Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Better Health, Better Food, Better You

Slow Cooker Ham & Cheese Cauliflower Soup {Low Carb}

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This low carb ham and cheese cauliflower soup is full of great flavour. It’s so easy to make, just add everything to your crock pot, blend it up and dinner is ready!

Slow Cooker Ham And Cheese Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Hi friends!

For those that don’t know my story already, I am in the hospital recovering from an emergency surgery. Here’s the story…. you might as well take a seat…

I went to bed last Wednesday night (Jan. 27th) just like any other night. I ate dinner around 6:30 p.m., drank a seltzer at 7:45 p.m. and went to sleep around 9:45 p.m. Around 3:00 a.m. I was awakened with sever stomach pains. My stomach was extremely distended (think 5-6 months pregnant) and I became very nervous. I knew in my heart what it was, because I had been through this before. 5 years ago I needed an emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage due to all of the scar tissue that was built up from many past surgeries. This pain was all too familiar.

I called the on-call doctor and she immediately told me to go to the ER.

And there inlies the dilemma.

I didn’t want my kids to see me go out in an ambulance, but my husband couldn’t leave them at home to bring me. I waited for about a half hour until I couldn’t move any more.

I called 911.

The ambulance, police and the fire truck came (so much for discretion) and off I went. As the ambulance door closed, I saw my eleven year old peaking his little face through the window. I cried the whole way there. Partly because the pain I was in and I was well aware of what was ahead of me. And secondly because I already missed my family.

A cat-scan, lots of screaming, tons of pain medication which didn’t seem to be working and about 12 hours later, it was time for surgery. The same surgery I had 5 years ago.

So here I am. 9 days post-op. Still in the hospital and still missing my family. I can’t really walk nonetheless cook anything right now, and that’s where my dear friends come into the picture. For the next few weeks I will have a different friend create a recipe that I can share on my blog. Today my dear friend Carolyn, of the popular low-carb blog, All Day I Dream About Food will share this delicious recipe with us. Carolyn and I clicked instantly and I truly love and respect her. Take it away Carolyn!

Food blogging is like any other industry: it has its good eggs and its rotten apples. It has the people who are generous and kind and helpful to each other, and it has the stinkers, the people who will do just about anything to claw their way to the top. Fortunately, the eggs seem to outweigh the apples and, on the whole, I’d say the foodblogging community is a supportive lot and I am happy to be a part of it. I have made a number of wonderful friends in all corners of the world and I have had the pleasure of meeting several of them. Lauren happens to be one person that I clicked with almost instantly. She’s definitely one of the good eggs.

So, when your blogger friends suddenly become ill, you rush to their bedside. OR you take up the charge and write them a guest post to keep their blog humming along until they are on the mend. Because rushing to Lauren’s bedside from all the way across the country was rather impractical, I chose option B.

Easy low carb cauliflower soup with ham and cheese. Made in your slow cooker!

So, for those readers of Lauren Kelly Nutrition who might be unfamiliar with me, I am Carolyn of the aptly named All Day I Dream About Food. Lauren and I both believe that proper nutrition is the cornerstone of health, so we have that in common. Our approach is a little different, however. As someone with diabetes, I follow a low carb, gluten-free diet to help manage my blood sugar. Lauren has more of a generalist approach to nutrition, creating vegan recipes, gluten-free recipes, whole grain recipes, lower fat recipe, low carb recipes. She’s covering all her bases with great recipes that are also family friendly.

Ham and cheese cauliflower soup made in your crock pot.

This slow cooker cauliflower soup definitely meets both of our definitions of nutritious. It’s low in carbs (about 6 g per serving), comforting, and it’s a great way to use up any leftover ham. Or skip the ham and use vegetable broth for a satisfying Meatless Monday meal! Check out this video to see just how easy it is to make…

For more of my low carb, gluten-free recipes, check out my blog at alldayidreamaboutfood.com. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

Slow Cooker Ham & Cheese Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into florets
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 tsp ground mustard
3 cloves garlic (I use the frozen cubes)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I like Cabot White Oak Aged Cheddar)
1 to 2 cups chopped ham
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Add cauliflower, broth, mustard, and garlic to slow cooker. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.

Add cheddar cheese and puree with an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can transfer to a blender or food processor but you will need to work in batches.

Add ham, pepper flakes, and additional salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with a little added cheese and some chopped green onion.

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Comments

  1. I will check out your blog now that I found it through Carolyn.

    I know it will be a great day when you get home but you’ll probably still need rest. I hope you get plenty. It’s definitely hard to be sick or healing with kids around needing you.

    Get well soon!

    Reply

  2. Dear Lauren, praying you have a quick recovery, complete healing and for peace, strength and comfort for you and your family.

    Reply

  3. May God bless you with a speedy recovery and your family with good health and well being.
    You are such a lovely lady, your friends must be as well.
    Thank you for all the great recipes.

    Reply

  4. I made this soup a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely delish! Even dear hubby liked it!! Carolyn, your recipes are always a hit. Lauren, I look forward to exploring your blog. I am a nutrition based low-carb based dieter, so I hope to gain some new insights here. Get well soon! — Marilyn

    Reply

    • I am so glad you liked the soup and I agree Marilyn, Carolyn’s recipes are always a hit! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply

  5. Oh Lauren I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Wishing you a speedy recovery back to health. Carolyn this soup sounds fantastic! I love cauliflower soup and the ham and cheese are perfect for it!

    Reply

  10. Oh Lauren, so sorry to hear of your illness and surgery, however I am so happy you are a-ok! Prayers you heal quickly. You sound just like me…I miss my kids almost as soon as I am not with them. I am sure yours can’t wait for you to get home and are taking the best care of you 🙂 Carolyn…this soup looks scrumptious, Loving the ham in it, very different!

    Reply

  11. A comforting bowl of soup and a friend to support you are definitely the next best thing to being there. I love how creamy and flavorful this sounds. And Lauren, I’m so sorry to hear that – how scary (and yes, the kids…that’s probably the hardest part). Glad you’re on the road to recovery!

    Reply

  13. Dear Lauren, I was so sorry to hear about your pain and trauma. Wishing you steady progress toward good health and a return to a happy routine with your family.

    I did make the soup today. It tasted wonderful and the slow cooker method was perfect for a hectic day. When I returned home this evening I added the last few ingredients and it was done. Thank you for hosting the recipe.

    Reply

  14. Nice recipe, Caroyln. It looks delicious, and I love that it’s made in the slow cooker. Also, I was very curious and concerned with what happened with Lauren. I’m glad to know that she has good friends helping to keep her blog functioning at full force while she recovers.

    Reply

  15. I follow both of you lovely ladies. Thank you Carolyn for your lovely recipe and wishing you heaps of get well wishes Lauren. Here is to a speedy recovery all the way from Oz…xxxx

    Reply

  16. LOVE this recipe and am planning to use it as a low carb base for clam chowder, subbing heavy cream for the cheese. I took it to 2 of my co workers and they both loved it as well. My one coworker HATES vegetables, and he told me that he and his wife loved this soup ! Then his wife’s sister came over and asked what smelled so good. He really wanted to hide the rest, but made her a bowl and she thought it was delicious also !! I guess I will have to make another batch for him…… (he’s a really nice coworker) Can’t get a better review than that !

    Reply

    • I love this Barbara! Thank you so much for letting me know and I hope you are following Carolyn now too 🙂

      Reply

  18. Is there any nutritional information anywhere? I see the part where is says “about 6 carbs” per serving but not what the actual serving size and caloric information is. Is this something that is known?

    Reply

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