm Mm GOOD! As a college student with not a lot of time or money to cook extravagant meals, this was a low cost meal that will last me a week! I added thyme instead of parsley and added cheddar cheese on top, super simple to make and yummy 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Fantastic soup! I added cooked cubed chicken because we had to use leftovers and it was so good! We put a dollup of sour cream and cheese on top (obviously adds calories but it made it almost a chicken fajita style…super good!) Thanks for a recipe I would have never thought of…it is a new family favorite!
What is the serving size roughly?
I’d say about 1-2 cups per serving.
Do you think if I put this in the crockpot it would be okay?
Please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to the slow cooker method without further recipe testing. I recommend using your best judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
This soup was outstanding! My family enjoyed it very much – my daughter has already claimed the leftovers:)
made this replacing the flour with Coconut Flour and milk with Coconut Milk…it was absolutely delicious ….. will do this again and will add clams next time…thanks for this recipe I think so much can be done with it 🙂
This is soooo yummy! And I choose not to add the bacon. New favorite in the house 🙂
I made this and it was delicious. The nutritional information provided must be wrong, though. It says 20 grams of fat per serving. That has got to be a mistake. I calculated 3 WW points per serving, based on the butter, flour, milk, and 4 strips of crisp bacon in the recipe.
Hi Kari,
I’m the Dietitian who provided the Nutrition Information. The program I use for analysis only has bacon listed as cooked in weight. From consulting different sources online, I estimated that the bacon would weigh 3 oz. This is probably the most variable ingredient in the recipe! I would recommend taking a look at the nutrition info on the bacon that you used to make the recipe. In the Nutrition Information listed above, the bacon accounts of 13g of the fat listed per serving.
Thanks,
Jessica
I have this soup simmering away as we speak! I doubled it and eliminated the bacon, subbing some chopped ham I needed to use up. Smells delish…can’t wait!
Even with out the bay leaf and bacon I was missing this came out great.
Had this for dinner tonight. It was delicious and so easy to make. We roasted the cauliflower first, as suggested above. Perfect for this cold night.
Just made this and added chili flakes and some kale/spinach at the end. So great! My husband doesn’t like my other cauliflower soup recipe, but he loved this version! Thank you!!
I made this soup tonight and it was so delicious! Thank you for your amazing recipes that come out yummy every time!
Made this tonight and it was wonderful! My normally picky husband ate two bowls. I also topped it with the bacon and it added the perfect crunch and flavor. This is one of my new favorites 🙂
Made this tonight. It was fabulous! Had to add a little extra flour to thinken it up a bit. Thanks for sharing such a fabulous recipe.
We made this tonight–so delicious. Thanks for sharing another tasty one. 🙂
Hi! I’m trying your soup tonight. I will have leftovers and was hoping this could be frozen for later meals? Not sure if the milk in it poses an issue. Thanks 🙂
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’d love to try this recipe, however the all purpose flour is not an option. It basically needs to be paleo friendly. What can I substitute for milk? It needs to be organic, grass fed…etc
Haydee, you can certainly substitute something else for the milk but without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on various substitutions to make this paleo-friendly. Please use your best judgment to make the appropriate substitutions to fit your dietary restrictions.
Hi there! I made this soup tonight and I’m not sure what I did wrong, but the soup had a little bit of a sweet taste to it. I tried to add a little pepper and spice to counter the flavor, but it is still a little on the sweet side. Not terrible, will definitely eat it, but I feel like I did something wrong. What could it be??? Thank you!
Victoria, it is very difficult for me to answer what went wrong as I was not in the kitchen with you. That being said, there are no ingredients in this recipe that has any sweetness to it.
Made this soup last night! Fabulous. The hubs and I both loved it so much. Better than potato soup and better FOR YOU!!!
Chung Ah, I’ve never made a recipe of yours that didn’t turn out fantastically!
