\\\\\\\'

The Batter Thickens

A food blog balancing sweet treats & healthy eats.

Cauliflower Chowder

By

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

I am always on the lookout for a good soup recipe. My family has some classics – ranging from a tomato soup we learned to make in Tuscany when I was 7 to a sausage soup my sister found randomly on the internet three years ago. And we usually return to those classics, because… they are delicious. Obviously. But sometimes you have to try a new recipe, because otherwise how will you find new classics??

It’s the conundrum that my family runs into with traditions. We are sticklers for a tradition… but also every tradition was once a new thing. And you have to try new things to get new traditions! It’s how it goes.

All this to say… I tried this new soup recipe! We were in Wisconsin for a week, at a place that is home to many many traditions, and I found this recipe the week before in Bon Appetit. And soup is a perfect way to feed a family and have some leftovers. This one is also fairly simple, so easy to make in a vacation kitchen.

This is a solid soup. It’s got plenty of veggies, good flavor, and goes well with a sandwich. I’m not sure it is at the standard of becoming a classic, but that’s a high bar to reach. It’s certainly a good one though.

I think this would have been better if I weren’t in the aforementioned vacation kitchen. My chunks of cauliflower and potato were pretty large, but I blame the dull knives and my desire to keep all of my fingers. I also don’t know much about chowder, but… this would probably have been better with broth instead of water? But then it might not have been a chowder anymore?

My conclusions are: this is a good soup, but could potentially be made better with some easy fixes. So now I just have to decide… will I make it again and try to improve? Or stick to the standbys next time I want a soup?

Print

Cauliflower Chowder

  • Author: Audrey
Print

Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 2½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 lb.), trimmed, cut into small florets
  • 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10 oz.), scrubbed, each cut into eighths
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups oyster crackers
  • 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp. white or yellow miso (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add in the garlic until fragrant, then add in the chopped onion, thyme, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 6–8 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle flour over onion mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute to toast lightly. Add the chopped cauliflower and potatoes, heavy cream, and 5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower and potatoes are tender and liquid is slightly thickened, 20–25 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium. Cook oyster crackers, tossing or stirring often, until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle in Old Bay seasoning, and toss until crackers are evenly coated.
  4. If using, put a few spoonfuls of chowder into a bowl with your miso and stir to dissolve the miso. Stir back into chowder in the pot. Remove from heat and season with more salt if needed and freshly ground pepper. If it’s too thick, add a splash or so of hot water to loosen.
  5. Ladle chowder into bowls. Top each with a handful of seasoned crackers.

Never miss a post!