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Home » Recipes

Easy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder

Nov 30, 2019Last Modified: May 16, 2023

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Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder in a bowl with a spoon holding some of the chowder and breadsticks in the background.

Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder is serious comfort food. This chowder is great to warm you up on cold days, but it's also a hug in a bowl. Eat this and you are guaranteed to feel a pick-me-up on any day you need one. 🤗

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Hug In A Bowl
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • Suggestions For Serving
  • Benefits of Eating Cauliflower
  • FAQ
  • Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
  • Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
  • Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder

Why You Will Love This Hug In A Bowl

Sit down with a bowl of this, indulge, and forget about the rest of the world for just a bit.

You'll love this cheesy cauliflower, potato, and ham chowder because:

  • It's a creamy, cheesy delight! So truly delicious that you might want to double the recipe so you can go back for more.
  • This recipe is easy and contains simple ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.
  • You can have this ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes.

There's everything to love about this cauliflower chowder! So now let me tell you what you'll need to make this restaurant worthy chowder!

🥘 Ingredients

A container of chicken broth, container of heavy cream, bowls containing garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, shredded cheese, Thai chilies. There is an onion, 3 potatoes, a package of ham steak, and a cauliflower on a white plate.
Ingredients for Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder

You will need the following ingredients to make this ham and cauliflower chowder:

  • Diced ham
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Fresh garlic
  • Potatoes
  • Cauliflower
  • Chicken broth or chicken stock
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Shredded Cheddar
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Parmesan cheese shavings (optional but oh so amazing garnish!)
  • Thai chilis (great addition to add a bit of spice to your chowder, but optional)
  • Cayenne pepper (could also sprinkle on top for a bit of extra heat if you so desire)

I used cheddar in the soup, and parmesan shavings to top the soup are great to add as well. Cheese and more cheese is a fabulous thing. 😀

Now I'll guide you through the easy step by step instructions to make this chowder!

🔪 Instructions

Heat up your olive oil in a large sauce pan on med - med high heat. Add your onion, garlic, and Thai chilis (if using) saute until softened, around 3-5 minutes.

onion, garlic, and Thai chilis all minced in a saucepan with a wooden spoon.

Add the ham, and stir fry for around 3 minutes. Then add the cauliflower and potato and give it a stir.

A red dutch oven containing chopped ham, and chopped onion, garlic, and Thai chilies.

Add enough chicken broth to cover the mixture and then bring to the boil. Cover, then lower to a simmer and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until the potato and cauliflower are tender.

A red Dutch oven containing cauliflower florets, chicken broth, and chopped ham.

Turn the heat down to low. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy whipping cream. Now add the salt and pepper and your dish is ready to enjoy!

A red dutch oven containing a creamy cauliflower, potato, and ham soup. A blue silicone spoon with wooden handle contains some of the soup in the foreground.

Suggestions For Serving

Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder in a bowl with a spoon holding some of the chowder and breadsticks in the background.

It's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

The ham imparts such an amazing flavor to the chowder, and the cauliflower is melt in your mouth tender.

This is absolutely delicious and the perfect accompaniments are a light green salad and some ciabatta bread to soak up all the scrumptiousness!

Oh, and don't forget to add some shavings of Parmesan and some sprinkles of Cayenne pepper to take this chowder to the next level.

Bon appetit!

Benefits of Eating Cauliflower

A close up of a head of cauliflower with a glimpse of a knife in the background.
Healthy and Nutritious Cauliflower!

So turns out this soup is pretty good for you! It includes cauliflower, which is on a list of Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables from the CDC. I just discovered this list of produce ranked by nutrient density. These are supposed to be some of the best foods you can eat to help prevent chronic disease. Cauliflower is #24!

Cauliflower is a great source of fiber and vitamins, including the B-vitamins, C, and K. It also contains cancer fighting antioxidants. I'm going to work on incorporating more cauliflower into my diet after learning this!

Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder in a spoon

FAQ

How do I store leftover chowder?

Store any leftover cauliflower ham chowder in an airtight container in your refrigerator. This is best enjoyed within 3 days.

What is the difference between a soup and a chowder?

The main difference between a soup and a chowder is that chowder is cream based and is richer and thicker than a soup.

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes that you may enjoy:

  • The BEST Spicy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
  • New Hampshire Inspired New England Clam Chowder
  • How To Elevate Canned Tomato Soup

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder in a bowl with a spoon holding some of the chowder and breadsticks in the background.

Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder

Grace
So creamy and delicious, this is perfect for using up leftover Thanksgiving ham, or anytime you desire some serious comfort food!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 21 minutes mins
Total Time 31 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 3 people
Calories 653 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 Thai chilis minced (leave out if you prefer a non spicy version)
  • 1 large potato peeled and cut into small pieces
  • ¼-1/2 lb diced ham
  • 1 head small cauliflower cut into small pieces
  • 32 oz chicken broth you may have some left over
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar
  • parmesan cheese shavings as soup garnish (optional)
  • cayenne pepper to sprinkle on top (optional)
  • ½ ts salt
  • ½ ts pepper

Instructions
 

  • Heat up your olive oil in a large sauce pan on med - med high heat. Add your onion, garlic, and Thai chilis (if using) saute until softened, around 3-5 minutes.
    onion, garlic, and Thai chilis all minced in a saucepan with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the ham, and stir fry for around 3 minutes. Then add the cauliflower and potato and give it a stir.
    Minced onion, garlic, and Thai chilis, along with diced ham in a saucepan.
  • Add enough chicken broth to cover the mixture and then bring to the boil. Cover, then lower to a simmer and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until the potato and cauliflower are tender.
    minced onion, garlic, and Thai chilis along with cauliflower, ham, potato and chicken broth in a saucepan
  • Turn the heat down to low. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy whipping cream. Now add the salt and pepper and your dish is ready to enjoy!
    Creamy Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheesy Ham Chowder in a bowl with a spoon holding some of the chowder and breadsticks in the background.

Notes

Here is a recipe for homemade chicken stock if you'd like to make your own for this chowder:  Easy Low Sodium Chicken Stock Recipe.
This recipe calls for 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to be added to the chowder.  You can adjust and add a bit more or less to your liking.  
Top this deliciously creamy chowder with parmesan shavings and some cayenne pepper to give it a kick if you like!  Serve with a side salad and some amazing bread for a completely satisfying meal!

Nutrition

Calories: 653kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 29gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 1298mgPotassium: 1303mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1303IUVitamin C: 120mgCalcium: 386mgIron: 3mg
Keyword chowder, creamy, ham, Soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. minnie olson

    April 08, 2021 at 2:07 pm

    i made this for dinner last night, and my husband ADORED IT

    Reply
    • Grace

      April 08, 2021 at 10:39 pm

      Hi Minnie! You don't know how happy this makes me! Thank you for trying out the recipe and taking the time to comment! Most of all I'm happy that your husband likes it!! All the best to you, and thank you again!!

      Reply

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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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