5:2 Low-cal Loaded Potato Soup (201 calories)

I'm dying in this summer heat, but still often make soups for diet days because they are so easy to make low cal! My husband and I are also getting over strep throat, and hot soup really hit the spot in spite of the sweltering temps.

A while back I was playing around with the creamy cauliflower sauce again, and used it as the base for a potato soup. I did not add much broth to the sauce this time, and the result is a very thick, creamy, potato-y soup base (made completely from cauliflower!). I threw in a few potato chunks for good measure, along with a little spinach and potato fixin's, and it turned into a wonderful Loaded Potato Soup at a fraction of the normal calories.

And as a bonus, I was surprised to find that this soup is extra filling! I suppose that's because the soup is mostly made of pureed veggies instead of just broth. 



(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything. Anything marked with an asterisk* may vary a lot based on what you buy, so make sure to compare your label.)

Low-cal Loaded Potato Soup

2 Tbsp. minced garlic (0)
2 Tbsp. butter (200)
6 cups water (0)
3 tsp./cubes chicken bouillon (8, most is drained)
5 cups cauliflower florets (125)

3 cup potatoes, 1/2" cubes (300)
2 cup spinach (14)
1/2 cup skim milk (40)
1 tsp. salt (0)
1/2 tsp. pepper (3)
1 tsp. chicken bouillon (5)

4 Tbsp. Real bacon bits (100*)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (10)


1) Sauté minced garlic in a medium pot (3-4 quart) over low heat. Cook several minutes, until the garlic is soft but not brown. Scrape the butter and garlic into your blender.

2) Fill the pot with water & bouillon and bring to a boil. Add cauliflower florets, cover and boil on medium heat for 10 minutes, until tender (don't drain). Use a slotted spoon to remove the cauliflower into the blender and add 2 cups of the broth.

3) Add the potatoes to the remaining broth in the pot and boil, covered, for 10 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, blend the cauliflower until smooth and creamy.

4) When the potatoes are done, drain off the broth. Add the blended cauliflower to the pot along with the spinach, skim milk, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes minutes to wilt the spinach and heat through. Serve, garnished with the bacon bits and green onion. Serves 4.

Calories - 201 for 1/4