This deceptively healthy quinoa and cauliflower chowder is packed full of veggies, but is still extremely hearty!
One of my favorite soups in the whole world is cauliflower cheese soup, from my mom’s old Moosewood cookbook. The page is dog-eared and splattered with soup, and has been made so many times that we don’t even need the cookbook anymore.
I can distinctly remember having my wisdom teeth removed and living off that soup for days. I had to put the spoon all the way to the back of my tongue to avoid my stitches, and ate it for days and days. Did I get sick of it? Nope. That’s how darn good it was.
Today I’m sharing my ode to this soup, but I’ve put my own Denise spin on it. Today’s quinoa and cauliflower chowder is chunky, and has a big boost of protein thanks to some quinoa.
Today’s post is sponsored by my friends at Sears, who sent me the brand new Kenmore Pro Blender to try out! At $149.00 (pssst! It’s on sale for $99 at the moment!), this blender is an awesome and much more affordable alternative to the other heavy duty blenders out there.
It made quick work of my frozen smoothie packs, blending them to smooth perfection. Whereas my small blender often takes several attempts, adding more and more almond milk to get the smoothie pack to finally blend right, the Kenmore Pro had it blended in seconds.
Sears and Kenmore are giving away a blender to one lucky Canadian reader! Scroll to the bottom of the post for instructions on how you can enter.
The Kenmore Pro blender also made quick work of this quinoa and cauliflower chowder. You can even fit the whole batch of soup in the blender if you want to have a completely creamy (and not chunky) soup. Check out how creamy it looks:
Looking at this quinoa and cauliflower chowder, you’d think that it was loaded with cream, but the fact is there is just one cup of 1% milk. That’s it! I’ve also added 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, which goes so nicely with the cauliflower/garlic/thyme flavors. I’m such a sucker for those flavors.
Adding the quinoa really bulks it up, gives the soup more body, and leaves you feeling full for longer. I hate it when I get hungry an hour after lunch. That is NOT going to happen with this soup.
This is another recipe that is full of food memories, and brings me to my happy place. I hope it takes you to a happy place, too!
Speaking of happy, how would you like to win a Kenmore Pro blender of your own?
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment below telling me what you would make with your very own Kenmore Pro blender. That’s it!
Giveaway rules:
Contest is open to Canadians 18 years and older (excluding Quebec–sorry!)
Contest is open from December 3 till December 12 at 11:59 EST. Blender will be mailed out to the winner the week of December 19.
Winner will be randomly selected and will be notified by e-mail and must respond within 48 hours.
Disclosure: thank you to Sears Canada for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
More soup for you!
- this Thai Curry Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup is creamy and dreamy
- this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is SO easy to make
- and you’d never guess that this Creamy Slow Cooker Potato, Corn & Jalapeno Soup is vegan!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 4 cups cauliflower
- 4 cups stock
- 1 cup quinoa
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is cooked through.
- Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the wine to the pan and cook for one more minute.
- Add the celery, carrot, cauliflower, stock, quinoa, thyme, bay leaves and salt.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower and quinoa are cooked through.
- Once cauliflower is cooked through, transfer half of the soup to a large blender. Add one cup of milk and blend until creamy.
- Add back to the pot and stir in ½ cup parmesan cheese.
- Serve with extra parmesan.
