Is there an "install without bloatware" option for Ubuntu?
Solution 1:
Most Ubuntu flavours at 18.04 now support a "minimal" install option. This would install a browser and a small number of system utilities but most of the apps would be removed.
Solution 2:
You should try installation from netboot mini.iso and use installed system everywhere where you need - in VM, on server or on desktop.
You can select software with tasksel here (including manual package selection).
Note: do not use tasksel to remove packages from the system (see this post for details)!