Cauliflower Cheese Soup

You’ll love our super easy creamy cauliflower soup! Not only is it gluten-free, but it’s also keto and low carb, which will have everyone coming back for seconds!

Let’s be real here, cauliflower soup may not be high on your list of recipes that you are dying to make, but I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised when you try how creamy and delicious ours is.

Trust me guys, it’s really really good! It’s completely vegetarian, low carb, and we even have a dairy-free option below. One of the most important steps though is to roast the cauliflower first, it really brings out the flavor. 

If you are a fan of veggie soups, then this one should be tried, oh and don’t forget the classic broccoli cheddar soup. Ours is delicious!! (She said humbly….hahaha).

What is Cauliflower Soup?

Roasted cauliflower soup is a delicious low carb soup made out of cauliflower, herbs, vegetable broth, and cream cheese. By roasting the cauliflower it adds a lot of flavors, without giving you the starchiness from potatoes.

Anyone who normally doesn’t like eating cauliflower will love it!

Is Cauliflower Soup Keto-Friendly?

Sure thing! Cauliflower soup is a great keto-friendly option. Why? It’s full of cauliflower, herbs, vegetable broth, and some cream cheese to make it extra creamy. All of these ingredients are low carb and perfect when on a keto diet.

How many carbs are there in our cream of cauliflower soup? One ¾ cup serving has only 5.9 NET CARBS. 

Honestly, I found that you can’t really eat much more than ¾ -1 cup of cauliflower soup because it’s rich and pretty filling.

What Ingredients are in Creamy Cauliflower Soup?

• Cauliflower – Large head of fresh cauliflower, but into small-medium-sized pieces. 
• Olive Oil – 2 tbsp drizzled over the cauliflower before roasting, and 2 tbsp used to saute the veggies and spices. 
• Onion & Celery – Chopped then sauteed with olive oil and spices.  
• Garlic – I used fresh minced garlic. 
• Spices – Salt, Pepper, and Ground Thyme
• Vegetable Broth – Make sure you read the label if using boxed broth, some contain gluten. 
• Cream Cheese –  This is used to help thicken the soup and to give it a real creamy texture.

Fresh or Frozen Cauliflower for this Soup?

Fresh!!! Honestly, fresh cauliflower is far superior when making this roasted cauliflower soup. Especially when you roast it, the flavors really come out. 

If you only have frozen cauliflower, then go ahead and use it. It still will taste good but I always prefer fresh.

Different Variations of Cauliflower Soup

Cheese Options

Everything is better with cheddar, or at least that’s how I feel. However, here is a list of some cheeses you can add to make the soup taste good:

• Cheddar 
• Colby Jack 
• Parmesan 
• Pepper Jack 

Toppings Options

• Cheddar Cheese 
• Crumbled Bacon 
• Fresh Parsley 
• Chopped Scallions 
• Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt 
• Chopped Chives

Vegan Option

To make this cauliflower soup vegan, it’s actually not too hard at all. We already use vegetable broth, but clearly, the cream cheese is the problem. 

All you need to do is replace the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese or with full-fat coconut milk. I told you it was easy.

How to Make Cheesy Keto Cauliflower Soup from Scratch

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

STEP 2: Cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil, and roast for 20 minutes.

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STEP 3: In the meantime, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a dutch oven or stockpot. Turn onto medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and spices. Stir together and cook until the veggies are tender. 

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STEP 4: Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to the dutch oven.

STEP 5: Add the vegetable broth and let simmer for 10 minutes.

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STEP 6: Now add the cream cheese and stir.

STEP 7: Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.

STEP 8: Serve and garnish with bacon and cheddar cheese.

FAQs & Best Tips

Here are a few tips to make the recipe come out great every time:

• Roast the cauliflower first. It enhances the flavors of all the ingredients in the soup. 
• Add in extra seasoning as needed. 
• Use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to get the right consistency.

How to Make it Creamier and Thicker?

8 oz of cream cheese made our batch of low carb cauliflower soup PLENTY thick!! However, if you need yours to be thicker, you can do any of the following: 

• Add ½ tsp xanthan gum 
• Add heavy cream 
• Add shredded cheddar cheese

How to Make it Smoother?

I use my immersion blender because I found it’s the easiest and it gets nice and smooth. However, if you are finding it just isn’t smooth enough, then transfer the cauliflower soup in batches to a regular blender or food processor to get it super smooth.

Fixing Bland Soup

Ok, we all know that bland soup just isn’t good at all. But if it’s bland don’t worry, it’s an easy fix. I tend to always try my soup as it’s cooking to see what it needs. 

