This creamy roasted cauliflower chowder with its caramelized deep flavour makes the soup somewhat lighter without all those calories.
Being a big cauliflower fan, particularly in soups, and especially when the weather gets cold outside, I adore this chowder, which doesn’t need any potatoes or cream to make it so velvety smooth.
I am eager to share this recipe from Maria’s cookbook, The Two Peas in a Pod Cookbook. It is loaded up with the dishes she and her family enjoy the most. Living in a Salt Lake City, they have a lot of snow throughout the year and cold weather, which just calls for some nice warm soups. There are also tons of vegan alternatives, just as many meet dishes and salads. There is also a whole section on treats!
I adjusted her recipe a bit to my taste by reducing some of the butter, but kept the rest equivalent. It turned out to be a very smooth, low-carb and flavour-rich soup. If you like your soups a little thicker, you can easily put some of it in the blender and add it back to soup until you get your preferred thickness.
INGREDIENTS :
1 large head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
A pinch of kosher salt and fresh black pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour, you can use gluten-free flour
1¼ cups milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, I prefer white cheddar
3½ cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
INSTRUCTIONS :
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the chopped cauliflower and garlic on a baking sheet in one layer. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and sprinkle with the olive oil until well covered.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower gets tender and then put aside to cool enough so you can handle it, then remove the garlic skin and chop it nicely.
- On the other side, melt the butter on a medium heat, and add onion, cooking for 2 or 3 minutes to soften it a bit.
- Add the chopped celery and carrots and cook for 5 more minutes, while stirring occasionally. Mix in the prepared cauliflower with garlic and add spices like bay leaf and thyme. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, mix it and cook for 2 minutes until it soaks into the rest of ingredients.
- Add the vegetable broth and shimmer it for 10 more minutes.
- At the end, stir in the milk and cheese and cook on a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts and makes that creamy texture to the soup. Additionally, add more salt or pepper to your taste when it is done.
- Before serving, remove the bay leaf. If you like your soup thicker, put some of it in the blender and puree it until smooth enough. Mix it with the rest of the soup and enjoy your tasteful warm dinner.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Serving: 11/2 cups
Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 7.5g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 460mg, Fibre: 5g, Sugar: 8g
