Skinny Baked Potato Soup

Technically you're supposed to start with baked potatoes in order to call something a baked potato soup but I realize that not everybody has spare baked potatoes lying around, you know? I prefer to call this a baked potato soup because it's a potato soup which contains sour cream and gets topped with baked potato toppings like salty bacon, melty cheese and green chives. 

Not using baked potatoes also cuts down on time since you can boil the cauliflower and potatoes together making this a quick weeknight meal. But by all means, if you have baked potatoes and want to use them, just add them in at the end after the cauliflower has cooked.

I made this "skinny" by using cauliflower in place of half the potatoes called for. Cauliflower brings more to the table than saving you a couple hundred calories though. It boosts the protein and fiber of the soup which makes you feel more satisfied when you get done. It also keeps you healthy with vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium and manganese. Yay, vegetables! And you can't taste it at all! I love cauliflower, but we are making baked potato soup soup here, so it might be a little strange if you could totally tell. You can't. It's perfect.

I did decide to add some cream, which is not figure friendly, but you need something to richen this up and a measly 1/4 cup total only adds about 45 calories to your serving. If you don't like this, use milk instead, just add more. Non-fat Greek yogurt is the main source used to cream it up and add the essential tang to the soup. It's a much better choice than traditional sour cream and brings other nice benefits like probiotics to the table.

Skinny Baked Potato Soup
serves 4-5

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 medium sized head cauliflower, chopped
2 Russet potatoes, medium diced
2 cups chicken broth
4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup cream or 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Toppings: bacon crumbles, cheddar cheese, chives

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add diced potatoes, cauliflower, chicken broth, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are just tender, about 25 minutes. 

Coarsely puree the soup with an immersion blender. I like it mostly smooth with a few lumps for texture. Turn the heat off and add cream and Greek yogurt. Stir to incorporate. Top with toppings of your choice.