Comforting and Healthy: Delicious Keto Cauliflower Soup Recipes

Cauliflower soup is a versatile and comforting dish, and when adapted for a ketogenic diet, it becomes a creamy, flavorful, and healthy meal option. These recipes offer a variety of approaches, from simple and quick stovetop versions to richer, more complex flavors achieved through roasting or using an Instant Pot.

Creamy Low-Carb Cauliflower Soup with Bacon

This recipe emphasizes a smoky flavor profile, thanks to the inclusion of bacon. It's a one-pot soup, meaning that everything from rendering the bacon fat to pureeing the soup happens in the same pot, minimizing cleanup.

Ingredients and Preparation

1. Rendering the Bacon: Cut bacon into small pieces and add to a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. The rendered bacon fat will be used to flavor the soup. If you don't eat pork, feel free to omit the bacon.
2. Sweating the Aromatics: Use the bacon fat to sweat aromatics like shallots and sweet onions. This technique involves cooking them over low heat in a covered pot to encourage them to release their juices. Other vegetables like carrots, celery, or garlic can also be added, but be aware that they may change the color of the soup.
3. Creating the Soup: Add cauliflower and broth to the pot and simmer until the cauliflower is tender.
4. Pureeing: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a regular blender, working in batches if necessary.
5. Adding Cheese: Incorporate cheese such as Swiss, Jarlsberg, Parmesan, or white cheddar to add flavor and stretchability.
6. Toppings: Garnish with the reserved bacon lardons, a drizzle of fruity olive oil (with an acidity level of 0.2%), and fresh cracked black pepper. Chopped chives or parsley can also be added.

Tips and Variations

• If your family loves crispy bacon pieces, make a double batch of bacon lardons.
• To lighten the soup, use half heavy cream and half water instead of all heavy cream. Avoid using milk or half-and-half, as they contain sugars.
• If you would like to use any other cheese feel free!
• In the event that you want to lighten things up and are trying to keep this low carb DO NOT use half and half or milk. Instead do half heavy cream and half broth.

"Clean" Keto Cauliflower Soup (Dairy-Free Option)

This recipe focuses on a creamy texture and rich flavor without the use of cream or cheese. Roasting the vegetables before cooking is key to enhancing the flavor.

Ingredients and Preparation

1. Roasting the Vegetables: Place cauliflower florets, onion wedges, celery, and garlic on a baking tray. Toss with melted butter (or olive oil for a dairy-free version) and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the vegetables are soft and tender.
2. Simmering the Soup: Discard the garlic skins and add the roasted vegetables to a large pot along with chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegan option). Bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are very soft.
3. Pureeing: Use a high-speed blender or an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. A high-speed blender will yield the creamiest result. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Garnish: Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped fresh chives.

Tips and Variations

• Cauliflower is one of the few vegetables that are lower in carbs when cooked.
• Roasting the cauliflower increases the flavor, but you can sauté the onion, garlic, and celery instead.
• To add cheese, stir in grated cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack.
• To increase the fat content, add heavy cream or cream cheese (about ⅓ cup), reducing the amount of broth by the same amount.
• For a dairy-free version, use olive oil instead of butter, vegetable stock, and top with nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. Coconut cream can be used for additional fat.

Keto Cauliflower Soup with Curry and Chili

This recipe introduces warm spices and a touch of heat to the creamy cauliflower base, creating a flavorful and satisfying soup.

Ingredients and Preparation

1. Sautéing Aromatics: In a stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, chili flakes, and curry powder. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook until the onions have softened.
2. Simmering the Soup: Add frozen cauliflower and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is fork-tender.
3. Adding Cream: Stir in heavy cream and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Pureeing: Use an immersion blender to cream the soup until smooth.
5. Garnish: Top with crispy bacon bits and freshly chopped parsley.

Tips and Variations

• Serve with keto dinner rolls or microwave keto bread.
• Lemon juice can be added to balance the flavors and add a touch of freshness.

Instant Pot Keto Cauliflower Soup

This recipe utilizes an Instant Pot for a quick and easy soup that's ready in minutes.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients and Preparation

1. Cooking the Bacon: Place chopped bacon in the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Cook until crisp, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
2. Sautéing the Vegetables: Add onion, celery, and garlic to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened. Turn off the sauté function.
3. Pressure Cooking: Add chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then add the cauliflower. Lock the lid onto the pot and make sure the vent is sealed. Set the manual function on high for 5 minutes (it will take 5 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure).
4. Finishing the Soup: When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the vent. Remove the lid and stir in sour cream and shredded cheese.
5. Pureeing: Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

Tips and Variations

• Cooking the vegetables in the leftover bacon grease gives the soup a velvety, rich consistency and adds flavor. For a vegetarian version, sauté the veggies in butter or oil.
• If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in a regular blender or a food processor.
• For a stovetop option, follow the instructions for sautéing the vegetables in a large pot over medium heat. Add the broth and cauliflower and cook for 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Follow the remaining steps as directed.
• This soup has approximately 5.7g net carbs per serving.

Loaded Keto Cauliflower Soup

This recipe takes inspiration from loaded potato soup, incorporating classic toppings for a comforting and flavorful meal.

Ingredients and Preparation

1. Cook Bacon and Vegetables: Heat a dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown, 7-8 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and set onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain all but 2 tablespoon fat. Add the onion and celery, then toss to coat in the rendered bacon fat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Simmer Soup: Add ½ c chicken stock to delgaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the cauliflower and 2.5 c chicken stock (for 3 cups total added). Season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and can be easily pierced with the tines of a fork.
3. Puree: Use an immersion blender to puree, adding additional broth as needed to reach the desired consistency. If the soup is too thick, add more broth and thin to desired consistency.
4. Serve: Ladle into bowls and serve warm, garnished with toppings of choice.

Tips and Variations

• Blend until super smooth.
• Add just enough broth to barely cover the cauliflower. Too much broth will result in a thin pureed soup that can’t handle the toppings.
• For Keto Cauliflower Soup: garnish away with good quality fats like cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Feel free to make the soup a touch creamier by adding 2 tablespoon butter and ¼ c heavy cream before pureeing.
• For Whole30 Cauliflower Soup: garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, bacon, and chopped chives.

General Tips for Keto Cauliflower Soup

• Thickening: Cauliflower provides a thick consistency, so you shouldn’t need any extra thickeners like flours or starches. Sour cream and cheddar cheese also contribute to the rich, creamy consistency.
• Storage: Freshly made cauliflower soup can last for up to 3 days in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Freezing: Cool completely in the fridge, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to store soups a couple different ways: (1) larger portion in gallon zip lock bags, frozen flat for easy layering; (2) in 1-cup silicone molds for individual portions.
• Versatility: Cauliflower soup is a blank canvas, so feel free to experiment with different flavors and toppings to suit your preferences.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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