Cauliflower Corn Chowder

I love soup. Especially in the winter (which seems to really want to stick around this year) it's easy to whip up a big batch on the stove on a Sunday afternoon and have it for quick lunches or dinner with a nice salad and some crusty bread.

Cauliflower is getting a lot of love lately because it's one of those versatile veggies that you can do pretty much anything with. Roasting the cauliflower first adds extra level of texture and flavour. And when you blend it in a soup, it gives a nice creamy texture that's still packed full of goodness. It's easy to pull this soup together and then mix it up with toppings like cheese, avocado, bacon, shredded chicken, crispy tortillas and lime so you can enjoy it together with the family and still let everyone make it their own. 

Homemade soup doesn't have to be difficult, and as you'll taste so much more flavourful (and healthy) than any canned variety you'll find on the shelves. No chemicals, just simple, real ingredients stealing the show. 

Corn and Cauliflower Chowder

• 6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (approximately 5 cups)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 cup diced white or yellow onion

• 1 cup peeled and diced carrot

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 cup organic whipping cream (you can also substitute cashew milk)

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus additional for garnish

• 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste

• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400*

Place cauliflower florets on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast cauliflower for 30 to 35 minutes until fork tender and golden brown.

Place a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a plate and set aside.

Pour off most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for several minutes, stirring often until vegetables have softened. Add minced garlic and thyme and cook just until garlic is fragrant.

Add roasted cauliflower and broth to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, tuck bay leaf into soup and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and use an immersion blender to purée slightly, leaving some of the cauliflower chunky to add texture to the soup. Alternately, you can carefully transfer about 3/4 of the soup into a blender and purée until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Add puréed soup back into the pot.

Stir in milk and add frozen corn. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 or 4 minutes or until milk and corn are warmed through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, fresh ground black pepper, and half of the cooked bacon.

Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with reserved bacon, fresh parsley, and additional cheese.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

Serves 4.