Roasted Cauliflower and Ham Soup

It isn’t much of a secret that I am obsessed with soup. Who else decides where they’re going to eat out at based on what soup they have that day? Or is that just me? 🙂

I try to turn every meal into some type of soup. (or a casserole. I have a problem.) I wasn’t sure what I was going to make when I started chopping up the cauliflower…but I have to say, it turned into something really good!

I looked over and saw a jalapeño on the counter, so that guy ended up in this pot as well! I usually get a response like, “that shouldn’t be a question, honey,” whenever I ask my husband if I should put jalapeños in something. So, if I think for a second, that I should put one in there, I usually do! If they’re not your thing, just skip that part! It doesn’t add much heat once you remove the seeds, but it gives it a nice charred pepper flavor (because I roast it!) which is delicious.

There’s just something about sitting down with a bowl of creamy soup that soothes the soul. At least that’s what soothes my soul. Again, I have an obsession with soup. How could I not, though? SOUP IS LYYFEE. Growing up, whenever you’d get sick, mom would make you soup. You’d ALWAYS feel better. There’s just something so comforting about that bowl of goodness. FYI, there’s actually some medicinal properties involved in that homemade chicken noodle soup. It heals if it’s made properly! BONE BROTHHH!!!

Alright, enough already…recipe time!

Just kidding, P.S. You may want to double this recipe if you’re cooking for more than 2 people or want leftovers.

P.P.S. You could totally make this in your Instant Pot! Follow the same directions, but once you add the milk and broth, set your IP to High Pressure and cook it for 5-8 minutes, or so. It’ll cook FAST! Once it’s finished, stir in your arrowroot slurry to thicken it up!

Print Recipe

Roasted Cauliflower and Ham Soup

Course

Dinner, Lunch

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 Onion large, chopped
• 1 tbsp Ghee you can sub. coconut/avocado oil
• 8 oz Ham Steak diced
• 1 Jalapeño
• 1 Head of Cauliflower chopped (about 3-4 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 13.5 oz can of Coconut Milk unsweetened (you can sub 1 1/2 cups of whatever milk you prefer)
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt I use Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1/2 tsp Ground Sage
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika (you can sub. regular paprika, but the smokiness makes a difference!)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp Arrowroot powder

Course Dinner, Lunch Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Servings Ingredients 1 Onion large, chopped 1 tbsp Ghee you can sub. coconut/avocado oil 8 oz Ham Steak diced 1 Jalapeño 1 Head of Cauliflower chopped (about 3-4 cups) 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth 1 13.5 oz can of Coconut Milk unsweetened (you can sub 1 1/2 cups of whatever milk you prefer) 1 tsp Garlic powder 1 tsp Onion powder 1/2 tsp Salt I use Himalayan Pink Salt 1/2 tsp Ground Sage 1/2 tsp Black pepper 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika (you can sub. regular paprika, but the smokiness makes a difference!) 2 Bay leaves 2 Tbsp Arrowroot powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Bake chopped cauliflower and jalapeño on a greased/lined baking sheet for 10-15 minutes or until the edges start to char.

   
3. While the veggies are roasting, begin to sauté the ham, onion, and ghee in a large soup pot over medium heat.
4. After 10 minutes or so, remove your veggies from the oven. (and turn your oven off! I'm bad about that!) Your cauliflower and jalapeño should have some good char on them. You can leave them in there a few minutes longer to get even more char. All of those charred little bits adds tons of good flavor! Whatever you like! Be sure to watch them, though. They can burn fast at this temperature!

   
5. Slice your jalapeño in half, remove the seeds*, and dice.*The seeds come out SUPER easy after you've roasted it. If you prefer to do it before roasting, have at it!
6. Add the cauliflower and jalapeño to your ham and onions.

   
7. Add all of your spices to your soup pot, stir, and sauté it all for a couple minutes. I can still smell that smoky paprika cooking. Seriously, invest in that stuff. It's so good!

   
8. Next, add 2 cups of your broth (set aside 1/2 cup), coconut milk, and bay leaves. Simmer for 15-30 over medium/medium low heat - the longer the better. Soup only gets better as it cooks away on the stove. I'm just impatient and need to eat it as soon as possible!
9. Taste test! Now is the time to add more salt or pepper!
10. After simmering for some time (or however long you can wait!), combine the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth and arrowroot powder to create a slurry. Add the mixture to your soup and stir* for a minute. This will begin to thicken everything up. *Make sure to stir from the bottom. Sometimes, the slurry will fall towards the bottom of the pot and thicken everything much faster down there. Then your soup will have gravy-like chunks in it. No good. ...well, gravy-like clumps don't sound all that bad to me. Remember, though, I like my gravy! Anyways, STIR IT GOOD!
11. There you have it! Scoop yourself a bowl, top with some chopped green onions, and go get cozy! You mood will INSTANTLY improve!