This post may contain references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Oh Sweet Basil may receive compensation when you click on links to such products.
This post is written in partnership with Milk Life, but all opinions are always our own.
Move over potato soup! This creamy cauliflower chowder deserves a spot in your soup rotation. It’s rich, comforting, and packed with flavor, all made in one pot with simple ingredients you probably already have.
Table of Contents
Even better? This cauliflower chowder delivers that cozy, loaded-baked-potato vibe without feeling heavy. Tender cauliflower, crispy bacon, and a creamy broth come together for a soup that’s hearty enough for dinner and easy enough for a weeknight.
No joke, even our kids said this soup was just as good as my Golden Loaded Baked Potato Soup, and that soup is famous!
Why You’ll Love This Cauliflower Chowder
- Creamy without being heavy
- One pot, minimal cleanup
- Family-friendly (even kid-approved)
- Cozy fall and winter comfort food
Ingredients You’ll Need
Nothing fancy here! Just simple, everyday ingredients that turn into the coziest bowl of cauliflower chowder.
- Bacon: Adds smoky, salty flavor and a little crunch for topping the chowder.
- Unsalted Butter: Creates a rich base for sautéing the vegetables without adding extra salt.
- Olive Oil: Helps cook the vegetables evenly and adds a subtle savory flavor.
- Yellow Onion: Brings natural sweetness and depth as the flavor foundation of the soup.
- Carrots: Add a touch of sweetness and color to balance the savory broth.
- Celery: Provides classic soup flavor and a mild crunch that softens as it cooks.
- Cauliflower: The star of the show—tender, mild, and perfect for creating a creamy chowder without being heavy.
- Garlic: Adds warmth and savory depth to the soup without overpowering it.
- Dried Thyme: Gives the chowder a subtle earthy, cozy flavor.
- Flour: Helps thicken the soup into a rich, chowder-like consistency.
- Vegetable Broth: Creates a flavorful base while keeping the soup light and balanced.
- Low Fat Milk: Adds creaminess without making the soup too heavy.
- Salt and Pepper: Essential for bringing all the flavors together.
- Bay Leaf: Adds a gentle background flavor as the soup simmers.
- Cheddar Cheese: Melts into the chowder for extra richness and a savory finish.
- Fresh Parsley: Adds a pop of freshness and color right before serving.
How to Make Cauliflower Chowder
Start by cooking the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp, then remove it and set aside. Leave a bit of the rendered fat in the pot for flavor.
Add butter and olive oil, then sauté the onion, carrot, and celery until softened. Stir in the cauliflower and cook until tender, lowering the heat so the vegetables soften without browning.
Add garlic and thyme just before thickening to keep them fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring until everything is coated, then slowly pour in the liquids, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Simmer until thick and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve topped with bacon, cheese, and fresh parsley.
How to Thicken Soup
This cauliflower chowder thickens naturally thanks to the flour and long simmer time. If you prefer an even creamier texture, you can blend a small portion of the soup and stir it back in, or let it simmer uncovered a bit longer.
Best Pot for Chowder
A Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot works best for cauliflower chowder. Cooking the bacon first builds flavor, and those browned bits left behind add depth to the soup. Don’t wipe them out! They’re liquid gold for flavor.
Farm-to-Table Milk
In a world that’s always pushing for faster and newer, we’ve loved seeing the renewed focus on farm-to-table foods. Milk is actually one of the original farm-to-table staples, and according to a Milk Life Campaign survey of more than 1,000 moms, 77% don’t realize how close their milk often comes from.
Most milk starts on dairy farms about 300 miles from your grocery store and typically arrives on shelves within 48 hours of leaving the farm. It’s a simple choice that feels a little quieter and a little closer to home.
Milk is also a daily staple in our house—poured over cereal, served with dinner, or used for dunking big, gooey chocolate chip cookies. It’s a nutritious option we rely on to help fill hungry bellies between meals… including mine at 3:00 p.m.
Toppings and Serving Ideas
This cauliflower chowder is delicious straight from the pot, but the toppings are where you can really have some fun. A few simple extras can turn this cozy soup into something totally crave-worthy.
Favorite Toppings
- Crispy Bacon Bits: The salty crunch on top is everything. Don’t skip it if you can help it.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Melts right into the hot soup and adds extra creaminess.
- Fresh Parsley: It might seem small, but it adds a pop of freshness that balances the richness.
- Cracked Black Pepper: A few twists right before serving wakes up all the flavors.
- Chives or Green Onions: For a mild onion bite and a little color.
How to Serve It
- With Crusty Bread or Dinner Rolls: Perfect for dipping and soaking up every last spoonful.
- Alongside a Simple Green Salad: Keeps the meal balanced without competing with the soup.
- In a Bread Bowl: Because sometimes cozy soup deserves to be a little extra.
