Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder

So, I’m totally not a carb-hater, but I do love veggies and I really love cauliflower. When I saw this Cauliflower Chowder– a low-carb alternative to Loaded Baked Potato Soup– I was swooning. Creamy, warm cauliflower soup studded with bacon and cheddar? Heck, yes! It sounded delicious, and even Nick was eager to try it (I guess the bacon outweighed the veggies).

Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder

(adapted from Iowa Girl Eats)

• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups chicken broth, divided
• 8 slices bacon, roughly chopped, divided
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & pepper
• 4 cups shredded cauliflower (1/2 large head)
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cups 2% milk
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 2-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 green onions, chopped

Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a small bowl then set aside.

Cook bacon in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined dish and remove all but 1 tbsp of grease from the pot. Add minced onion, celery and garlic to the pot then season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Note: Since I was using a food processor to shred the cauliflower (you can also use a box grated), I used it to mince the other veggies simply by dropping them in and letting it spin. But mincing and grating by hand totally work, too.

Add cauliflower to the pot and stir to combine. Add water, cover, and steam cauliflower until tender, stirring a couple times, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining chicken broth and milk, turn up heat and bring to a boil.

Slowly whisk in flour/chicken broth mixture while stirring, then reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until chowder has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of the cheddar cheese until smooth, then stir in half the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce. Serve topped with remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions.

Uhm, YUM! This soup was just as good as I imagined it would be! I would be amaaazing in a bread bowl, but we had lots of crusty rolls to sop up the creamy deliciousness. We both loved the soup and it’ll definitely be added as a staple to our winter comfort food favorites!