Cauliflower a hardy Alaska grown vegetable is showing up everywhere. It’s a versatile option when making things like gluten free pizza crust, faux mashed potatoes, or cut finely and used as a stand-in for steamed rice. Here, I’ve made a creamy cauliflower chowder served up in a sourdough bread bowl, a new spin on the chowder bowls I devoured in college, sitting along the docks in San Diego.
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth
- 1 head cauliflower, cored and finely chopped cup half-and-half
For serving
- 4 small round loaves sourdough bread, tops sliced off and hollowed out
- Smoked paprika
- Cheddar cheese, grated
- Green onions, sliced
How to Make It
- In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to cool and drain. Discard the bacon fat and return the pot to the heat.
- Add the butter to the pot. Cook the onion and the garlic in the butter for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste and add the bay leaf. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and stir well to combine, scraping the bottom of the pot as needed. Add the cauliflower and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened.
- Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the half-and-half. Add half of the bacon crumbles, reserving the other half for serving. The chowder should be thick. Season with more salt as needed and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Ladle the soup into the bread bowls and sprinkle each with a pinch of smoked paprika. Top each bread bowl with cheese, bacon, and green onions. Serve promptly.
