Yeah. To be more clear, you can install a "minimal" system of Ubuntu on bare metal by just installing the "required" packages only, although I think the default if you don't select any tasks in the installer is to install "required" + "standard", which is a small amount more than just "required". Either way, it doesn't include much. I have to install openssh-server on my "nothing-but-standard" systems, before chef comes in and drags along another 1000 packages.

The installs the OP is talking about are images that don't even have a kernel, and don't use the traditional installer.