Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Loaded cauliflower soup is a lighter version of everyone’s favorite potato soup, and it might just turn into your new go-to comfort food lunch!

So, cauliflower! There are over 1500 recipes on this here blog, and for YEARS now, the second most popular recipe has not been cookies or macaroni and cheese or even bacon.

Nope, it’s been this recipe for a cheesy cauliflower casserole.

Week in and week out, that easy cheesy recipe gets thousands of visits, and I can only guess that it is something about the combo of tender cauliflower and melty cheese that has kept it so popular for so long.

And I will say that cauliflower is one of my favorites veggies!

And speaking of favorite veggies, here’s a fun thing that happened in the midst of our Carolina move!

The folks at Farmbox Direct asked me if I would like to try a box of their natural, organic fruits and veggies, and of course who should say no to that.

So one day in the midst of a million other boxes that were being unloaded into the Carolina Dream House, this box also arrived.

So I dropped whatever other box I was unpacking and ripped it open, and inside was a gorgeous collection of pears, oranges, mangoes, carrots, kale and other assorted good and good for you fruits and veggies.

It was literally like the farmer’s market had arrived at my front door. Farmbox Direct was started by a mom who grew up on a farm, now lives in New York City, and wanted to make it easy for folks to get some farm to table veggies and fruits.

They change their menu weekly, and you can pick from all different sizes and types of boxes, and I’m guessing that cauliflower will be showing up in these delicious boxes!

You can find them here (and full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, which means I earn a commission if you buy your Farmbox Direct box through this link. There’s no additional cost to you and as always, I am grateful for the support!)

Meanwhile, in other Dream House updates…our cozy new fire pit is up and running!

And we recently had a return visit from our first houseguest.

I mean, THAT FACE. I’m not sure he would be into my loaded cauliflower soup though, although I’m guessing he would happily eat the bacon part.

Here’s how you make loaded cauliflower soup!

It starts (as so many delicious things do) with bacon! Cook some up in a Dutch oven or other deep pot until it is done the way you like it.  

Scoop it out and drain it on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pot. Now add some chopped celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes.    

Add a head of chopped cauliflower, some chicken broth, salt and pepper, cover the pot and simmer it all up until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes so.

Now make it creamy! Either pour the mixture into a blender and puree (you might have to do this in batches) or puree it in the pot with an immersion blender until it is nice and smooth.

Ladle it up into warmed bowls, top with bacon, cheese and scallions and serve it up! It’s like that loaded potato soup we all know and love, but lighter and just as delicious.

Oh, and the MOST popular recipe on the site?

Holding on to the number one spot since 2009, my beloved pastina with egg and cheese, otherwise known as comfort food.

Happy sigh!

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