This Skinny Stuffed Baked Potato Soup is so rich and creamy that no one will know it’s low carb and healthy. When I think of comfort food, I think of soups, creamy rich foods, and carbs. Especially during the winter months, my body craves richer foods. So, I’ve been working on creating lighter versions of traditionally high-carb comfort food like this rich and creamy soup with lots of toppings. Sponsored by Peapod.
My son loves stuffed baked potatoes, so this Skinny Stuffed Baked Potato Soup is something I came up with one recent snowy day so we could both satisfy our carb cravings, just in a healthier way. I created this loaded baked potato recipe for Peapod as part of their healthier comfort food theme.
Inevitably when you ask someone what their favorite comfort food is, they will say something high in carbs, creamy and often cheesy – pasta, pizza, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, mashed potatoes or French fries.
This skinny stuffed baked potato soup checks all the boxes on comfort food – it tastes like it’s high in carbs, it’s creamy and cheesy. The two secret ingredients in this recipe are cauliflower and cashew nuts. Roasted cauliflower stands in for most of the potatoes that would normally be in a loaded baked potato soup, and cashew nuts blended into this soup create a creaminess that mimics dairy.
I made a creamy roasted cauliflower chestnut soup a few years ago for a healthy cooking demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America, and one of the “judges” noted the dairy notes in the soup although no dairy was used. During that two-day event, one of the chefs suggested I try adding pine nuts to the soup for creaminess.
Instead of pine nuts, I used raw cashews in this skinny stuffed baked potato soup recipe. Cashews are naturally creamy and I’ve made cashew milk and cashew cream before by simply blending raw cashews with water. It has a nice creamy, sweet taste.
Bacon bits are key to a loaded stuffed baked potato, so I made some homemade turkey bacon bits as a topping for this soup. Minced turkey bacon is sautéed in a cold skillet until crispy and browned.
This loaded stuffed baked potato soup is so rich and creamy, no one will ever guess that cauliflower or cashews are in this soup.
Skinny Loaded Stuffed Baked Potato Soup
This low carb version of a favorite comfort food is so rich and creamy that no one will know it’s actually healthy.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 head cauliflower (cut into florets, 1 pound or 4 cups)
1 small onion (chopped, 1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery (chopped, 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium russet potato (peeled, cut into 1/2" pieces)
salt and black pepper (to taste)
Toppings
5 strips turkey bacon
5 tablespoons reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 scallion (chopped)
5 tablespoons low-fat Greek yogurt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
Heat remaining oil in large saucepan. Add onion, celery and garlic. Sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add 4 cups chicken broth, cashews, thyme, roasted cauliflower and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add more chicken broth to cover vegetables as needed.
Place vegetables and soup in blender and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in two batches.
Turkey Bacon Bits
Finely mince turkey bacon. Place in cold skillet and turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until bacon bits are browned and crisp. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.
To Serve
Ladle pureed soup into serving bowls. Top with turkey bacon bits, shredded cheese, chopped scallion and Greek yogurt.
You can substitute a leftover baked potato for the potato in this recipe. Just scoop out the inside of the baked potato and add to the soup to reheat.
If you like this Skinny Loaded Stuffed Baked Potato Soup, you might also like these healthy comfort food recipes on From The Pod:
Comforting & Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Parmesan
Healthy Cream of Mushroom Soup
The post Skinny Stuffed Baked Potato Soup appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.