I just made this last night – modified it to fit Paleo (subbed almond flour & coconut milk). I added some of the bacon in to the soup to give it that bacon-y flavor, and also put chunks of chicken in it. Oh my, it was pretty amazing! My husband asked for seconds, and he is something of a tough critic. Will definitely be making this dish again!!
I was hoping someone tried to Paleo-fy this recipe. Can’t wait to try it now!
WOW!!! This recipe is delicious. Will definitely be a regular in my house. Thanks for the amazing recipe 🙂
I have to say, I’m a bit skeptical of “healthier” recipes but this soup was fantastic! It’s rich and creamy and packed with flavor! I will definitely be keeping this on the fall soup rotation. Thank you!
I’m on a low carb diet and would like to avoid using flour. Any suggestions for an alternative to thicken the soup? Thanks!
You can try omitting the flour but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish.
Try pureeing some of the cooked veggies with the chicken broth and adding it back in to thicken the soup.
Just pureeing some of the cauliflower itself should help w/thickening.
Ha! Now that you’ve spent a year in the Bay area, you know bikini weather is only later in the year, if it really exists, but you’ll get used to it in a couple years! It took me 4 before I realized there ARE seasons and I could tell when they began.
I love using cauliflower and a chowder sounds great. I’m planning this for after next grocery run, but will, as others have done, use gluten-free arrowroot, agar agar, or corn or potato starch to thicken instead of using flour [I’ve gone overboard with trying various paleo products].
Can I make it in the crockpot? Well, I’m sure I can, but cook the cauliflower ahead of time, or no? I’ll only have it in for a couple hours. Thank you!!!
Haley, please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to the slow cooker method without further recipe testing. I recommend using your own judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
The nutritional facts says 30 grams of fat per serving…is that right? That’s like eating a piece of cheese cake. I must be reading this wrong. Can someone tell me why I am seeing the fat for one serving as 30 grams….it can’t be. Looks fantastic!
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Kerri. The numbers have been updated.
Made this tonight! It was good but felt it needed a little more flavour, so added some old cheddar and a little parmesan, and it was divine. I also pureed the soup, which I think also helped to take it to another level. Enjoy! 🙂
Your additions sound amazing, although they definitely add a bit more calories than listed here in the recipe!
I’m wondering if I could make this using frozen cauliflower as the base instead of fresh? I much prefer fresh, but I have a household of 7 to feed and I could make it so much cheaper and much more if frozen would work. Would there be anything else that would need to be done? Perhaps a bit less liquid? Can’t wait to make it! So ready for soup weather!
You can certainly substitute frozen cauliflower but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish as further recipe testing is needed. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Just made this for lunch and it was amazing! I added a little bit of basil and threw in some cheddar cheese at the end. Thank you for the great recipe! 🙂
I could eat soup everyday and I’m always looking for new recipes. This one looks really good. I’m gluten-free, so I will try thickening it with half and half and eliminate the flour.
Janet, I made it with almond flour and just a pinch of tapioca starch…it was perfect!
I’m definitely going to use almond flour. I live this soup. Thanks for the tip.
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How would you put this together if you wanted to cook it in a crockpot?
Missy, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe like this to the slow cooker method. I recommend using your own judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a crockpot.
I’m making this as I type and I’m confused by the whisking part. How can I whisk the flour/milk/broth when the pot is full of uncooked cauliflower?
I’m using the same pit as I used for the bacon to get all that flavour (drained most of the fat). Also am going to add chunks of tilapia at the end to make it a meal. Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to taste it!!
Peeler, you can still whisk everything together even with the cauliflower still in the pot. If all else fails, feel free to stir everything together with a silicone spatula.
I’m in the process of making this soup. Smells good and I have a yen for some more depth of flavour.
Q.?
What do you think about my adding an 1/8 tsp curry powder?
I’m personally not a fan of curry powder so I am a bit partial towards this question!
Great recipe! I added a teaspoon or so of sriracha hot chili sauce and a tablespoon of half-n-half to give it a bit of a kick. Very nice soup.
