This low carb ham and cheese cauliflower soup is full of great flavor. It's so easy to make, just add everything to your crock pot, blend it up and dinner is ready!
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.
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.
So here I am. 9 days post-op.
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 is amazing and shares so many incredible, healthy low carb, sugar free, gluten free recipes. She really is a creative culinary genius.
Slow Cooker Cauliflower Ham and Cheese Soup from Carolyn Ketchum
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.
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.
Why You Should Make this Cauliflower Ham and Cheese Soup
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!
I love cooking with my slow cooker because it saves so much time which is great for those crazy weeknights.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cauliflower - What can I say about the most versatile vegetable out there? I love cauliflower, it enhances just about every dish there is!
- Chicken broth - I always use reduced sodium and organic chicken broth.
- Ground mustard - Adds a wonderful, light, tangy flavor to savory dishes. I use this ground mustard.
- Garlic - Garlic adds so much depth of flavor, I use it most of my savory dishes. It's optional in this recipe because it taste delicious with or without it!
- Cheddar cheese - I love the extra sharp cheddar cheese for a little punch of flavor.
- Ham - Cooked, chopped ham works perfectly in this cauliflower ham and cheese soup recipe.
- Red pepper flakes - Made from dried and crushed red Chile peppers, these red pepper flakes adds so much flavor.
Related Recipes
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup from All Day I Dream About Food
Slow Cooker Thai Curried Chicken Soup from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram! Thanks for stopping by!
For more of my low carb, gluten-free recipes from Carolyn, check out her blog at alldayidreamaboutfood.com. She's also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
Slow Cooker Cauliflower Ham and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups ham chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced, optional
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.
Samantha
This soup the perfect way to use up the rest of my leftover ham from Thanksgiving. Healthy, easy, and delicious!
April
Soooooo delicious. Cauliflower soup is already great on its own, but then you add the ham and the cheese.... *chef's kiss* Delish!
Sha
This is such a hearty and comfy soup! It's flavorful and perfect for winter!
Allyson Zea
Came out absolutely perfect! I can't wait to make it again!
Mike M
This recipe calls for garlic but I didn't see how much or in what form. I added 5 cloves of random fresh garlic crushed and minced that I had to use up because they were getting a bit old. I also saw the freezer instructions are listed as refrigerator, hopefully anyone who reads it see that.
I have this in the crockpot right now, I'll let you know what we think after lunch. so far so good, quick and easy, smells like it will be delicious.
Lauren Kelly
Hi Mike! I made the garlic optional, I've made it with and without garlic and both ways are delicious! Thank you for pointing out the instruction error, I fixed that now. I hope you love it! Carolyn has the best recipes!
Abby
Used my leftover Christmas ham to make this and loved it! Perfect for this super cold weather we've been having.
Kristyn
My mom would always make cauliflower soup, growing up. Love that you added ham to it! It brings a delicious flavor! It's raining today, so I think I need to make this for dinner!!
Erin
Surprisingly good. First internet recipe in a long time that was worth the effort.
Lauren Kelly
I am so glad you liked it!
Audra
hopefully you never need 911 again, but you can ask emergency services to turn off the lights and sirens as they get close, or at least in any city I've lived in you can. I used to be an emergency room nurse and we had to do ride alongs in the ambulances. 🙂 heal fast!
lauren.kelly
Thank you so much!
Brandy
I saw that. Her website links to yours, so I am unsure of where to find this information. 🙁 Can you help?
Brandy
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?
lauren.kelly
Hi Brandy! This is a recipe from my dear friend, Carolyn from the blog, All Day I Dream About Food. Here is the link to her site, she has amazing recipes! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com
Mary R
Made this soup exactly as you suggested and it is delicious. Thank you for posting. Love your site.
lauren.kelly
Love that Mary! Carolyn's recipes are the best! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Barbara B
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 !
lauren.kelly
I love this Barbara! Thank you so much for letting me know and I hope you are following Carolyn now too 🙂