I love potatoes, so changing from a high-carb plan to a low-carb one wasn’t easy.
Discovering cauliflower as a chunky, amenable solution to creamy soups and for other purposes, coupled with the ease of use the crock pot provides as months grow more chilly, makes for delectable and chunky vegetable soups and chowders, like this one. The pictures speak for themselves. This is good stuff!
Savory Chowder Recipe
Can be prepared in a crock pot or on the stove.
Ingredients:
1 pint half-and-half
1 cup organic chicken broth
1-16 oz bag frozen cauliflower
1/4 cup chopped red onion*
2 slices cooked bacon bits
1 tsp salt
2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can of clams/juice optional**
Prepare cauliflower according to package instructions. Drain. Cube when possible, leaving smaller chunks, but chunks nonetheless.
For crock pot:
In a crockpot, add all ingredients. Cook in a 2 qt bowl on a medium setting for 2-4 hours, or until onion is softened.
For stove-top preparation:
In a saucepan on medium heat, soften onion in chicken broth until transparent. Add thicknthin/not starch. Stir. Add half-and-half and spices. Stir until half-and-half comes to a near boil, stirring constantly. Add bacon and cauliflower, and stir, reducing the heat to low/simmer. Keep an eye on dairy in the pan, to keep scorch from occurring.
For both recipes, serve warm.
*If using crockpot, you need not pre-cook onions to soften. On-stove cooks need to soften the onions on the stove by cooking in broth prior to adding other ingredients.
**If clams are added, add juice to the chicken broth, and add diced clams with the cauliflower.
Makes six, one-cup servings at 5.3 carbs per cup and 300 calories per serving.
robyn herron says
what are you subbing thick n thin not starch with?
Jamie says
I would just skip any thickener in this recipe. In fact, I’m amending to remove it.
Lauri Barnes says
Oh, this was so good! I only had yellow onions, and I sauteed them in 2 tablespoons of butter before adding them in. I didn’t have the thyme (no pun intended) or parsley, and it was still unbelievably good! This recipe is going to become a standard at our house!
Jamie VanEaton says
I am so happy to hear it, Lauri! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know.
Dinah says
do you add the juice from the can of clams too?
Jamie VanEaton says
I say why not! There’s not enough juice there to affect the creaminess of the soup.
Dinah says
I added it! it made a very good pot of soup, but a bit salty for my taste. at least the version I made. I used diced turnips instead of the cali, cause I had some I needed to use. Very yummy!
marla3206 says
I made this tonight, sort of. In the same pot I combined this recipe along with your Crock Pot Sausage Bacon Mushroom Chowder. I sauteed the onions and bell peppers first, in water, and then added everything from both recipes except the cream, parmesan, salt and radish. Brought it all to a boil and then turned down to a simmer for an hour. (My thickener was 1 TBLS glucommanan, my chicken “broth” was 16 cups of water and chicken bouillon to taste and I cooked 2 lbs of sausage.) I then pulled the pot off the heat and added about 2 1/2 cups half & half. It made around 2 gallons of soup. It is AMAZING and all of my kids loved it.
Julia says
I made this and just enjoyed a big warm bowl of it. So tasty, I think I’m going back for more. Thank you for the recipe.
Your Lighter Side says
I am very happy you enjoyed it!
Donna says
What size can of clams? I’ve never been happy with cauliflower but have to try to get over it. Maybe this will do it. thanks