I want you to understand something right now. I love this effing soup. Love love love love it. It’s easy to make and it would be delicious with any sort of meat. I think next time I’m going to make it then add pulled rotisserie chicken to it. It’s my new best friend. My soup friend.
I need to talk something over with you. Because I’m becoming one of those stressed out brides. Which is why we booked a destination wedding in the first place: so it wouldn’t be stressful. But I can’t help but start to feel that way now that it’s only 3 months away. I think I’m just nervous that I’m going to forget something that’s important and since we’ll be in Jamaica, I won’t have it available. And since 3 months comes so effing quickly, I have to start figuring out the little things. Like a veil and gifts for guests and a playlist and swimsuits and makeup and outfits and jewelry and what the guys are wearing…and what MY guy is wearing. They are totally little things that aren’t worth stressing over, but I can’t help but feel that way.
I’ve even started stressing out about looking my best in my wedding dress. I haven’t felt that way or stressed out about my weight/body in a looooong time, but I can’t help but worry about it. My dress isn’t exactly forgiving and I want it to look just right, so I keep finding myself worrying about it. Which is stupid because I’ve been working out HARD for the past 6 years. There’s really nothing different I could do at this point to change anything. Or want to change anything. What’s wrong with me!? I’m getting married to a man I completely adore, in a beautiful place with only a handful of guests who are our close friends. I need to get a massage or something…because eating an entire cake to relieve that stress is just not an option right now. Damnit.
Enough about annoying insecurities, those are the worst, let’s talk about fun girly stuff. I’m playing dress up today with Cassy from Fed and Fit in San Antonio! Being in this warmer, sunny weather is really helping me change around my attitude. I’m serious. Anywho, we are wearing girly little numbers and all kinds over-the-top jewelry during a photo/video shoot today. She’s the best. Have you ever met this girl? She has the absolute best taste in style. Whenever I hang out with her, I end up going home and buying a bunch of clothing that I wouldn’t have worn otherwise because she showed me how it could stylish. She’s wonderful. And her personality is even better. Can’t wait to show you what we are working on!
But enough about girly crap, go make this soup.
Creamy Cauliflower Shrimp Chowder
- Yield: 5-6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 1/2 pound bacon (I used peppered bacon for extra flavor), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (may use more depending on salt in the bacon and broth)
- 6 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- for garnish: olive oil and fresh parsley
Instructions
- Steam cauliflower then set aside.
- Place a dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove then set aside on a paper towel. Remove excess bacon fat from dutch oven leaving behind 2-3 tablespoons.
- Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with salt. Add shrimp to the dutch oven and cook on both sides, about 2-3 minutes until shrimp is pink. Remove and set aside.
- Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic cloves to the pot and use a wood spatula to scrape the bacon of the pan and toss the veggies. Once onion becomes translucent, add garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano and thyme and salt. Stir for about 1 minute in the veggies.
- Add chicken broth and bay leaves to the pot.
- Add cauliflower to a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Scoop out cauliflower puree into the dutch oven along with 1/2 the bacon. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.*
- Remove bay leaves and add fresh parsley then use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth and combine. Lastly, add the shrimp back to the back to the pot to heat through.
- Top each bowl of soup with fresh parsley, bacon and a swirl of olive oil.
Notes
*I pureed the cauliflower first instead of doing it with an immersion blender later because it gives it a much smoother consistency. You could always puree the cauliflower later with everything else, I just prefer the consistency of the high speed blender.
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Stop. I have all of these ingredients! This will be dinner tonight yay! 🙂
It’s natural to be stressed out because there are so many things to remember. You love lists though! Start your list now, and carry it with you so that anytime you think of anything else you can add it. Sometimes you’ll think there is something new, and it’s already on the list. Then you can rest assured that everything is on there and you wont forget. I am SO excited to see pictures and your dress! You’re body is banging, you have NOTHING to worry about there. Thanks for everything you do Juli, your blog is the only one I read everyday 🙂
so true, lists totally calm me down. i need to get on theknot.com and start looking at their lists to help with my own! and thank you so much for the support, you’re the best!! i needed that pep talk lol!
This looks like the ultimate comfort food- I’m droooooling over here!
Oh yeah! I just bought some cauliflower today. Will have to get the other ingredients though. I love cauli soup, but this is like the Queen of cauliflower soups. Thanks! :o)
I remember my dress being this gorgeous off the shoulder princess thing with a train… and the sleeves were supposed to stay OVER my arms… they never did. And I don’t recall even thinking about it during the wedding!!! It’s funny how we stress about so many details before the wedding – and then recall nothing but the ceremony (or some parts of it) and exhausted ride to the hotel for the wedding night (or is that only me??). Don’t sweat the details – plan as much as you can, then let go. Seriously – just breathe. In the end, all that matters is that you say “I do”.
FYI: any recipe that calls for 1.5 POUNDS of bacon better be awesome!
hahaha yeah i went a little over the top with the bacon, but it’s totally worth it!!
Dude. You remember how many of us look at your photos on here and on IG and say, “How can we get that body?” Like, so many of us that you wrote a whole, totally helpful and inspiring post about it? You’re going to look gorgeous, no doubt. And all those little things…I mean, gift bags are totally fun, but if they happen to get left in CO, you are still going to be married to the love of your life! I totally feel you though. I didn’t even WANT a wedding (my mother made me have one) and all we invited was immediate family and it was seriously low-key, but I still got so stressed with all the phone calls to make and all that…I get how the stress happens. For sure. But it is going to be amazing for you!
Can’t WAIT to try this recipe!!!
I’m getting married in May and I’m starting to get stressed about it. There are SO many tiny little things that have to be planned and most of them I don’t even care about. I understand why people get wedding planners. Plus, my fiance is Canadian so I’m crossing my fingers his visa comes through in time! Yikes. Anyways, that soup looks delicious, and I don’t ever think that about soup, so I will definitely have to give it try!
omg the visa part would definitely be SO stressful! hope everything goes well!!
Allergic to shrimp here, if I was going to use chicken would you recommend that I just add it at the end instead of cooking it like you did with the shrimp? I am thinking yes, but want to be sure! and Ditto to what everyone else said above. I try not to be envious of other peoples bodies because we are each our own but I know you work out hard and you still eat some pretty amazing stuff and enjoy your life. Just remember, the wedding is ONE day. Don’t get caught up on the small stuff. We are coming up on our 5 year and I remember the day a an amazing day but it was a day. Worry about the memories you will make that day than whether or not he wore a blue or a grey tie… 🙂 Good luck!
yes, just cook it the same as the shrimp, but I would recommend adding it back to the soup before you cook it for 15 minutes, that will help thoroughly cook the chicken and keep it moist! thanks for the positivity!
the only thing to worry about is whether you both get on the plane. in the end the rest is just icing on the cake. i look back at my wedding a gazillion years ago…well 8. and laugh. theknot will make you neurotic as they make all theses lists of things you never even thought of nor need. you look amazing so stop obsessing and walk the dog.
very very true lol
Made it tonight. Very good!!