Indulge in Creamy Keto Kielbasa Soup with Cauliflower – The Ultimate Low-Carb Comfort Food!

Keto Kielbasa Soup with Cauliflower is a hearty and satisfying dish that combines the rich flavors of smoky kielbasa sausage with the creaminess of cauliflower. This low-carb soup is perfect for those following a ketogenic diet, as it’s low in carbs and high in flavor. The combination of tender kielbasa, cauliflower, and aromatic spices makes this soup a comforting option for chilly days. This soup is not only delicious but also incredibly versatile.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe offers a delightful twist on traditional soups, replacing high-carb ingredients with cauliflower for a keto-friendly alternative. Here are a few reasons why you'll love this soup:

Low-Carb and Keto-Friendly: Perfect for those watching their carbohydrate intake.
Hearty and Filling: Kielbasa sausage and cauliflower make for a satisfying meal.
Creamy Texture: Cauliflower adds a natural creaminess without the need for excessive dairy.
Versatile: Easily customizable with your favorite spices and toppings.
Easy to Make: Requires just one pot, making cleanup a breeze.
Freezer-Friendly: Great for meal prepping and enjoying later.

Key Ingredients

The quality of ingredients is crucial for creating a flavorful and nutritious soup. Here’s a breakdown of the essential components:

Kielbasa Sausage: Opt for high-quality smoked kielbasa sausage. At Coleman, we’re committed to providing high-quality, all-natural meats that you can feel good about serving your family. Our Polish Kielbasa Uncured Sausage is crafted with care from premium cuts of pork, seasoned with a blend of traditional spices for an authentic flavor.
Cauliflower: Cauliflower takes center stage in this soup, providing a nutritious and flavorful alternative to traditional potato-based soups. This cruciferous vegetable is low in calories and carbohydrates yet packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate.
Broth: Chicken broth serves as the liquid base, adding depth of flavor.
Cheese: A mix of cheddar cheeses (yellow and white) enhances the creamy texture and taste.
Aromatics: Onion and garlic provide a savory foundation.
Spices: A blend of spices such as paprika, caraway seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaves adds complexity and warmth. When I prepare this recipe, I like to mix together:- Onion powder- Garlic powder- Mustard seed- Marjoram- Thyme. If you haven’t heard of marjoram, this spice is a cousin of the oregano family. In Germany, it’s popular to use along with thyme in sausage recipes. Since this soup features sausage as a prominent ingredient, marjoram is a great fit with these flavors.If you don’t have marjoram, you can substitute it with sage, thyme, summer savory, or basil.Another spice not everyone has on hand is mustard seed. Mustard is made by mixing ground mustard seed with water and vinegar, so if necessary, you can substitute regular mustard in this recipe!
Cream: Heavy cream adds richness and creaminess to the soup.

Tips for Selecting Kielbasa for a Keto Diet

While sausages are mostly protein, spices and healthy fat, it can contain binding ingredients that are not encouraged on Keto. It is always important to read the nutrition label on any pre-packed meats.

Added Sugar: Make sure the label on the sausage has either low or no sugar. Look out for all sugar-it has many names.
Listed Carbs: A pretty good rule of thumb is to select one that has 1 or less gram of carbs listed. That’s a good indication of any no-no additives some brands have.
Grass-Fed Sausage: If your local markets carry organic or grass-fed, that is usually your best bet.
Consider Online Shopping: Today, there are several farms that offer organic and grass-fed meat deliveries. Do a little research on what their shipping conditions are and read the customer reviews. A lot of times, some of the larger farms will offer seasonal sales or promotions which is a great time to stock up.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making this keto kielbasa soup with cauliflower is so simple. Whipping up a batch of this cauliflower and broccoli soup with cheese is so simple. It only requires one pot, too! Here’s how to bring this comforting soup to life:

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Sauté Aromatics and Sausage: In a large Dutch oven or pot, add the sausage and onion and cook over medium-high heat until browned. In a medium pot, add in the butter and smoked sausage, sauté for a few minutes over medium heat, until the sausage starts to brown. Remove and set aside. Add in the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes, then add in the garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds, careful not to burn it!
Add Spices: Add the crushed red pepper and garlic, cook for 30 seconds. Add the almond flour, paprika, caraway seeds, peppercorns, salt, bay leaves and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 min. In a small container, mix onion powder, garlic powder, mustard seed, marjoram, thyme.
Combine Ingredients and Simmer: Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and cauliflower florets. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the cabbage and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. In a saucepan, pour chicken broth then cover and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower and broccoli. Season with a dash of salt and ground black pepper. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside. Pour in the chicken stock and cauliflower, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, or until tender.
Create Creaminess: To make soup creamy mash some of the cauliflower with the back of a serving spoon. The more you mash the creamier it will be but leave some whole florets for texture. Using an immersion blender, puree the cauliflower. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree in a food processor in batches, then return to the pot.
Add Dairy and Greens: Add the cream, spinach, and salt. In the same pan over low heat, add the cream, water, and butter, then stir until the butter is melted. Add the cooked sausages back in, then pour in the broccoli, cauliflower, and broth. Over medium low heat, add the sausage back in, along with the cheddar cheese and heavy cream. Cook for another 7-10 minutes and serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a garnish of fresh parsley! Add the spinach and Parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soup starts to thicken. Add cheese and stir slowly until melted. Add cooked sausages and season with half of mixed spices and herbs. Toss in cooked broccoli, cauliflower, and broth. Add the remaining mixed spices and herbs. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Combine well.

