PALEO SMOKY HAM CHOWDER

Paleo Smoky Ham Chowder image

I was trying to use up a ham shank and honor my New Year's resolution to eat low-carb. The result is a yummy and hearty winter soup, chock-full of rich, smoky flavor and chunks of veggies and ham. You won't even miss the carbs!

Provided by Spexgirl

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Chowders

Time 2h10m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup diced yellow onion
½ cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 (1 1/2) pound meaty ham shank
3 cups diced sweet potato, or more to taste, divided
1 head cauliflower, chopped, divided
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, or to taste

Steps:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onion and celery; saute until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl.
Add broth and ham shank to the same pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until ham is tender and falling off the bone, about 1 hour. Transfer ham and bone to a plate. Chop ham when cool enough to handle. Discard bone.
Add onion mixture to the broth, along with 1/2 of the sweet potato, 1/2 of the cauliflower, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf, and use emulsion blender to blend until smooth.
Add remaining potatoes and cauliflower and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add ham, liquid smoke, salt, and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 333.7 calories, Carbohydrate 16.7 g, Cholesterol 60.9 mg, Fat 21.7 g, Fiber 3.8 g, Protein 17.7 g, SaturatedFat 6.7 g, Sodium 976.3 mg, Sugar 5.2 g