So being a bit short on milk (and not wanting to make a special trip to the grocery store), but still wanting a cheesy bacon soup for dinner, I went searching for a new recipe for an old favorite. And boy am I glad I did. But before I go any further, I want to make an unpaid, unsolicited statement. I love that I can go online and find recipes like this one (thank you skinnytaste.com) without leaving the comfort of my desk chair. No fumbling through numerous cook books with the hope of finding what I need. No having to invent every aspect of a dish. (I’m getting lazy in my old age.) No having to pay even a single penny for a recipe. Just quick and easy access to wonderful recipes. So to all my fellow cooks out there sharing their recipes, I say thank you so much. You have made my life so much easier. And I truly appreciate all the effort you went into on my behalf. There, I feel better now because it just had to be said! But back to this recipe.

What I needed was a way to create a creamy consistency for chowder without using milk as the base for the creaminess. (I hope that makes sense to you.) So when I read this recipe that used pureed cauliflower as a thickening agent, I knew I had hit upon not only a great new concept for this recipe, but also for other recipes. The first one to come to mind was stew. Instead of taking out some of the broth and making either a flour or cornstarch slurry, I could use pureed cauliflower in its place. And cauliflower is good for us. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that is naturally high in fiber and B-vitamins. It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer. It also contains fiber to enhance weight loss and digestion, choline that is essential for learning and memory, and many other important nutrients.

So the end result of my using this recipe rather than my other recipe on this site entitled Bacon, Corn, and Cheese soup, is that I used only ½ cup of my precious milk rather than 2 cups. And bottom line. We could not taste the cauliflower at all. Plus I had cauliflower that really needed to be eaten. So joy of joys. I learned a new trick and used an ingredient that was both healthy and deserving of my attention.

So if you would like to make a lovely tasty chowder in the near future, this is the recipe for you. And yes, I still used some flour and cornstarch to thicken the chowder, but very little milk, which was my main concern. So enjoy this recipe my friends. And stay happy and focused on staying healthy. The old saying “this too shall pass” couldn’t be more relevant that what we are all living through right now.

6 lean thick strips of bacon, diced

½ c. chopped onion

2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T. all-purpose  

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 c. chicken broth

2 small potatoes, diced

12-oz. cauliflower, including stem, cut into 3 or pieces

2 c. frozen corn kernels

½ c. whole milk

1 T. cornstarch

3 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese (loosely packed), or more to taste

Place bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and sauté over medium heat until well cooked and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place in a small bowl. Set aside.

With the pot still over medium heat, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic, add thyme, salt, and pepper; cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the broth, potatoes, and cauliflower pieces. With a wooden spoon, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all those delicious brown bits. Bring the pot to a boil then decrease to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. (You want the cauliflower to be fork tender.)

Transfer the cauliflower and 2 cups of the broth to a flat bottomed bowl. Using an immersion blender, whirl the cauliflower and broth until pureed. Transfer puree back to the pot.

Add the frozen corn and a slurry made with the milk that has been whisked together with the cornstarch. Mix, then simmer until the soup is hot and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and cooked bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Nice served with garlic toast or homemade bread that has been toasted and liberally spread with butter.