Loaded Cauliflower Chowder

Loaded Cauliflower Chowder, a simple alternative with a lighter calorie load than a loaded potato soup. Enjoy the great flavors with an added bonus vegetable included. It will really hit the spot on a cool evening and also on a nice summer day.

We don't eat soup often in our home, but it is certainly enjoyed when we do. I would like to incorporate more soup meals in our meal plan. I especially love a variety of soups, but the kids aren't big fans of soup.

A nice bowl of soup is always perfect in the winter months on a cool weather day.

Using fresh produce from the garden in the summer is always a great way to put together dinners as well. We love to use our home grown cauliflower for a variety of different meals. It is a healthy alternative as well to other carbs.

Here in the Midwest in mid January we are doing a lot of planning for the upcoming growing season. Planning out what we want to plant and how much. Getting our seed order prepared also is an important part of our planning. We have our CSA open for sign ups as well. During the busy winter months, a nice warm bowl of soup always is a perfect meal and hits the spot.

We really love this Loaded Cauliflower Chowder, very similar to loaded potato soup, but substituting most of the potatoes with a less calorie option, cauliflower.

Top it off with bacon, cheese and even a dollop of sour cream to complete the yummy dish.

Loaded Cauliflower Chowder

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 cups chicken broth
2 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 onion - chopped
1/4 cup celery
2 potatoes - peeled and diced (you can also leave the skin on, I like it off more for this recipe)
1 head cauliflower -chopped into florets pieces
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
pepper to taste
6 strips of bacon - or desired amount
sour cream (optional)

Directions
- Fry the bacon until crispy, crumble into small pieces and set aside.
- In a large stock pot, combine water, chicken brother, milk, butter, onion, and celery and cook on medium heat.
- Steam potatoes in microwave until tender and add to stock pot.
- Steam cauliflower in microwave until tender and add to stock pot.
- Bring to a boil. I then use my hand stick blender and blend out the chunks
- Mix in the shredded cheese and add pepper to your liking
- Place in bowls and top off with bacon, cheese, and sour cream to complete the dish.

Enjoy!!