Southwestern Creamy Cauliflower Soup
This Southwestern Creamy Cauliflower Soup offers comfort food goodness with a zippy Tex-Mex twist. So much big, bold flavor!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower - cut into florets or 2 small heads (Should measure 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 slices center cut bacon
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper optional
- 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 cup half and half or low-fat milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.
- Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Toss to coat.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and roast for approximately 20-30 minutes, turning the cauliflower over with a spatula halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the bacon to the pan. Cook the bacon until cooked through and crispy. Approximately 7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan and return to the stovetop.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the jalapeño and garlic, continue cooking for 1 minute until garlic Is fragrant.
- Transfer the cauliflower to the pot. Add the cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne stirring to combine.
- Add the beans and the chicken stock, stirring to mix it all together. Increase to high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the cauliflower is very tender.
- Stir in the half and half and diced tomatoes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy or until the desired consistency. (You can also do this in a blender working in batches.)
- Stir in the cheese until melted and smooth, season to taste.
- Simmer the soup for 3-5 minutes over low heat until the soup is hot.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with the reserved bacon, chopped green onions and remaining cheddar cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 1527mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 316mg | Iron: 8mg