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.
Video
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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)!