‘Tis the season to curl up with a bowl of creamy goodness, with bacon topping to boot!
There’s nothing better on a cold winter day than a warm bowl of soup. This keto cauliflower chowder is one of my family’s favorite meals this time of year — they’d be happy eating it three times a week! It’s also pretty darned easy to make and reheats like a champ if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers.
Butter and bacon fat, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Fresh veggies start off with a bang as they sizzle in the luscious combination of my two favorite fats. The caramelizing of onion and leek fills the air with a rich, wonderful scent. I swear to you, as soon as I begin sauteing the veggies, at least one family member immediately appears, asking, “What’s that good thing I smell?” …the next thing I know, they’ve sauntered over to help themselves to my already-claimed crumbled bacon!
Not a cauliflower lover? No problem!
What’s particularly fabulous about this recipe is that even if you’re not a cauliflower fanatic, you’re going to love how reminiscent they are of potatoes in this particular recipe. And because you get the marvelous mockery of a potato with a low carbohydrate count, this – combined with the rest of the ingredients – makes for a recipe that doesn’t even feel like it’s a knockoff. In fact, I serve this to anyone (keto or not), and they love it.
Hip Recipe Tips:
1.) If you have a non-meat-eater on your hands, you’re in luck, because you can easily convert this to a vegetarian dish by substituting butter for bacon fat, using veggie broth, and skipping the bacon topping. Easy-peasy!
2.) If you don’t have access to xanthan gum, no worries! It’s added as a thickening agent at the end, however, this recipe tastes fantastic without it. It just resembles a creamy soup rather than a thick chowder. Additionally, if using xanthan gum, note that it thickens a bit as it cools which is why it’s best to let it sit for a few minutes off the heat before serving.
3.) For whisking, I bought these fabulous silicone whisks from Amazon that don’t scratch my non-stick pans! I love them!
total time: 40 MINUTES
Keto comfort food at its best! You’re going to love how reminiscent this is of traditional potato chowder.
Add bacon fat and butter to a medium/large pot over medium heat. As the butter begins to bubble, add bell pepper, 1/2 cup leeks (save the rest for topping), onion, celery, garlic, and thyme. (DO NOT add the cauliflower until step 3.) Increase to medium/high heat and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are beginning to brown and caramelize.
Now it’s time to add the cauliflower pieces, chicken broth, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low allowing to simmer for 10 minutes. The cauliflower should become nice and soft.
Remove lid and add softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (save the rest for topping), and heavy whipping cream. Stirring or whisking frequently, cook for another 3-5 minutes, allowing cheeses to melt and fully incorporate into the broth.
Your mixture will now look like a creamy soup. If you prefer a thick chowder texture (as I do), add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum by lightly sprinkling the powder over the broth. Using a whisk, mix the powder into the broth stirring constantly for another couple of minutes as the xanthan gum works its magic.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top each individual bowl with remaining cheese, leeks, and crumbled bacon. Enjoy!
Nutritional Information
Yield: 6 servings, Serving Size: Approx. 1 1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 404, Total Carbohydrates: 14g, Fiber: 5g, Net Carbohydrates: 9g, Total Fat: 28g, Protein: 13g
Check out these 5-star reviews to see why others love this chowder, too!
“I am a big fan of potato soup, so I didn’t have high expectations that this would taste “potatoey”, but it totally did and it was delicious! I didn’t have any xanthan gum on hand, but next time I will for sure try that for thickening it a bit. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers today!” -Michelle
“This Cauliflower chowder is YUM! It’s easy to make and the flavor is on point! I actually blended the chowder up with my immersion blender to blend the pieces of cauliflower for my kids as I personally felt they would be more likely to eat it if it was less chunky, and it was really good that way too as it made it thicker! My husband, on the other hand, liked it better with the chunks of cauliflower… and EXTRA bacon! This chowder has been added to my regular recipe rotation.” -Erica
This content was originally published here.