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!
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.
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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?
From what I’ve read in a lot of the comments, a previous version of this recipe called for carrots.
How many calories per serving?
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.