Cheddar Kielbasa Soup
There was a sale on Boars Head Kielbasa and I grabbed 6 of them. I know, I know…I’m crazy like that.
Ssshhhh….Don’t tell Peter.
Immediately I thought of soups I could make with all this kielbasa. Already a huge hit in The Kellie Kitchen, Sauerkraut Soup was certainly part of the cooking and meal planning for the month.
But I had to come up with more ideas….6lbs of kielbasa is a lot!
I started thinking about Cheddar Brat Soup, but kielbasa and bratwurst are not the same. I even went to the supermarket to check out Bratwurst options.
…sorry to report that I could not find a single brand of bratwurst that was not filled with crap.
Kielbasa vs Bratwurst
To be honest I was not sure of the technical differences between the two sausage types of meats.
This guy seems to give a great run down showing all the differences between kielbasa vs bratwurst.
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How To make Cheddar Kielbasa Soup
- In a large Dutch oven, cook onion and celery in hot butter until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in sliced kielbasa to start to brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes.
- Next stir in Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard and cook for 2 minutes more. Next, add in cauliflower and then carefully stir in chicken broth.
- Bring to boiling and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
- Stir in cream. Heat and stir until the mixture almost comes to a simmer again. Add the 3 cups cheese and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir until the cheese is melted.
- Taste for seasoning and add a touch of salt if needed. If you want your soup to be slightly thicker you can add ¼-½ tsp glucomannan at this time.
- If you want your soup to be slightly thicker you can add ¼-½ tsp glucomannan at this time. I like my soups to be thicker, so I do not skip this step.
- Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with more cheese or pepper, if you like. Makes 8-10 servings.
What is Glucomannan?
I originally came across Glucomannan as a dietary supplement. While I was not looking to use it as a supplement, I had never thought of using it in my cooking…but it makes sense.
It’s a highly dense vegetable fiber that absorbs liquid.
Glucomannan is fiber extracted from the konjac root, also known as elephant yam.
This is the same ingredient that’s used in shiritaki noodles. It is often sold as a dietary supplement, and you will readily find the Glucomannen capsules sold in most vitamins or dietary supplement aisles.
However, for cooking you will need to buy the loose powder that I find on amazon and sometimes in the baking aisle.
Glucomannan is a great thickener and a little goes a long way in this Soup. Word to the wise…don’t overdo the glucomannan.
For my keto soups, I found that about ¼ teaspoon per cup of liquid produces the right thickness.
Add your glucomannan to your soup to thicken it up. After 5-7 minutes of cooling, if you need to add a smidge more (seriously, just a smidge) then do so and stir to full combine.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 16 oz kielbasa fully cooked Polish sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup cream
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (12 ounces)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp glucomannan optional thickener
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese or coarsely ground pepper optional
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, cook onion and celery in hot butter until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in sliced kielbasa to start to brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes.
- Next stir in Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard and cook for 2 minutes more. Next, add in cauliflower and then carefully stir in chicken broth.
- Bring to boiling and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
- Stir in cream. Heat and stir until the mixture almost comes to a simmer again. Add the 3 cups cheese and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir until the cheese is melted.
- Taste for seasoning and add a touch of salt if needed. If you want your soup to be slightly thicker you can add ¼-½ tsp glucomannan at this time.
- If you want your soup to be slightly thicker you can add ¼-½ tsp glucomannan at this time. I like my soups to be thicker, so I do not skip this step.
- Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with more cheese or pepper, if you like. Makes 8-10 servings.
Notes
Nutrition
MEDICAL AND NUTRITION DISCLAIMER…Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nutritional break downs are done using a commercial nutrition calculator. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctorbefore starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers, this should never be construed as medical advice.