A super tasty Keto Cauliflower & Ham Soup that is so comforting and delicious–but also dairy free, Whole30 and Squeaky Clean Keto compliant, and has only 125 calories and 13g protein per 1.5 cup serving! What more can you ask for out of a healthy low carb ham soup?!
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A couple of weeks ago I made this Baked Ham with Apricot Cranberry Glaze and had a bunch of ham leftovers that I wanted to use up in some keto ham soup recipes.
Using some of the ham leftovers in a soup recipe was a no-brainer, especially since I had a lovely ham bone to turn into a nice stock. I boiled the daylights out of that leftover ham bone until my broth was a hard block of gel when cooled, and then I used it in this delicious keto cauliflower & ham soup.
If you don’t have a ham bone (or any extra time) lying around, you could definitely make this keto cauliflower & ham soup with a store-bought chicken stock, but I’d toss in a couple of drops of liquid smoke to get a similar smoky flavor as a ham bone stock.
Even without the liquid smoke you’ll have nice flavor, but I’m a huge fan of liquid smoke ♨️ in low carb soup and sauce (mmm…BBQ) recipes, so you won’t go wrong if you pick some up. Just remember that a little goes a long way – one or two drops is usually all you need to get an authentic smoky flavor!
This keto cauliflower & ham soup couldn’t be easier to execute! All you need to do is simmer your cauliflower florets (I used frozen which was easy peasy) in the ham stock until tender, blend, then add the leftover ham and a few other ingredients!
I will say that an immersion blender is the easiest way to get the job done – you just plug it in, blend the cauliflower soup right in the pot, and then wash the attachment. No muss, no fuss.
You can also transfer the contents to a large blender and blend it that way – it’s a little more work but will definitely get the job done, leaving you with a silky and delicious cauliflower and ham soup!
This keto cauliflower & ham soup is hearty and comforting – it also reheats (even from the freezer) really, really well.
As a side note, I opted to make this low carb cauliflower soup recipe primarily dairy free as well – meaning it’s Whole30 and Squeaky Clean Keto compliant. You can also replace the butter with bacon fat or coconut oil if you’re strictly avoiding ALL dairy for any reason!
If you aren’t dairy free, then you can add a little heavy cream to this keto cauliflower and ham soup to make it even richer and more sumptuous – not that it needs it honestly!
This is the perfect keto cauliflower & ham soup recipe to help whittle off some pounds if you’ve overindulged a little – because it’s not only low carb, it also comes in at only 125 calories for a satisfying one and a half cup serving! That’s a win/win if I ever heard of one!
Perfect for lunch or dinner, this keto cauliflower and ham soup would be even more amazing with one of my low carb Sundried Tomato & Asiago Zucchini Muffins!
keto Cauliflower & Ham Soup – Low Carb
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This keto cauliflower & ham soup recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham! It’s also gluten free, dairy free, squeaky clean keto, Paleo, and even Whole 30 compliant!
Ingredients
- 6 cups cauliflower florets (frozen is fine – abut 24 oz)
- 6 cups ham stock or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 cups chopped ham
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 Tablespoons butter (or ghee, bacon fat, or coconut oil)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the cauliflower, stock, water, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large soup pot.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Blend in the pot with an immersion blender (or remove to a large blender and blend in batches then return to the pan) until smooth.
- Stir in the ham, and thyme leaves and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Add the butter and apple cider vinegar.
- Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: keto soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 125
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 5g net
- Protein: 13g
Liz says
Delicious soup, made according to recipe except used chicken broth. My husband even enjoyed and he normally doesn’t like cooked cauliflower. It’s also very quick and easy to make.
Michelle says
This was such an amazing recipe to find!! I used sweet italian pork sausage I had on hand and it was amazing!!! A little shredded mozzarella on top to give. A creamy swirl mixed in and it was delicious.
Josh says
I’ve made this soup three weeks in a row.
Week one: Exactly as is. It was fantastic
Week two: I cooked 4 strips of bacon till crispy, crushed them into bits, and then added them to the soup at the end when I added the ham. I used the bacon grease rather than butter. I also added about 3 cups of Kale and blended it along with the cauliflower (I needed to use up some kale). Not as good as week one… the Kale wasn’t a good idea.
Week three: I cooked 12 strips of thick cut bacon till crispy and crushed them into bits. Then, as I was blending the cauliflower I decided to also blend the bacon bits. End result was incredible. I added the bacon grease rather than butter.
Reason for adding bacon was I wanted to bump up the fat content. The flavor from week one wasn’t lacking but I mean when you add bacon and its grease of course it will taste better.
Cherry says
WOW! This is so good. I live in the mountains of NM and it’s already cool here so this soup really hit the spot! I didn’t have apple cider vinegar so I used balsamic. I also added heavy cream, red pepper flakes and arrow root to thicken it up. Had leftover ham steak that I added in and it was wonderful. I would normally make this exactly as directed but needed to use up some things I had in the fridge but the flavor was heaven even before I added in the extras. To top it off it was incredibly easy. I normally have to drive 45 min down the mountain for just 1 or 2 ingredients but these items are in most all lowcarber’s kitchen. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Cici says
I just made this with my leftover Easter ham bone & it is AWESOME!
I think you might have cornered the market on low carb recipes using ham bone broth! I ended up with 9 cups of stock, to instead of saving it for some other use, I expanded the recipe by 1/2 and it still came out fantastic!
Tammy says
I made this soup from our leftover Easter ham. Cauliflower is not my most favorite but i eat a lot of it because, you know, low carb. I loved this soup! The ham is the star in this soup and is delicious! Will make again. Thank you!
Tracy says
This is a delicious soup!! Even my picky 13 year old son loved it. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Judy Warner says
Thanks, Carolyn! Think I might use a couple of bone in pork chops. I will add the liquid smoke too. I love cauliflower soup. Sounds so good after all the food during Christmas.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hey Judy, I think you have me confused from Carolyn over at All Day I Dream About Food! Happens all the time! :) The bone in pork chops is a great idea as a sub for ham and to add a nice flavor to the broth! Enjoy!
Chris says
Not a huge cauliflower fan but this actually sounds amazing especially for low carb eaters. Will be giving this one a try. Thanks.
Wonderful and whimsical says
Looks delicious!