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This healthy, hearty Chicken Cauliflower Cheddar Chowder is creamy and rich with no cream! It's loaded with veggies and lean chicken (or turkey) and comes together quickly!
I'm the soup-lover here at The Café. You might think it strange but, honestly, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner (sometimes I do!). I especially love it if it's healthy and has lots of veggies like this Chicken Cauliflower Cheddar Chowder.
Scott, not so much. He doesn't dislike soup, it just doesn't thrill him. So when he gobbled up and a big bowlful of this hearty soup, then requested a second helping, I knew it was an all-around winner.
I love how quickly this soup comes together. Chopping up the cauliflower, potatoes, carrots and celery takes a bit of time but after that, it's a breeze. Just combine all the wonderful vegetables in a pot with chicken broth, bay leaves and a little bundle of fresh thyme. Bring all this to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Lastly, there are a few thickening steps (explained below) and you're done!
How to create a thick, creamy chowder yet keep things healthy
A chowder type of soup should be thick and creamy. But creating a nice thick, creamy soup generally involves lots of cream which negates some of the health benefits of this recipe. No cream needed for this creamy Chicken Cauliflower Cheddar Chowder!
There are actually three easy, delicious (and a bit unique) methods I use to thicken this soup. The first involves removing a few cups of the cooked veggies and pureeing them in a blender. The blended vegetable mixture is then returned to the pot, starting the thick-and-creamy process.
Beurre Manie? What is it?
With the second step, you get to imagine yourself as a fine French chef. We're using a French culinary ingredient called Beurre Manie. You don't have to run out and look for a French grocery though or even check out the international aisle of your local grocery. Nope, Beurre Manie is simply a fancy French name for a combination of soft butter and flour which acts as a magical thickening agent.
Have you ever wondered how French chefs create such velvety, smooth soups and sauces? They often use a Beurre Manie. What is Beurre Manie? Nothing fancy, for sure. It's simply equal parts of soft butter and flour that are combined to create a thick paste. When this paste is added to hot liquids the butter melts and evenly distributes the flour creating a silky smooth texture.
Does this combination of flour and butter add a lot of calories to the soup? Not really. This Chicken Cauliflower Cheddar Chowder makes a large pot, feeding 8-10 hungry mouths. The Beurre Manie adds a total of 400 calories, in other words, 40-50 calories per serving. Plus butter these days is regarded as a healthy fat, so it's a win-win in this soup.
The third thickening trick? A handful of sharp cheddar cheese not only makes the soup a bit thicker, but it also imparts delicious flavor! So there you have it, a beautifully thick, creamy and super delicious chowder!
So next time you have leftover chicken (or turkey) plan to make a pot of this fabulous Chicken Cauliflower Cheddar Chowder. No leftovers? No problem. Just above every larger grocery store sells rotisserie chicken these days. Pin this recipe then pick up one of those golden birds next time you shop. I promise you, you won't be sorry and even the non-soup-lovers will be asking for second helpings!
Café Tips for making this Chicken Cauliflower Cheddar Chowder
- Make sure your butter is nice and soft for the Beurre Manie. You can let it sit out at room temperature for several hours or soften it for about a minute on the lowest power level of your microwave.
- I've mentioned this before, I love the Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth from Trader Joe's. It's reasonably priced, really tasty and has a beautiful golden hue. (I hope you don't shop at my TJ's though as a cleaned of the chicken broth shelf the other day when I was there. If you're in pinch, just come and raid my pantry.)
- Feel free to use leftover chicken, turkey or rotisserie chicken for this recipe. I like to use white meat but any part of the bird will work.
- I use all of the cauliflower except for the small middle core for this soup. I break off big florets then cut off the stalks and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Then I break up the florets into small, bite-sized florets.
- If you've got vegetarian family/friends, this soup is also delicious without any meat!
- I use the tiny yellow potatoes in this recipe. No need to peel them. You could also use larger potatoes and dice them into bite-size pieces.
- If you're looking for a nice gift for the cooking lover in your family, I'm quite certain that this Staub Dutch Oven/Cocotte would thrill his or her soul. I love mine for making soups, stews, chilis...!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 medium head cauliflower broken into florets (about 6 cups)
- 12 ounces small yellow potatoes scrubbed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 12 ounces carrots sliced about ¼-inch thick (about 6 medium or 3 cups)
- 2 stalks celery halved and thinly sliced
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk I like to use whole milk but 2% will work
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2½-3 cups leftover or rotisserie chicken (or turkey) cut or torn into bite-size pieces
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Place a piece of kitchen string on a work surface. Stack the thyme sprigs on top. Tie string around thyme sprigs and tie in a knot. Set aside.
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In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, celery and chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme bundle, garlic salt, onion powder and kosher salt. Stir to bury the thyme bundle and bay leaves.
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Bring the mixture to a boil then cover and reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are nice and tender.
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While the soup is cooking, combine the soft butter and the flour in a small-size bowl. Stir with a small spatula or the back of a spoon until all of the flour is incorporated. You should have a thick, smooth paste. Set aside.
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When the veggies are tender, remove the bay leaves and thyme. Scoop out 3 cups of the broth and vegetables and place in a blender container. Remove the center of the blender top off and cover the opening with a small funnel or several thicknesses of paper toweling.
