Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder is a low-carb alternative to Baked Potato Soup. Thick, creamy, and satisfying!
When I was in high school, students were given 30 minutes to eat lunch every day. Starting senior year we were allowed to leave campus during that time, to do what whatever it is that seniors do, so long as we were back before the next period started.
Sweet, sweet freedom!
Except it always took 5 minutes to round everybody up then another 5 to decide who had to sacrifice their parking spot. This meant that by the time my friends and I arrived at our dining destination we’d have 10 minutes to scarf our food before needing to turn around and come back. Usually we sped over to nearby Panera for a quick and satisfying You Pick 2. #IYKYK.
Their creamy Baked Potato Soup and Caesar Salad was my go-to order and, recently reminiscing about the soup, I decided to create an updated, non-teenage-metabolism version of it using one of my favorite potato swap outs: grated cauliflower.
Say hello to low-carb Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder!
Watch How to Make It
Low Carb Version of Baked Potato Soup
Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder is a low-carb version of Baked Potato Soup. Less carbs, ALL that rich and creamy flavor. You won’t miss the spuds for a second!
Clocking in at a little over 200 calories, with 9 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein per serving, I could not be more pumped about this chowder. You are going to love it!
Start by chopping celery and garlic.
A food processor makes quick work of chopping and grating the ingredients in this recipe, as these photos show, though you can of course chop and grate everything by hand. I love my Cuisinart 14-cup food processor!
Remove the celery and garlic to bowl then fit the processor with a grating blade. Grate ~1/2 large head of cauliflower to equal 4 cups grated cauliflower.
A box grater will do the job just fine if you don’t have a food processor, or store-bought fresh or frozen riced cauliflower is another great option.
Scoop the grated cauliflower into a bowl then shred a block of sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese will be used to flavor and thicken the soup, as well as sprinkle on top of each bowl for a gooey, yummy finish.
Next chop center-cut bacon to be used in both the chowder and as a garnish.
Ok, prep work’s done. Time to cook!
Heat a large soup pot over medium heat then add the chopped bacon and brown until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate then remove all but 1 Tablespoon drippings from the pot.
Next add the chopped celery and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the celery is tender, 8-10 minutes.
Add the grated cauliflower to the pot, plus onion powder and a splash of water, then season with more salt and pepper and place a lid on top. Steam the cauliflower until tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring every so often.
Once the cauliflower is tender, add chicken broth and milk. I recommend using at least 2% or higher fat milk.
Bring the chowder up to a simmer then drizzle in a mixture of gluten free flour whisked with more chicken broth while stirring constantly.
The flour will make the chowder lusciously thick and wonderful in just a couple of minutes.
Finally, turn off the heat then stir in some of the shredded cheddar cheese until smooth, and then stir in half the cooked bacon. Taste then add more salt and/or pepper if necessary.
Ladle the cauliflower chowder into bowls then top with remaining shredded cheese and cooked bacon. I am so jazzed over this recipe! I mean of course grated cauliflower isn’t going to have the same, super-smooth mouth feel as cooked potatoes, but it is DARN close.
Thick, creamy, cheesy perfection — enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or all-purpose if not gluten free
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- salt and pepper
- 4 cups shredded or grated cauliflower, ~1/2 large head
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce, or more or less
- 12 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 green onions, chopped
Directions
- Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a small bowl then set aside.
- Saute bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Scoop bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from the pot. Add chopped onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 1 more minute.
- Add cauliflower then stir to combine. Add water then place a lid on top and steam cauliflower until tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times. Add remaining chicken broth and milk then turn heat up to medium-high to bring to a simmer.
- Slowly whisk in flour/chicken broth mixture while stirring, then turn down heat down to medium and simmer until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat then stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese, adding a little at a time then stirring until smooth before adding more. Add half the cooked bacon then stir to combine. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary then scoop into bowls and serve with remaining shredded cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Notes
- Use a food processor’s chopping and grating blades to make prepping veggies and cheese a breeze!
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I’ve made this three times and I’m making it again tonight! Definitely my favorite low carb meal.
I’m actually going to try using Turkey bacon instead since it was half the price of regular bacon.. hopefully it’s just as delicious~
Thanks for the awesome recipe, before this I never would have touched cauliflower.
I love this chowder it has become a staple in my house! Thanks for the fantastic dinners!
Thank you for this recipe!! It is amazing!! I replaced the milk with heavy whipping cream and the flour with coconut flour to lower the carb count even further (although I probably could have skipped the flour altogether with the extra thickness from the cream). I also used frozen Cauliflower to make it easier. Yum yum yum!
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 283
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19 g 29 %
Saturated Fat 11 g 55 %
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 57 mg 19 %
Sodium 630 mg 26 %
Potassium 375 mg 11 %
Total Carbohydrate 9 g 3 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g 7 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 17 g 33 %
Vitamin A 15 %
Vitamin C 44 %
Calcium 40 %
Iron 4 %
It tastes great but I had to double the flour. It wasn’t nearly as thick as in the photo, not sure why?
Looks amazing! Will be making this tomorrow with 10% cream and thicken it with chickpea flour for a lower carb and gluten free version. For those who haven’t used chickpea flour to thicken things, it works better if the liquid (in this case 1/4 cup broth) is warm but not hot or cold. Get out all the lumps before adding it to the soup. Stir like crazy with one of those swirly wire whisks that scrape the bottom so you don’t get clumps.
This is so good! I just made it and I am in love! I put it in the blender to really make it smooth and added a touch of cinnamon and it tastes amazing, just like the bisque I get at one of my favorite restaurants.
Is there anything you could change to make this even lower in carbs? Just curious, like something else to thicken the soup or a milk sub?
How much is one serving? 1 cup? 2? Just wondering so I can log it accurately in my diet app :-)
love the look of this recipe, i think i will be able to do this in 70mins so will do for home ec! although i think i will be replacing the celery for a nice leek :) thanks for the recipe
Omg just made this and it’s amazing! I subbed out some of the chicken stock with Scottish style ale and did half 2%milk and half almond milk. So good!!!
Consistency of this soup was funny. Somewhat like grits. What did I do wrong?
The same thing has hppened to me in the past. In my case, I figure out that the cheese seized up because the soup was too hot when I added it. Certain cheeses are also more likely to seize than others.
This was absolutely DELICIOUS! My husband is such a picky eater, and he devoured it. I did all the chopping/grating by hand, cooked everything a little longer than the suggested times, substituted 1% milk instead of 2%, added a generous amount of salt, and it turned out wonderfully. I can’t wait to make it again!