Eating your vegetables doesn’t have to mean salads. This cauliflower chowder is a flavorful (onions! garlic! bacon!) way to include the underrated cauliflower in your meal planning. The addition of the green chile makes this a spicy dish, too.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 slices bacon (cut into small bits), package of Trader Joe’s Uncured Apple Smoked bacon
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 oz. jar Hatch Green Chile
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. fresh minced Thyme (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add and cook bacon until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel; set aside.
Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots, thyme, celery and parsley. Stirring occasionally, cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, green chile, and bay leaf. Cook until tender, another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, cooked bacon and milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12-15 minutes, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more milk until desired consistency is reached.
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