Roasted Cauliflower and Crab Chowder

Roasted Cauliflower and Crab Chowder.jpg

Serves 4

This delicious and healthy chowder is a full meal on it’s own.  It’s so rich and creamy you’d swear it included some type of cream but it doesn’t.  It’s naturally gluten-free, low carb, high-protein and very filling.  My entire family loved it and so will yours.  Couldn’t be more perfect for warming up on these cold winter nights!

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut up, including the core
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 leeks, sliced thinly, white and light green parts only
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 4 cups organic broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 cup water
  • ½-1 cup nut milk of your choice (or organic whole milk if not dairy-free)
  • 2 tbsp. Ghee or grass-fed organic butter (optional)
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 ½-2 cups fresh crabmeat
  • ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • Fresh sage leaves toasted as garnish

Preparation: 

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Place chopped cauliflower on baking sheet.  Drizzle or toss with ½ the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 25 minutes until just browned.  Remove from oven.
  • Lower oven to 250 degrees.  Place pumpkin seeds and sage on another baking sheet.  Spray, toss or drizzle with olive oil.  Then sprinkle or toss seeds with paprika and toss or sprinkle sage with salt.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.
  • In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the rest of the olive oil.  Add the onion, leeks, garlic and celery.  Sauté until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Season mixture with salt and then add the roasted cauliflower and toss until it’s completely coated with the onion mixture.  Cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups of the chicken broth and the water.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.  
  • Using a stick blender, puree to your preferred consistency.  I like to keep it a little chunky.  If adding the ghee or butter, add it now.  Season to taste by adding salt and pepper.  Then add the rest of the broth and milk.  Finally gently stir in the crab and continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes until hot.
  • When ready to serve, garnish with a little extra crab meat, sage and spicy pumpkin seeds.
  • Enjoy!