This hearty Ham, Hominy, and Cauliflower Chowder is an original recipe by cooks from Taste the World Cookbook. It’s a hearty dish that uses a Cauliflower Purée base. The cheese is melted into the purée, then the ham, hominy, and cauliflower florets are added.
Table of contents
Ways to Make Chowder
The star of this recipe is the cauliflower purée. Although we used ham and hominy for this recipe, you can use other meats and vegetables. Some of the most popular combinations are (clam & potato), (bacon & corn), and (chicken & mushroom).
You will need to adjust your cooking times if you use other meats or root vegetables that take longer to cook. Don’t cook raw meat in the chowder but instead pre-cook it before adding it to the chowder.
How to Store Leftover Ham, Hominy, and Cauliflower Chowder
Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Unfortunately, this chowder will not freeze well because of the milk in it. When you reheat the chowder, the liquid in it will take on a grainy texture. The only way to avoid that is to substitute the milk for non-dairy milk (almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, ect…).
History of Chowder
Chowder is a type of soup or stew often prepared with milk or cream. The origin of the chowder is obscure but it’s believed that it was brought to North America by immigrants from England and France and seafarers more than 250 years ago. In 1890, in the magazine American Notes and Queries, it was said that the dish was of French origin.
Although we found thousands of recipes for ham and cauliflower chowder/soup, we couldn’t find any that included hominy with it. When we developed this recipe we gave it a little bit of southwest flair by incorporating hominy and jalapeno peppers into it. That is why Phoenix has been geotagged for this recipe, it’s where the Test Kitchen for Taste the World Cookbook is located.
The Metropolitan City of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and the hub of the southwestern U.S. Known for its year-round sun and warm temperatures, it anchors a sprawling, multicity metropolitan area known as the Valley of the Sun.
A Brief History of Phoenix, Arizona
The Hohokam people occupied the Phoenix area for 2,000 years. They created roughly 135 miles (217 kilometers) of irrigation canals, making the desert land arable, and paths of these canals were used for the Arizona Canal, Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct. They also carried out extensive trade with the nearby Ancient Puebloans, Mogollon, and Sinagua, as well as with the more distant Mesoamerican civilizations. It is believed periods of drought and severe floods between 1300 and 1450 led to the Hohokam civilization’s abandonment of the area.
The history of the city of Phoenix begins with Jack Swilling, a Confederate veteran of the Civil War who prospected in the nearby mining town of Wickenburg in the newly formed Arizona Territory. As he traveled through the Salt River Valley in 1867, he saw a potential for farming to supply Wickenburg with food. The railroad’s arrival in the valley in the 1880s was the first of several events that made Phoenix a trade center whose products reached eastern and western markets.
On February 14, 1912, Phoenix became a state capital, as Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state under President William Howard Taft. In 1920, Phoenix would see its first skyscraper, the Heard Building and in 1929, Sky Harbor was officially opened.
Phoenix has maintained a growth streak in recent years, growing by 24.2% before 2007. This made it the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, surpassed only by Las Vegas.
Tourism in Phoenix
With more than 62,000 hotel rooms in over 500 hotels and 40 resorts, greater Phoenix sees over 16 million visitors each year, most of whom are leisure travelers. It’s known for high-end spa resorts, golf courses, and vibrant nightclubs. Other highlights include the Desert Botanical Garden, displaying cacti and numerous native plants.
There are many attractions near Phoenix, such as Agua Fria National Monument, Arcosanti, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Lost Dutchman State Park, Montezuma’s Castle, and Montezuma’s Well, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
Arizona is home to many famous attractions such as the Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu, Meteor Crater, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, Tombstone, Kartchner Caverns, Sedona, and Lowell Observatory.
The Cuisine of Phoenix
Like many other western cities, Phoenix’s earliest restaurants were often steakhouses. Today, Phoenix is also renowned for its Mexican food, thanks to its large Hispanic population and its proximity to Mexico. Some of Phoenix’s restaurants have a long history.