I did everything almost exactly the same but I used a box of swanson cream starter (my new favorite cooking cheat) instead of milk to save some time (and I didn’t have milk), and the chicken broth. I also added a small bag of shredded white cheddar cheese too! Yum! Very versatile recipe, next time I make it (which will be very soon), I may add some shredded chicken and wild rice. Even could add some diced tomatoes and serve it over pasta or with a baked potato!
Riquisimo el ensopaso!!!! Lo hize ayer y lo recomendo por los dias de inverieno muy frios!!!
I just bought all the ingredients to make this. Do you know if it’d freeze well?? It’s just me at home and I’m sure it’ll taste great, but I don’t want to be eating it every day for a week, haha.
Unfortunately I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. There were no leftovers to freeze!
Bookmarking to make!!
Since folks asked (and I was curious) I put the ingredients in MyFitnessPal to get at least a rough estimate on the nutrition facts and this is what came up (disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or nutritionist, the results came auto-calculated from MFP):
I calculated the recipe as 4 servings as described in the recipe (I used pre-cooked bacon for the calculation)…
Per serving:
231 Calories
10g Fat
5g Saturated Fat
27g Carbohydrates (20 net Carbs)
7g Fiber
11g Sugar
11g Protein
That’s much closer to what I got than what it states above. Thank you for posting! I thought I might be going crazy, haha.
I love the recipe, it’s absolutely delicious. Great with a sprinkle of Parmesan on top!
Such a delicious soup! Just to make it a little thicker, I removed half the veggies, blended the rest with an immersion blender, then added the veggies back in. Next time (to REALLY hide the fact this is cauliflower from a picky husband), I will blend up the entire thing, top with bacon and cheese, and call it ‘loaded baked potato soup’. He’ll be none the wiser, but I know we’re eating healthy! 🙂
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Unfortunately I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. There were no leftovers to freeze! 🙂
Sounds yummy…..gonna pin and try!
Where did you get the turquoise dish in the first picture? Love it!! Been looking for something like this. Thanks
I found it at Anthropologie a couple years back.
This soup was absolutely delicious! We needed something soft (yet filling and healthy) since my daughter’s braces really hurt a lot today after her adjustment yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Will make again and again (when it’s cooler out).
This looks great, can I make it in advance? Wanting It for lunch at church the next day?
Lisa, I’ve had it as leftovers the next day and it still tasted great!
Do you think plain Almond Milk would work?
You can certainly give it a try but I worry that the almond milk may bring in unwanted sweetness to the soup.
Just made this soup. Excellent flavor! I substituted sausage for bacon and used celery seed instead of celery. I used 1/2 head of cauliflower and half of all veggies but 32 oz chicken broth. I did not have 2% milk so I used cottage cheese as mashed as possible. The soup is great. Will make it again . Thank you for the recipe.
I have to try this! even thought its suppose to be summer here in Canada, we have been getting rainy cold days I really want comfort food!
I’m on weight watchers & I need to know what the calories, fat, & fiber is. Thank You!
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information of my recipes. Please use online resources at your own discretion to obtain such information.
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I made this for supper last night, and it was a complete hit. My husband, who mostly refuses to eat vegetables, gave rave reviews about it. I left out the bacon since we didn’t have any, but it was still delicious.
I think your pictures are out of order. in the second one, you show califlower and bay leaf as the second step before the flour. In the last step, you say to add the califlower and bay leaf. Which is it?
Ann, the pictures are in correct order. The cauliflower and bay leaf should be added prior to the addition of the flour.
I just made this for dinner and it was soooooo GOOD! Thank you for posting such a delicious and easy recipe. For those of you who might care, I used “better batter” gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour (you have to use a little less) and I used non-fat milk powder/water for the milk. I also just added the fresh parsley directly to the finished soup. We ate the whole pot.
Next time I will add crusty bread! Thanks again.