Variations and Customizations

This soup is incredibly versatile, allowing for various adaptations to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs:

Vegetarian Option: You can easily swap out the sausage and bacon for a plant-based option. I bet this would taste delicious with Mexican soy chorizo!
Add More Vegetables: Include other low-carb vegetables like broccoli, spinach, or bell peppers. As the name implies, this soup has both broccoli and cauliflower in it.
Spice It Up: Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper or add other spices like cayenne pepper for a spicier kick. I added some Cajun seasoning and minced garlic, but those are the only spices.
Make It Cheesier: Add more cheese to it too! Both yellow and white cheddar give it the best taste and color. It's totally fine to just use yellow sharp cheddar cheese.
Extra Protein: For extra protein, add cooked shredded chicken to this soup. After making low-carb bacon cauliflower chowder, I wanted to make a version that is more filling, with more protein.
Creamier Soup: Want a creamier soup? If you want a creamier soup that doesn't have as many chunks in it, use double the amount of broth, cream, and water.

Serving Suggestions

This soup can be enjoyed on its own or paired with various sides for a complete meal. Soup is also the perfect thing to eat for lunch. Use creamy cauliflower soup in your meal prep. Here are a few serving ideas:

Toppings: Garnish with shredded cheese, fresh parsley, or a dollop of sour cream.
Side Salad: Serve with a fresh green salad for a light and refreshing complement.
Keto Bread or Rolls: Pair with keto-friendly bread or rolls for dipping.
Roasted Vegetables: Add a side of roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts or asparagus.

Tips for the Best Keto Cauliflower Soup

To ensure your keto kielbasa soup turns out perfectly every time, consider these helpful tips:

Prep the Veggies Ahead of Time: Save time by chopping the vegetables in advance.
Use High-Quality Sausage: The flavor of the sausage greatly impacts the overall taste of the soup, so choose a good quality brand.
Don't Overcook the Cauliflower: Cook the cauliflower until it is tender but not mushy.
Adjust Seasoning to Taste: Taste the soup throughout the cooking process and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Ensure Cheese Melts Smoothly: Add the cheese gradually and stir continuously to ensure it melts smoothly and evenly. Just make sure to use a high-quality cheese for the best flavor and one that melts really well.I bet that this would be excellent with Gruyere or Monterey Jack too!

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Leftovers of this soup are also freezer-friendly, so you can save some for later. You can also freeze the soup, too!

Refrigerating: Make sure the soup is chilled before you store it. You can keep cauliflower broccoli cheese soup in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Yes and no. Part of this soup recipe is safe to freeze, while others (like the dairy products) should be left out till you are ready to eat. You can prep the veggies and sausage in advance to make a freezer kit. When you are ready to cook it, dump the freezer kit bag into a pot and follow the rest of the instructions to make the creamy broth. Just be aware that the veggies may get a little mushy during the freezing and thawing process. As long as that doesn’t bother you, then you can certainly store this soup for longer periods of time.If you choose to freeze the broccoli cauliflower soup, it should last for several months. Put the bag of soup on a baking tray and place it in the freezer. After it’s frozen solid, remove the baking sheet.
Reheating: Before you’re ready to serve it, thaw it in the fridge over night then heat slowly in a sauce pan.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition will always vary based on the exact ingredients you use. For me, I split this recipe into 10 servings, with each serving coming out to 6 total carbs and 1 gram of fiber, or 5 net carbs. Most of the carbs in this cauliflower broccoli soup recipe come from the vegetables. I keep the serving to a cup size to keep the number of carbs manageable. Because this soup is packed with so many hearty ingredients, the 1-cup serving size is usually plenty! The nutritional information for this recipe is calculated as a courtesy and is an approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions I get most about making keto cheesy sausage soup. Here are some common questions and answers:

Can I use frozen veggies? Yes, you can definitely use frozen broccoli and cauliflower in this soup. Just make sure they are thawed and drained before adding them to the soup.
What's the best type of cheese to use? I used a mix of yellow and white cheddar cheese, but you can use any type of cheese that you enjoy.
How do I store this soup recipe for later? Make sure the soup is chilled before you store it.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

tags: #keto #kielbasa #soup #with #cauliflower