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Blend until the mixture is smooth then return it to the soup pot. Add the milk and chicken and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a very low simmer then add the Beurre Manie (butter-flour mixture) in teaspoonfuls, while stirring. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with a garnish of fresh thyme leaves and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
See Café Tips above in post for further instructions and detailed tips.
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Louise says
This soup is delicious. Here’s what my husband said (over & over) “ I can’t get over this soup” and “this is my favourite soup” and “this soup is so good” and “can you make more?”. Thank you for sharing. I wanted a new soup.
Louise
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That's awesome, Louise! Thank you for letting us know!
Mary says
This soup is absolutely delicious. We loved every mouthful and will definitely make it again.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Mary!
Danielle Schultz says
Good Evening Chris,
I was looking for a delicious meal that would keep us warm as we enjoyed the beautiful evening on our new patio. I made a small Mezza platter of olivess, warm pita and olives as well as a spinach salad. This soup recipe is fantastic!!! Very flavorful and perfect for an autumn evening. Thanks for a delicious soup recipe as my sweetheart Andy said I hope you will make this again after we come home from our honeymoon!!! I said I made enough to freeze in our soup cubes we received as a wedding gift from my family. We are down to 18 days. We will be honeymooning in Iceland then London, UK.
Chris Scheuer says
I love that, Danielle! Congratulations to you and enjoy your honeymoon!
Myrna says
I used canned crab meat in place of chicken & it was delicious! Thank you for sharing this!!
Olga says
This recipe is amazing!! I wish i could eat more than one bowl, but have to watch the calories during stay-at-home order 😉 Next time i want to see if skipping the cheese would make a difference. Just not a big fan of cheese in soups. But regardless - it deserves 6 stars!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Olga, for sharing your results! I hear you about having to watch the calories! It would be nice if, just for a short while as we're dealing with this corona virus, if calories didn't count - but no such luck! 😢
Susan Wolfe says
I've tried this recipe 3 times now. It makes a nice, big pot and during this time of shelter-in-place, I've been able to share it with my next-door neighbors who are also a retired couple. This soup is hearty and very flavorful. It is very easy to make, especially using a rotisserie chicken. Thanks, Chris for another terrific recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay, I"m so happy you enjoyed this soup, Susan. I know your neighbors were very grateful for your kind generosity!
Michelle says
This looks wonderful! Would frozen cauliflower work in this recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Michelle, I haven't tried this soup with frozen cauliflower but I would think it should work.
Terri says
Looks delicious! Would you have a suggestion for gluten free to replace the flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Terri, cornstarch would also work but you would need less. Cornstarch has about double the thickening power of flour.
Phyllis says
This chowder is just amazing! While cooking, I couldn't seem to stay away from the pot, and the whole house smelled like heaven. I had no clue what the butter/flour mixture would do, and was so pleasantly surprised by how it thickened the recipe. My husband, who does NOT like this type of thing, ate 2 bowls full! Thank you for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Phyllis! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Vickie says
Chris does this soup freeze well? I am hesitant due to the potatoes.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Vickie, I haven't tried to freeze it but I agree, it might not do well with the potatoes. They tend to get mushy.
Debra Smiley says
This recipe is so good! My family loved it. So easy to make. And, is even better the next day!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Debra. Thanks for sharing your review!
Sharl says
Another recipe to try. It really looks yummy, though I think I'm going to make one little change...add more cheese, because, well, the more cheese the better. 🙂
marian says
I could eat soup for every meal too! My husband is the same as Scott. He commented "it's acceptable, definitely acceptable", which means he liked it lol. This was a super easy soup to put together. I used a 2# package of costco cauliflower, which is why I needed 6-7c of broth, instead of 5, and 2% milk. I blended a good half of the veggies and really could have skipped the 2tsp of roux I did add, it was that creamy. Served with those brown-bread rolls from CheeseCake Factory (don't judge lol, they are delish). Thanks again for a healthy, delish dinner.
Tricia B says
This looks so luscious and comforting - the perfect dinner or lunch, or breakfast too! Pinned 😉
Jane says
I really like your recipes and realize that sponsors help with costs. But guess what, everyone does not have a Trader Joe’s near by. I bet national brands would be good too.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you Jane for your comment and your kind words.
I have no affiliation with Trader Joe's. I also realize that not everyone has a Trader Joe's nearby and national brands are definitely good. I usually use the TJ brand of chicken broth and I've found that some readers really like to learn about brands they may not have thought about trying before.
Barbara says
Thank you for giving brand names in recipes - it helps when shopping!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Barbara! 💕
Jane says
I’ll make this this weekend. It does look wonderful. I’ve been buying bone broth from Swanson, tasty.
Eliza says
Hi!
Amazing work friend. It's looks so wonderful.
Will try soon. Hoping everyone like this.
Thanks, for sharing these heart touching ideas.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Eliza!
Evalyn says
This looks delicious, and I want to try it. However, you did not mention how much chicken/turkey to add to the soup. I can just freely add my cooked meat to what looks good to me, but I would like to know your recommendation for this recipe. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Evalyn,
Thanks for letting me know about this! I've added the chicken to the recipe!
marcia sydness says
How much chicken - the recipe does not state?
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! That would help, wouldn't it? That's what happens when you make up recipes 😂 I'll add it right now!