Try adding in more salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir it again and taste. I recommend starting with ½ tsp of each spice and go from there.

Can I Make Cauliflower Soup in an Instant Pot?

1. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the cut cauliflower. Then roast the cauliflower at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
2. Add the onions, garlic, celery, spices, cauliflower, and broth to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 8 minutes, then do a quick release.
3. Now add the cream cheese, and puree using an immersion blender or regular blender.
4. Serve and garnish with bacon and cheddar cheese.

Can I Make Roasted Cauliflower Soup in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, you absolutely can make this roasted cauliflower soup in a slow cooker. I still recommend roasting the cauliflower ahead of time, to really bring out the flavor in the cauliflower. 

1. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the cut cauliflower. Then roast the cauliflower at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
2. Add the onions, garlic, celery, spices, cauliflower, and broth to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. 
3. Now add the cream cheese, and puree using an immersion blender or regular blender. 
4. Serve and garnish with bacon and cheddar cheese.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Gluten-Free: We don’t use any flour in our cheesy cauliflower soup, so it’s 100% gluten-free. 
• Vegetarian: I chose not to use any bacon, or chicken broth in our keto cauliflower soup recipe so that it’s a perfect vegetarian recipe. 
• Dairy-Free: As you can probably see we use cream cheese to help make the cauliflower cheese soup nice and creamy. If you are dairy-free then replace the cream cheese with dairy-free cream cheese or full-fat coconut milk.

Cauliflower Soup Nutrition

If you are looking for some nutrition facts on cauliflower, and our cauliflower soup read below: 

How Many Calories?

• For a ¾ cup serving of roasted cauliflower soup it has only 123 CALORIES.

Benefits of Cauliflower

Cauliflower has turned into a pretty common ingredient in not only Keto and Low Carb recipes, but also just for those who are just trying to eat healthier. Since it’s very versatile it can be made into pizza crusts, rice, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and of course it’s used to make this delicious creamy cauliflower soup.

According to Healthline there are many good health benefits that come with adding Cauliflower to your diet. Here’s just a few:

• VITAMIN C: Cauliflower is rich in this vitamin and in just 1 cup it provides over 70% of your daily vitamin C needs. Because this is an immune-boosting vitamin, it’s important that we add foods that are loaded in it. 
• VITAMIN K: Cauliflower also has vitamin K in it which helps to prevent blood clotting, improves bone and skeletal muscle health, and helps build a healthy metabolism.
• HELPS REDUCE INFLAMMATION: Cauliflower is considered to be a Cruciferous Vegetable, which is known for its high source of antioxidants. These antioxidants, like beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and quercetin all help to reduce oxidative stress and to boost the immune system. 
• IT COULD HELP LOWER THE RISK OF CANCER: According to the National Cancer Institute, research has shown that people who ate greater amounts of cruciferous vegetables had a lower risk of several cancers.

What to Serve with Creamy Cauliflower Soup?

My favorite way to serve this creamy cauliflower soup is to add a handful of grated cheddar, chopped bacon, and some fresh chives. Other great toppings or sides are: 

• Keto Dinner Rolls – perfect for dunking into this cauliflower soup 
• Low Carb Crackers – many people love having crackers with their soups. 
• Fresh Herbs – parsley, thyme, and chives work great 
• Salads – salad goes great with soup, try a few of our favorites: 
  • Low Carb Zoodle Salad
  • Strawberry Salad with Feta and Avocado
  • Taco Salad

Make-Ahead and Storing Options 

This cauliflower cheese soup recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to eat. Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to Reheat

To Reheat in the Microwave: Place the roasted cauliflower soup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 60-90 seconds or until it’s reached your desired temperature. 

To Reheat on the Stove: Place the cauliflower soup in a saucepan and heat on medium until hot.

Can You Freeze Cauliflower Soup?

Our cheesy cauliflower soup freezes pretty well actually. 

To Freeze the cauliflower soup, let it cool completely. Place the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bags. Cauliflower soup will last about 3 months in the freezer. 

To Thaw: Let the cauliflower soup defrost in the fridge overnight and rewarm in a saucepan on the stove. Keep in mind you may need to add some extra broth to get the right consistency.

Tools to Use

• Cutting Board 
• Knife 
• Dutch Oven or Stockpot 
• Immersion Blender or Regular Blender 
• Bowls for Serving

Other Low Carb Soup Recipes

If you are looking for more delicious keto-friendly recipes, try one of these:

• Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup 
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup 
• Keto Chili
• Keto Beef Stew
• Keto Chicken Soup
• Keto Taco Soup (Recipe Coming Soon)

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

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