- As a Starter or Main Dish: Serve smaller bowls as a starter or make it the main event with hearty toppings.
Storing and Reheating
Leftover cauliflower chowder stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of milk or broth if the soup thickens too much.
I don’t recommend freezing this one. With the dairy in the recipe, the texture doesn’t hold up when it thaws.
If you love cozy, creamy soups that don’t feel heavy, this cauliflower chowder is a must-make. It’s simple, comforting, packed with flavor, and proof that cauliflower can absolutely steal the spotlight.
Serve it with crusty bread, load it up with toppings, and don’t be surprised when it becomes a regular in your soup rotation.
More SOUP RECIPES You’ll Love:
- Cheesy Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Taco Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
- All our SOUP RECIPES here!
How to Make One Pot Cauliflower Chowder
One Pot Cauliflower Chowder
Ingredients
- 3-4 Slices Bacon, chopped in small pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 2 Stalks of Celery, diced
- 1 Head Cauliflower, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- ½ Cup Vegetable Broth
- 3 Cups Low Fat Milk
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Cheddar Cheese, grated, if desired for serving
- Fresh Parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Start out by chopping your bacon into little pieces and add them to a dutch oven to render out the fat. Once the bacon is cooked, and it won't take long, use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces to a paper towel lined plate.3-4 Slices Bacon
- Drain the fat out of the pot but do not wipe clean.
- Place a little butter and olive oil in the pot and add your onion, carrot and celery and once they start cooking, about 2 minutes.1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, ½ Yellow Onion, 2 Carrots, 2 Stalks of Celery
- Add the cauliflower and cook and turn the heat down to medium low for 15 minutes or until tender.1 Head Cauliflower
- At this point add your garlic and thyme that way they become fragrant, but don’t burn due to the long 15 minutes.2 teaspoons Garlic, ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- Next it’s all a matter of thickening things up. Add the flour and a little more oil if the bottom of the pot is dry, and stir until the veggies are all coated.3 Tablespoons Flour
- Pour in the liquids, salt and pepper and bay leaf and allow to simmer 20-40 minutes over low heat.½ Cup Vegetable Broth, 3 Cups Low Fat Milk, 1 Bay Leaf, Salt and Pepper
- Taste the soup right before serving and add more salt if it’s bland.
- Serve with bacon bits, cheese and parsley!Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Parsley
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m on keto and I want to make this. How much heavy cream should I used instead of 3 cups of milk?
Hi Caitlyn! You could do 3 cups of heavy cream for an extra creamy and rich soup. You could also do half heavy cream and half water to make it similar consistency as milk but you’ll lose some richness in flavor.
Recipe sounds great, but no nutrition facts. The idea of cauliflower is to make it less carbs than corn and potatoes but with no carbohydrate info… I won’t be able to try it.
I just made this and it was beyond delicious! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you Kass!!
What a perfect dish for cold days, I will definitely try this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I love cozy-ing up with a bowl of this on a cold winter day! You’re going to love it!
Yummy!
Thanks Sheri!
I know someone who owns a dairy cow, and she said that what is sold as “milk” in the grocery store isn’t anything like real milk on the farm. By the time they finish pasteurizing it, all the vitamins are destroyed. They put in synthetic vitamins, which our bodies can’t absorb.
Maybe you get some support from the dairy industry, and I would hate to cut off a source of of income for you, but please stop telling people that store-bought milk is good for them.
BTW, I want to start buying my milk from her, but her cow didn’t take this year, so she is dry.
Thank you for your thoughts, but there are a lot of great sources of milk out there. Thankfully we live at a time when we can mindfully research and make things safe unlike our ancestors that lived through many diseases because they couldn’t. Best of luck in all you do and thanks for the comment. xoxo
I love all of these BA recipes & successfully recreate many of them in my kitchen. My pet peeve with some of these finished recipes, as well as many of the Pinterest recipes, is that the same picture of the prepared dish is shown multiple times & in this instance the exact same pic of the finished product is pictured 10 times. Once or twice is completely adequate!
Hi Carla, it’s for seo and ad purposes. I totally get what you mean, but when a blog is your livelihood you have to follow google’s rules. 🙂
Do you blend the soup before serving?
You could, but we don’t for a chowder as it’s meant to have a little chew to it.
I have a fresh cauliflower that I cut up and froze. Would I be able to thaw and use it?
Hi, unfortunately frozen cauliflower tends to have excess water so it doesn’t work as well. 🙁
Gee Carrian-did you peek in my refrigerator and see that great big head of cauliflower waiting to be used in something? This is the perfect recipe for it-I was just thinking I need to make some kind of soup to have for our lunches this week…your timing sharing this couldn’t be better! Off to the kitchen! 🙂
oh I am so glad to hear that! Thank you so much, Carol!