Dairy Free Cauliflower Leek and Bacon Soup recipe
Dairy-Free Creamy Cauliflower, Leek, & Bacon Soup Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

This delicious dairy-free Cauliflower, Leek, & Bacon soup recipe combines the smokey, saltiness of bacon with the creaminess of cauliflower and leeks to create a filling meal that hugs you from the inside out.

Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dairy-Free Creamy Cauliflower and Bacon Soup
Author: Caitlin Iles
Ingredients
  • ½ lb. pastured, nitrate-free bacon
  • 2 tbsp. bacon fat*
  • 1 white onion chopped
  • 1 leek chopped
  • 7 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 cups celery chopped
  • 1 medium cauliflower chopped
  • 5 cups water or broth
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper
  • ¼ tsp. thyme
  • Optional:
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. red chili flakes
  • ½ tsp. apple cider or rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Heat a large saucepan over medium.
  2. Cut bacon into small pieces and add to saucepan, cooking until fairly crisp. Remove bacon from saucepan and set aside, leaving fat behind.
  3. Add leeks and onions to bacon fat and let them cook, covered, until softened and starting to caramelize slightly, approximately 5 minutes. You can chop the rest of your veggies during this time.
  4. After five minutes add garlic and celery, recover and let cook for another minute.

  5. Add cauliflower, water, sea salt, white pepper, and thyme, stirring until combined. If using, add the paprika and chili flakes here.
  6. Cover and let simmer 20 minutes or until cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.
  7. Remove from heat, puree using a handheld or venting blender.
  8. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and the cooked bacon. Let heat another couple of minutes then enjoy!

Recipe Notes

* Just use all the fat rendered from the bacon. No need to measure it out. 

* To make this soup vegetarian-friendly, sub the bacon fat for 2 tablespoons of olive oil and use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to give it that smokey taste.