Delicious! My husband really enjoyed this chowder even though he’s not a huge fan of cauliflower. Great recipe
I made this for dinner one night and my husband really liked it. It was filling and a really good stand in for potato soup. Knowing that it’s lower in carbs made it easier to eat with no guilt. Great recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
If I want to spice this up a bit, any suggestions on seasonings other than salt and pepper? Looks yummy!
You can try adding red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat.
This soup was SO good! My whole family, including the picky ones, liked it. I didn’t change anything – perfect as is. I love your photos, too. Great site!
Delicious we really enjoyed it
Recipe for Dideh Thanks yummy
This looks so good! Do you think this would be a good base for a fish chowder?
Yes, this base would work great for a fish chowder, although I’m not too sure if the consistency would fit your taste – it’s not very thick as say, a clam chowder. Hope that helps!
If this is low-carb, shouldn’t we eliminate the flour and thicken it with something else? Maybe make it with heavy cream instead?
With a 1/4 cup flour in the recipe divided among 4 servings, each person would only be consuming 1 tablespoon flour, which is a very small amount. But feel free to omit as needed. I do not recommend using heavy cream as it is very high in saturated fats.
Perhaps instead of making a rue with the flour to cause thickening, adding some potato starch after some heating of the completed soup would do the job. Not too much or too fast or you get ‘riblets’ (small gobs of the flour); I find that making a thin paste first works pretty well.
Puree half the soup and this will thicken it nicely without the flour or cream
I made it today and it was awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I made mine with grated carrots, green peas, french beans and spinach in addition to the onions, carrots and celery. Used veg stock instead of chicken as I’m a vegetarian. And I added a dash of parsley and mix dried herbs. Oh and replaced butter with Olive Oil to make it a tiny bit healthier.
Super Yummy!
I have to say, this is really good! I just made it! The only thing is, maybe I had an unusually large head of Cauliflower because I think next time I will use maybe 1/2? Its almost a side dish and not so much a soup.
I think it just really depends on the size of your cauliflower head – for us, an average head of cauliflower was perfect for a soup. I recommend adjusting the amount accordingly.
I’ve had this bookmarked for awhile and finally made it tonight. I roasted the cauliflower at 425 for 20ish minutes sprinkled with salt and cumin and it added a nice depth. Thanks for the yummy “lighter” recipe!
This soup is delicious!
Just stumbled onto your website and so pleased with the few recipes I have tried, cannot wait to try more and just sent link to my mom and sisters. Thank you! 🙂
I just ate 2 bowls of this and mmm mmm! My boyfriend’s on his way home and I’m sure he will love it too! I added more celery and carrots to beef up the veggies, and I just had to add some bacon 😉 Other than that, this recipe was simple, straightforward, and yummy. Thanks!!!
I tried this chowder for the first time this evening and it was superb, My very fussy brother who doesn’t like vegetables other than potatoes (which I don’t really count bc its a starch) gobbled this down like nothing. I chopped all the cauliflower really tiny and he didn’t even notice till after I told him what was in it. Thank you for a wonderful hearty dish.
I’m so glad! Jason is the same way and he gobbled this up instantly too!
Just made this for dinner. Fabulous! I blended it a little with a hand blender right in the pot and added a pinch of cheddar and omitted the salt.
I also blended it a little and added a bit of cheese at the end. Today I plan to add some green onions, too. I kept the salt but omitted the parsley because I completely forgot about it. My husband and I really enjoyed it — and so did my toddler! We always love your recipes. I just made your chicken lettuce wraps to take to a friend who recently had a baby.
I just try it today!!! sooooo good!!! <3 <3 <3
I just made this tonight and it was SO YUMMY! Easy too! I’ll definitely hold on to this recipe! I’m hoping it makes good leftovers too. 🙂 Thanks!
You always make soup look so good! How do you do it :)? I’ve got to try this recipe I love cauliflower!
I made this chowder for my uncle who is recovering from a major surgery, and he said it was the best soup he’s ever had!
