While there might be no such thing as a low-carb potato soup, you might be fooled by this creamy cauliflower soup loaded with bacon, cheddar, and chives.

Seriously, the more I eat this soup, the more I think I should have named it “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Loaded Baked Potato Soup!”  If you’re trying to cut back on your carbohydrate consumption but have occasional cravings for a hearty potato soup, this one will definitely satisfy your needs.

I’m not sure if this soup is technically a keto cauliflower soup, because the onion in the recipe does add some carbohydrates, but if keto is what you need, you could reduce the amount of onion or skip it altogether.

I don’t follow a strict ketogenic diet, so I’d much rather include the onion for extra flavor, even though the bacon, cream cheese, cheddar and chives do add quite a bit!

Another great option for kids or adults who aren’t that keen on cauliflower would be to use half potato and half cauliflower. Again, not keto or even really low carb at that point, but it’s a great way to add some extra veggies to a decadent potato soup.

If you do decide to add some potato, I think even the pickiest eaters would be unable to detect the cauliflower.

Here are the step-by-step photos to show you how I made this soup. If you’d like to go straight to the printable recipe, scroll to the very bottom of this post.

So you start this soup by cooking some chopped bacon in the bottom of your soup pot.

You want to let the bacon get nice and crisp because you will be stirring it back into the soup at the end.

Perfect!

You can pour off the bacon drippings, but leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan to cook the onions.

Now add those chopped onions and enjoy the smell of them cooking in that bacon fat!

You want to cook the onions until they’re soft and a nice golden brown.

Now add your chopped cauliflower and chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Make sure to stir and scrape up all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Simmer the cauliflower until it’s tender enough to mash.

Now it’s time to add the cream cheese.

Mash up the cauliflower and cream cheese together.

Stir in some heavy cream.

Then blend it all together if you want a smooth and creamy soup. (You can leave it chunky if you prefer.)

I like to use an immersion blender for this because it’s SO much easier than trying to deal with hot soup in a regular blender.

So creamy!

Now stir in that crispy bacon and some chopped chives.

Almost finished!

Now dish it up, top with extra bacon and some shredded cheddar, and enjoy your loaded cream of cauliflower soup!

Related Recipes:

• Classic Potato Leek Soup
• Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Artichoke Soup
• Hearty Spinach and Sausage Soup
• Roasted Autumn Vegetable Chowder
• Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Pepito Pesto

Cauliflower Recipes Around the Web: 

• Cheddar Parmesan Baked Cauliflower from G-Free Foodie
• Warm Cauliflower Salad from Mango and Tomato
• Curry Spiced Cauliflower Parsnip Soup from Savory Simple
• Cauliflower Steaks with Green Harissa and Brown Rice from Naturally Ella

Continue to Content

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon, Cheddar, and Chives

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds), cored and chopped into florets
• 2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 6 pieces
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Pour off bacon drippings, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pan (if you end up with less than 2 tablespoons of drippings, add enough butter to bring the total amount up to 2 tablespoons).
2. Add chopped onion to saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Turn up the heat, add cauliflower and chicken stock and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When liquid comes to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until cauliflower is tender enough to mash, 15-20 minutes.
3. Add the cream cheese and mash and stir the cauliflower and cream cheese with a potato masher. Stir in the heavy cream. If you would like a smooth soup, puree to desired consistency in the pot with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender (then return to pot).
4. Stir in 3/4 of the reserved bacon pieces (save the extra for garnish) and 1 tablespoon of chopped chives (save the extra for garnish). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve hot soup garnished with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and chopped chives.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 581Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1494mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 32g