Cauliflower Chowder
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
A creamy, low carb, hearty and cozy soup, loaded with so many good-for-you veggies. Perfect for those chilly nights!
Featured Comment
I’ve been making this recipe since it was first published – I can’t believe it’s been 10 years! I also can’t believe that I haven’t reviewed it until now. Follow the recipe and it’s perfect. No one is ever disappointed, there are never leftovers, and I can feel moderately good about getting more vegetables
why i love cauliflower chowder
- Perfect for soup season, ski season, post-holiday season, and blustery winter season
- Oh-so-velvety with all the sneaked in vegetables that even the pickiest of toddlers will love
- Packed with cauliflower, a great source of antioxidants that’s high in fiber and low in calories
tips and tricks for success
- Grab pre-cut cauliflower. To cut down on prep time even more, use pre-cut cauliflower florets.
- Blend, baby, blend. With the help of an immersion blender or a countertop blender, the soup will yield an even creamier, smoother consistency.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of thyme leaves, some crispy bacon or roasted cauliflower will certainly take your soup to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Mix it up. Add carrots, corn, russet potatoes (this will help thicken up the chowder even more!) or even your favorite blend of seafood.
what to serve with cauliflower chowder
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Cauliflower Chowder: Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have an immersion blender?
A countertop blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) or food processor should do the trick! When using a countertop blender, cool the soup slightly and blend in batches.
How can I make this vegetarian?
You can omit the bacon and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Is this freezer-friendly?
We do not recommend freezing this as milk-based soups tend to separate when frozen.
Cauliflower Chowder
A creamy, low carb, hearty and cozy soup, loaded with so many good-for-you veggies. Perfect for those chilly nights!
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
Equipment
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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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!