Creamy Cauliflower and Bacon Soup Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Apr. 21, 2020
20141013-cauliflower-bacon-soup-1.jpg
Creamy cauliflower comes together with smoky bacon in this easy soup. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Cauliflower gets a flavor-packed, smoky jolt from bacon in this creamy, comforting soup. It's simple to make and reheats beautifully.

Why this recipe works:

  • Cauliflower and bacon are natural-born partners. By first rendering bacon fat and then using it as the base for our soup, we create extra layers of flavor even before the cauliflower hits the pot.

Recipe Facts

4.9

(14)

Active: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

  • 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 cup half & half or heavy cream

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until bacon is completely crisp. Remove from Dutch oven with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the dutch oven.

  2. Add onions, half of scallions, and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add chicken stock, bay leaves, half & half (or cream), and cauliflower. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until cauliflower is completely tender, about 30 minutes,

  4. Working in batches, blend soup until completely smooth (if you don't have a very powerful blender, remove the bay leaf before blending. If an extra-smooth soup is desired, pass the soup through a fine mesh strainer after blending); if soup is too thick, whisk in additional hot chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until you've reached the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with crisp bacon pieces and remaining scallions.

Special equipment

Blender, Dutch oven

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
411 Calories
27g Fat
16g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 411
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 11g 56%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 1886mg 82%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 70mg 350%
Calcium 140mg 11%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 879mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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