When the weather drops down below freezing, the only thing that seems to hit the spot is something warm and comforting. Baked Potato Soup from Panera, while delicious, isn’t exactly macro-friendly. So, I set out to make my own lightened up version.
In this recipe, we’re swapping half of the white baking potatoes for pureed cauliflower to lower the carbs a bit and add lots of nutrients and fiber. (This is a great way to sneak veggies in for the little ones and picky husbands, too!) We are also using light sour cream and lowfat milk in the place of heavy cream and butter to drop the fat to almost nothing.
I’ve made this recipe three times now, and y’all, this last one was the winner! The previous two times I didn’t quite get the right ratios of cauliflower to potatoes – The soup came out too high in carbs, too runny, or with too much of a “cabbage-y” flavor that can sometimes come with added cauliflower. I’ve included the weights below but you should certainly adjust to your preferences.
At 2f / 20c / 5p per cup (110 calories), you can load your bowl of soup up with bacon and light cheese for all of the indulgence and none of the guilt! By comparison, Panera’s Baked Potato Soup comes in at 13 grams of fat and nearly 300 calories per cup, while Chili’s version clocks in at 17 grams of fat and 250 calories.
The protein for this soup is a little low for a main course. I recommend serving with a side of rotisserie chicken or mixing in some unflavored collagen protein for a more balanced meal.
Keep reading for the full recipe!
Loaded Cauliflower Baked Potato Soup (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 1400 g Russet potatoes about 4 potatoes
- 4 c chicken broth divided (1c and 3c)
- 24 oz cauliflower 2 steam-fresh bags
- 1 c fat free sour cream
- 3 c 1% reduced fat milk divided (2c and 1c)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch green onions
Instructions
- Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into 1" cubes.
- Add potatoes to InstantPot with 1c chicken broth and 3 peeled cloves of garlic.
- Set to manual cook for 8 min.
- Quick release steam.
- Steam cauliflower in the microwave.
- Place cauliflower, 2c milk, and sour cream in blender.
- Blend until pureed. Move to a bowl.
- Once potatoes are cooked, move potato, broth, and garlic mixture to the blender.
- Pulse to desired consistency.
- Pour blended cauliflower and potato mixture back into InstantPot.
- Set to crock-pot for 30 minutes or longer.
- Add in remaining broth and milk.
- Before serving, mix in green onions to taste.
Notes
