Slow Cooker Ham & Cheese Cauliflower Soup {Low Carb Keto}

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!

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.

This really sucks.

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.

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.

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
¼ 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.

 

Ok, I know what I am making as soon as I possibly can. I love Carolyn's recipes because they are sugar free, grain free, low carb and most of all easy to make!

I love her realistic approach to her low carb lifestyle. She is quite the inspiration.

Here are some other low carb soups you might like:

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup from All Day I Dream About Food

Slow Cooker Thai Curried Chicken Soup

Please come back and let me know if you've made any of the recipes I have shared with you, especially Carolyn's delicious soup! I love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by and for all of your unending support and love.