Phoenix boasts cuisines from all over the world, such as barbecue, Cajun/Creole, Greek, Hawaiian, Irish, Japanese, sushi, Italian, fusion, Persian, Indian (South Asian), Korean, Spanish, Thai, Chinese, southwestern, Tex-Mex, Vietnamese, Brazilian, and French food.
– Featured Restaraunt –
Taylor’s Chowder House
3538 W Calavar Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85053
Telephone: +1 (602) 978-1815
Clam chowder, fried fish & broiled seafood are served at this eatery with whimsical nautical decor.
How to Make This Hearty Ham, Cauliflower, and Hominy Chowder Recipe
In this recipe, you will use ¾ of the cauliflower florets to make the puree base and ¼ to remain whole for the chowder. If you want to give it a little more southwest flavor, add some chopped jalapeno peppers to the chowder.
What You Need to Make Ham, Cauliflower, and Hominy Chowder
Equipment
- 1 Soup Pot
- 1 Blending Machine
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
For the Cauliflower Purée
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- 3 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ½ lbs. cauliflower florets, chopped
For the Chowder
- 1 cup cooked ham, cubed
- 1 cup hominy
- ½ cup mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- jalapeno peppers, optional
Garnish With
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- red chili flakes
How to Cook Ham, Hominy, and Cauliflower Chowder
Time needed: 1 hour
Cooking Directions
- For the Cauliflower Purée:
In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Prep the Cauliflower:
Stir in the flour and cook for 30-60 seconds longer. Slowly whisk in the milk and the broth. Add the salt. Bring to a light simmer, then add the cauliflower.
- Cook the Cauliflower:
Cover the pot and cook until the cauliflower is tender about 15 minutes. Remove ¼ of the cauliflower to reserve for chowder.
- Purée the Cauliflower:
Working in batches, transfer ¾ of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the soup pot.
- For the Chowder:
Stir in the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the ham, hominy, remaining cauliflower, and jalapeno peppers (optional) and heat until the ham is fully heated.
- Garnish With:
Serve warm and garnish with parmesan cheese and red chili flakes as desired.
You can store the leftover Ham, Cauliflower, and Hominy Chowder for up to 4 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
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Hearty Ham, Cauliflower, and Hominy Chowder
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Equipment
- 1 Soup Pot
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower Purée
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- 3 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ½ lbs. cauliflower florets chopped
For the Chowder
- 1 cup ham cooked and cubed
- 1 cup hominy
- ½ cup white mushrooms chopped
- 3 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup jalapeño pepper optional
Garnish With
- parmesan cheese shredded
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
For the Cauliflower Purée
- In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.2 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup yellow onion, 1 clove garlic
- Stir in the flour and cook for 30-60 seconds longer. Slowly whisk in the milk and the broth. Add the salt. Bring to a light simmer, then add the cauliflower.¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 cup milk, 3 cup vegetable broth, 1 tsp salt, 2 ½ lbs. cauliflower florets
- Cover the pot and cook until the cauliflower is tender about 15 minutes. Remove ¼ of the cauliflower to reserve for chowder.
- Working in batches, transfer ¾ of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the soup pot.
For the Chowder
- Stir in the cheese and it's melted then stir in the ham, hominy, remaining cauliflower, and jalapeno peppers (optional) and heat until the ham is heated through.1 cup ham, 1 cup hominy, ½ cup white mushrooms, 3 cup cheddar cheese, ¼ cup jalapeño pepper
Garnish With
- Garnish with parmesan cheese, and red chili flakes as desired.parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper
Notes
- Store the leftover chowder in an airtight covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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Photo Credits:
- By Taste The World Cookbook – Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
- By Taylor’s Chowder House – By https://www.facebook.com/Taylors-Chowder-House-154961056418/
- By Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55772954
- By Visitor7 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30097600
