Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
This cheesy cauliflower soup is thick and creamy but secretly loaded with vegetables! It’s a hearty soup that is filled with healthy ingredients!
I made this Broccoli Cheddar Soup over and over again this past winter and it’s one of my favorites, but I realized that I shouldn’t let broccoli have all the fun! I used that soup as the inspiration for this one and I have to say, I love how this turned out! I was able to use less milk and less cheddar and still achieve super creamy results by using a little trick: blending some of the soup and stirring it back into the pot. This creates a super thick base without needing lots of cheese.
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
- Butter– I recommend using butter but you can use vegan butter like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s, if needed.
- Carrots, Celery, & Onion– These chopped veggies are the typical base of a mirepoix and they add lots of vegetables and flavor to this soup.
- Garlic– Fresh garlic adds a deeper flavor to this soup. You can substitute with garlic powder, if needed.
- Smoked paprika– I like the deeper flavor that smoked paprika adds, but you can use regular paprika if that’s what you have.
- Flour– This helps thicken the soup and make it taste extra rich.
- Broth– I recommend a “chicken-style” broth which has more flavor than a typical vegetable broth, but is still made without meat.
- Milk– I used whole milk but any kind of milk is fine.
- Cheese– I like sharp cheddar. I recommend shredding a block of cheese rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents so it doesn’t melt a smoothly.
Substitutions & Variations
If you wanted to make this vegan, substitute vegan butter and vegan cheese. For the milk, I recommend using a creamy substitute like Ripple’s plant-based half and half.
You can switch up the toppings to customize each bowl. Top it with homemade croutons or add a splash of hot sauce. Sprinkle green onions for a fresh flavor or add a dollop of sour cream.
The Best Cheese for Cauliflower Soup
For this recipe, I used sharp cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar has a lot of flavor so you get a big flavor boost without needing to add a lot of cheese. I strongly recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it with a cheese grater, rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese typically includes anti-caking agents to prevent it from sticking together, but that also prevents it from melting into the soup. (If you’ve ever noticed shredded cheese feeling slightly “powdery” that’s the anti-caking agent.) For the best results, shred a block of cheese.
How to Blend Hot Soup
- Be careful when transferring hot soup! Let the soup cool slightly before trying to transfer it to a blender. Don’t attempt to pour boiling soup since it could splash and burn you!
- Let the steam escape. After you’ve safely transferred it to a traditional blender, be sure to use the vent in the lid of the blender to allow steam to escape while blending. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent splatters.
- Do NOT try to blend hot soup in a bullet style blender. These blenders must be airtight before blending and hot soup can literally explode. If you want to use a bullet blender to blend soup, it must be cold or room temperature.
What to Serve With Cauliflower Soup
If you want to serve this soup as a main dish, I recommend pairing it with a salad like this chopped vegetable salad and a slice of sourdough bread. If you wanted to serve this as a side dish, try it paired with this chipotle black bean burger or enjoy it with a plate of this butternut squash and sage pasta!
More Cauliflower Recipes
PrintCheesy Cauliflower Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This cheesy cauliflower soup is thick and creamy but secretly loaded with vegetables! It’s a hearty soup that is filled with healthy ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup chopped carrots
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 small head cauliflower (about 4 cups chopped)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large pot or dutch oven and heat over medium-low heat until melted.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Add garlic and paprika and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add flour and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Add broth and cauliflower and simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is softened.
- Remove from heat.
- Carefully transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender and blend until smooth. (See blog post for tips on blending hot soup.)
- Add the blended soup back to the pot and add the milk and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Keywords: cheesy cauliflower soup
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Do you have to put it in a blender? Can you just eat it without blending it!
This has been a lunch time stable this winter!
★★★★★
Anything that has cauliflower is definitely delicious. This soup is perfect for cold weather.
★★★★★
This soup is so warm and hearty! The tips really helped guide me through the process to make it as simple and easy as possible. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
I love the hidden veggies!
★★★★★
What a great recipe – I almost put the soup in my bullet blender and luckily remembered your advice. Little details like that make life a lot easier! Soup was delicious!
★★★★★