It's that time of year when tucking in with a bowl of soup is the only option when you're ready to get COZY! And cauliflower cheddar soup is the perfect dish for such an occasion.
I've made several batches of this soup recipe now, and it's the kind of thing you don't really get sick of.
But how could you?
Cauliflower soup is the kind of rich comfort food we all crave. It's a versatile soup that can be combined with so many things. I've also served this as an appetizer, or bigger bowls for a main course. It's really hearty and satisfying.
Keto Soup
If you follow a low-carb diet, this can be a great keto soup choice! I am NOT keto, but I had a guest recently who is. This soup (without the croutons) makes a good keto soup option. It's got cheese and cream and veggies — keto-approved ingredients! Again, I'm no expert, but I think if you wanted this to be a keto soup recipe, you'd opt for all cream instead of milk.
Vegan Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
If you want to make this a vegan cauliflower soup recipe, there are ways to do so! First, substitute regular butter for vegan butter or just use olive oil. You will also want to use vegan cheese shreds, or omit the cheese completely. Instead of cream, use your favorite vegan cream/milk substitute, but make sure it's not sweetened.
This soup recipe already calls for vegetable broth, so you're already good to go on that front!
Recipe Options
Cauliflower soup is always a good choice.
But you know what makes it even better? Adding cheddar in the soup AND on top, along with a handful of crispy, crunchy, flavorful homemade croutons on top!
That being said, this soup recipe is really versatile, so those are just suggestions. You can use the basics from this recipe (cauliflower, onion, carrots, broth, cream/milk) and add or omit other things as you please.
- I've made it using chilli powder instead of thyme, and that's a nice change.
- My meat-eating friends or those who want a keto soup recipe might like adding bacon to it too!
- If you don't add cheese, you'll still have a great, rich, and delicious soup!
- I usually use a mix of cream and milk when I make this soup, but if cream sounds too rich for you, milk will work great too!
- I have a great, easy recipe for homemade croutons. They're the perfect topping for this soup so I hope you'll give them a try.
Oh, and I promise I'm about to get to the recipe but first I need to tell you this makes SUCH good leftovers! Like, even better as leftovers than when you first make it sometimes I swear!
Here we go!
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 red onion chopped
- 5 teaspoon garlic* minced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2-2.5 lbs), cut into florets
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon powdered thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt taste and add more, to taste, at the end
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk/cream I use ⅔ cup of cream and the rest milk
- 1 + ¼ cup cheddar shredded, reserve the ¼ cup for topping the soup
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Wash and chop vegetables.In a large soup pot, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and cook on low until ingredients become fragrant and begin to soften — about 3-5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower florets, nutmeg, thyme, salt, and parsley. Stir well and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down a bit and let the soup simmer for 18-20 minutes, until the ingredients are soft and can be easily blended. Remove from the heat.
- Carefully blend the soup in a blender in small batches** after it has cooled for five minutes. Or, use an immersion blender. Blend until you get a smooth consistency and the chunks of vegetables are all blended
- Add 1 cup of cheese and 1 cup of milk/cream. If using an immersion blender, mix it all again. Or stir well with a spoon. Taste test, and add more salt or other seasonings as you see fit.
- Serve while hot, and top with extra ¼ cup of cheddar and homemade croutons. Then add more fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you'd like.Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days or freeze.
Notes
I'm excited to hear what you guys think of this cheesy cauliflower soup recipe! Please comment down below and let me know.
xo - C
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