Cauliflower Bacon Chowder with Tbsp Arrowroot

Serves 6 in about 34 minutes. The pot starts with bay leaf, then heavy cream.

Ingredients

• ½ lb thick cut bacon, (about 5 slices) chopped in bite sized pieces
• 2 tbsps butter
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 ½ lbs head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tbsp arrowroot (or use corn starch, or potato starch)
• 1-2 tbsp cold water

Method

1. Turn on the Sauté feature of your pressure cooker (med/normal heat). Stir in the bacon and cook until done. Move to a paper towel and discard all but 2 tsps of the fat.
2. Stir in the butter, onion, and bay leaf to the pot and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the onion turns translucent. You might need to splash in a little bit of broth to help get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pot (deglaze).
3. Tip in the garlic, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 1 instant, or less if it gets fragrant, while stirring the whole time. Don't let the garlic burn.
4. Mix in the chicken broth.
5. Tip in the cauliflower and 2/3 of the reserved bacon (saving 1/3 for garnish). Stir.
6. Set the lid on the pot and lock in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
7. Cancel the Sauté function.
8. Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button, or use dial, and then the + or - to choose 4 minutes. When cooking cycle finishes, let the pot sit and enter the Natural Release (Keep Warm) phase for 10 minutes.
9. Turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining pressure from the pot (on the Ultra, push the button). When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid and stir the soup.
10. Lift out the bay leaf.
11. Mix in the arrowroot slurry.
12. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don't have one, use a potato masher to mash up the cauliflower pieces.
13. Mix in the heavy cream.
14. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
15. Plate hot, garnished with the reserved bacon.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.