Nutrient and flavor packed ingredients make for a satisfying, balanced and complete lunch or dinner!
Who doesn’t love a good soup especially when it’s cold and rainy outside? Perfect for this nasty weather we’ve been having over the past few months. My nutrient-packed creamy potato cauliflower soup is the picture-perfect combination of a satisfying comfort food and healthy meal all in one bowl! It makes a complete, balanced meal, is low FODMAP and gluten free!
The Main Ingredient; Cauliflower!
This soup uses several ingredients and techniques to turn up the flavor profile, while increasing the nutrient density. First, half of the soup is made up of cauliflower. Cauliflower has become a staple in kitchens lately due to its versatility and nutrient density. Did you know cauliflower contains:
- 73% DV (Daily Value) vitamin C- a powerful antioxidant that produces collagen for skin and bones, prevents chronic disease, boosts immune function and increases recovery from sport
- 19% DV vitamin K- plays an important role in blood clotting, strengthening your bones and helps to prevent cardiovascular disease
- 14% DV Folate- aside from being a necessary micronutrient in pregnancy, it helps with brain and nervous system function and development, red blood cell function (think more oxygen to muscles= better performance!), prevention of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease
- 13% DV vitamin B6- plays a role in red blood cell function, metabolism of carbs, fat and protein, immune function, reduces inflammation (better recovery from sport!), and helps prevent cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease
Whew, that’s a lot of health-producing power packed into one vegetable. Not to mention, there’s more than just that. Who ever said, “don’t eat white foods” didn’t know what they were talking about! Just another reason to not follow the fads J
To increase the flavor of the already delicious cauliflower, you can simply roast it before throwing it in the soup. Roasting veggies brings out their natural sweetness and caramelizes them, giving them a deep, rich flavor. All you need to do is turn your oven to 400 degrees, toss the cauliflower in salt, pepper and olive oil and roast in oven until they’re golden brown!
Potatoes
Of course a creamy potato and cauliflower soup will have potatoes! In the low-carb diet world we live in today, potatoes are a no no! But I’m here to tell you don’t throw out your potatoes! They’re actually packed with vitamin C! Yes, you heard that right! A medium potato contains 42 mg vitamin C, which is just below a navel orange at 51 mg! They also contain lots of fiber and energy-producing carbohydrates. I prefer red or golden potatoes to russet potatoes personally, but you can use any type you like.
Load It Up!
Once you’ve actually made the soup, now the fun begins! Load it up with your favorite toppings, such as:
- bacon bits (I prefer pre-cooked Al Fresco chicken bacon because it’s easy and nitrite/nitrate free)
- cheddar cheese
- green onions
- pan-fried diced pancetta or ham
- chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- roasted garlic cloves
In my opinion, toppings are just like the icing on an already delicious cake!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sized head of cauliflower, chopped
- 4 medium sized red potatoes, chopped skins on
- 2/3 cup diced celery
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth or bone broth
- 1 T. butter
- ¼ c. flour
- 1 1/3 cup milk of choice (I used Fairlife milk for extra protein and because it’s lactose free)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- You’re going to make a roux, which is equal parts flour and butter by weight. Melt the butter over medium heat in a stockpot and add in flour. Cook for a minute or two until lightly golden brown.
- Next, add chicken broth, celery, cauliflower, potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until veggies are cooked.
- Once veggies are cooked, add in milk and heat an additional 3 minutes. Be sure not to boil the soup as it will break the milk and it’ll look unpleasant (but still taste fine).
- Last, if you have a stick blender, blend up half the soup while leaving the other half chunky. If not, put half the soup in a blender and combine with the remaining chunks. If you’re not a fan of chunky soup you can puree the whole thing.
- Top with whatever delicious toppings you’d like! I chose cheese, bacon and sliced green onions.
- Serve immediately!
You can also make this soup in the crockpot if you wish. Just don’t add the milk until the very end. You’ll need to either cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. This soup makes a complete balanced meal but you can certainly serve with a side salad or some crusty bread!
Have you tried this recipe? I’d love to hear how you liked it or any changes you made. My family absolutely loved this soup so this one will definitely be going in our regular rotation 🙂 If you like this recipe, try some of my other quick and easy meals:
- Mediterranean Diet Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Salmon and Veggies Over Cheesy Grits
- Gluten Free Veggie Quiche