Slow Cooker Cauliflower Kale Soup with Bacon (Keto)

The flavor of this soup is more complex than the sum of its parts. Think of it as loaded cauliflower soup. The kale adds so much nutrition and you won’t even notice it’s there (except for the color!). The smoothness of the final product is contrasted by the garnish of crispy bacon and crunchy green onions. Delicious!

Serves 6-8

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets

• 1⁄2 t kosher salt

• 1⁄4 t black pepper

• 6 slices bacon

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

• 2 c kale, stemmed and chopped

• 1⁄4 t smoked paprika

• 1⁄4 c dry white wine

• 6 c chicken broth or stock

• 2 bay leaves

• 3⁄4 c heavy cream

• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

• 2 green onions, chopped

• Cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)

Slice the bacon crosswise into 2 inch pieces. If your slow cooker allows you to sauté, use this function to brown the bacon. Otherwise, fry bacon in a skillet until crispy, 10-12 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain and reserve in the refrigerator once it’s cooled.

Add two or three tablespoons of the bacon drippings to the slow cooker (if you used your slow cooker to sauté, remove all but 2-3 tablespoons of the drippings) along with the cauliflower, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, kale, smoked paprika, wine, broth, and bay leaves. Stir, cover, and cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Turn the slow cooker to the warm setting. Remove the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender (or transfer contents to a blender and blend in batches) to purée soup until smooth. Stir in the cream, two thirds of the cheese, and two thirds of the crumbled bacon. Taste for seasoning, adding more, salt, pepper, and/or smoked paprika if desired.

Serve in warmed bowls, topped with remaining bacon, cheese, chopped green onions, and cilantro.