Ingredients
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Scale
- 2 slices of bacon, chopped
- 3 shallots, diced (or 1 onion, diced)
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 - 12-16 oz bag riced cauliflower (or mashed cauliflower), thawed
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
- 1 ham bone (or ham hock)
- 2 cups diced leftover ham, divided
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/8-1/4 tsp xantham gum* (see post and notes for details)
Instructions
- Heat the bacon in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium/low heat. Once the bacon is crisp, remove 3/4 of the bacon and set it aside. To the remaining bacon and bacon grease, add in the onions and the celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add in the riced cauliflower and the garlic. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth, seasonings, ham bone and bay leaves and stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the ham bone and bay leaves and discard.
- Using a immersion blender or high-speed blender, blend the ingredients until the desired creaminess has been achieved. Add 1/8 tsp at a time xantham gum while immersion blender or high-speed blender is running, if mixture is still not thick enough for your tastes. Once desired thickness has been achieved, stir in the remaining ham cubes. Taste the soup and add any additional salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 8 bowls and top each bowl with bacon crumbles.
Notes
- *xantham gum will thicken the soup but a little goes a long way so make sure to start with only 1/8 tsp and then add it in increments until the desired consistency is achieved. Also, make sure that the blender is running while you sprinkle the xantham over the soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American, Fall, Holidays, Winter
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 0.8
- Fat: 5.7
- Carbohydrates: 2.4
- Fiber: 0.8
- Protein: 12.5