Ah, love this. Cauli is a great sub for carb load. And your photos amazing as always.
Love cauliflower soup.. turning it into a chowder is so smart, and adding bacon, well, is always a great idea 🙂
Mmmm. Be still my tongue. This looks so delightful. Dinner plans. Done. 🙂
This looks fabulous! And since it’s snowing in Colorado at the moment, I guess soup season is still with us. Can’t wait to try it!
First thing is first, I need to find some cauliflower around here, as laughable as that is, it’s sometimes hard to find in Tokyo, they either have them, or they don’t. I’ll skip the butter and bacon (I’m doing low fat at the moment) but I’m sure I can find some alternatives, Olive Oil? Maybe? Perhaps?
You can certainly substitute olive oil for the butter but it may diminish the creaminess in this soup.
I have a soup recipe that is very similar to this and you can achieve the creaminess without adding dairy. It is a bit more work though. What you can do is take out part of the soup and blend it. Then return it to the original batch and Voilà! A creamy, delicious soup that is satisfying and healthy at the same time. I also added sautéed kale to mine recipe. Totally delish!
I used an immersion blender to achieve the same effect.
Marie! Small world – I’m an expat making this recipe in Tokyo! I had to go to three grocery stores to find the cauliflower! Happy cooking 🙂
I keep seeing recipes substituting cauliflower for potatoes but I’ve yet to try it myself. I love the idea of this soup!
Amazing :)))
S nice you’re so good, can you suggest another dish that would go with this soup? Doing this tonight. I hope you reply before it.
Thanks
I recommend serving this alongside a light salad or crusty garlic bread.
I love this one. Cauliflower is a great way to great texture in a soup the skinny way!
I love cauliflower, this chowder looks like a bowl of comfort!
This soup was delish! Real comfort food.
I just made that salad with shrimp , turkey bacon,corn and eggs also made the cilantro vingerette it was also amazing . Thank you ! so much!!!
Do you think this would work with a gluten free flour?
Yes, substituting gluten-free flour would work just fine.
A good gluten free thickener is Arrowroot. It can be found in the spice section. I use this because corn starch is now gmo.
I just found this site today. If subbing Arrowroot for the flour do you use the same amount? Thanks.
My understanding is no. About 1 tsp. Arrowroot to 1 Tblsp. Flour
Tina – For GF, I used potato starch and it worked fine. You can also use Bob’s Red Mill Potato flakes. I order them online. They are great to keep on hand for GF cooking.
I made it with a gluten free flour blend plus some cornstarch. So delicious and healthy! I didn’t even add the bacon and it was great!
I don’t add any kind of thickener – I use my emulsifier blender and it makes a nice thick soup!
Nice soup. Thank you.
I’m crazy about this one- looks amazing!
This looks divine! I was scared I’d find a ridiculous ingredient list, but it was all super simple, phew! I love good chowders, and this one looks like no exception 😀 Happy Sunday! x
sorry…meant food, not foos… : )
Chung, this looks positively delish!! Must make it ASAP… Thanks for sharing, all of your foos looks fabulous!
Sounds delish! Do you have the nutritional information?
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information for my recipes. Please use online resources to obtain such information.
This looks so lush. I agree – you can have bacon on almost anything!
I can’t wait to make this – it’s snowing outside so it’s perfect timing!
Anisa – The Macadame. xx
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Looks delish! I’ve used cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes for years. Thanks and happy Sunday.
So the past few weeks, I’ve been going to town on cauli soup! I really just make it a bowl at a time with the veggies and cauli and my own rendition of broth and just bought another head of cauli today! I would love to try yours b/c it looks amazing! And the images, oh, so you! And so beautiful! 🙂
It’s official Chungah and my fellow foodies. I am addicted to this website! Lol
Looking forward to making your snack recipes this week and trying your cauliflower soup. Great easy nutritious and colorful recipes to hoard for yourself and to share with others