Homemade, warm and delicious, Cheesy Cauliflower Soup is the best and easy way to make a quick use of garden fresh cauliflower or leftover vegetables. This recipe is creamy and can be eaten vegetarian style, or you can add bacon or ham. It's a simple, versatile soup!
Add leftover ham from our 3- ingredient Ham Glaze or simply use this as a side. Make this soup Loaded style by adding Jalepenos, green onion, and bacon bits as a garnish. It will make this copycat Zupas Wisconsin soup pop with flavor.
This Cheesy Cauliflower soup is perfect for the end of summer and fall season. It is a great way to use vegetables from the garden and also delicious warm soup for the cooling fall and winter months. This soup does not use potatoes!
Be sure to check out our other recipes to use up those end of summer vegetables like Zucchini Pizza, or Vegetable Tortellini Soup with Chicken Sausage. Also try our copycat Chili's Southwest Chicken Soup, chicken taco soup, or Ham and Potato Soup in Crock Pot for a flavorful soup with fresh ingredients.
For another homestyle soup check out this Easy Chicken and Dumplings soup.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower
- Yellow Onion
- Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- Half and Half
- Chicken Broth
- Sharp Cheddar
- Pepper Jack
- Salt
- Dijon
- Water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions until they are translucent and browning.
2. Add the all purpose flour and mix until a roux in formed.
3. Slowly pour the half and half and chicken brother in with the roux, stirring continually.
4. Add the chopped cauliflower and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender.
5. Add the tender cauliflower and liquid into a high speed blender. Make sure to vent out the steam while blending.
6. Blend on high until smooth and creamy looking. There should be no chunks.
7. Pour the blended soup back into the pot. Add the pepper jack cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese and dijon mustard. Stir until cheese is melted and soup is mixed thoroughly.
8. Serve soup immediately and garnish with bacon bits, ham, extra cheese, green onion, or chives.
Hint: If you want to thin the soup, add more chicken broth ½ cup at a time.
Substitutions
- Cheddar Cheese - Use all cheddar cheese instead of pepper jack if you aren't a fan of the spice that pepper jack cheese brings.
- Vegan Cheese - use your favorite brand of vegan cheese at a 1:1 ratio to make this more vegan friendly.
- Vegetarian - make this soup a completely vegetarian soup by not garnishing with bacon bits or ham.
Variations
- Bacon - add bacon bits or fresh cooked chopped bacon for extra flavor and added protein.
- Ham - mix in 1 cup of chopped ham or garnish the top for added protein.
- Jalapeno- Garnish the top with Jalapeños for a spicy version of this soup.
- Kale- Mix in kale as a garnish or with the soup when blending the cauliflower.
- Broccoli- Use a mixture of both cauliflower and broccoli if you don't have enough cauliflower on hand.
Equipment
For this recipe you will need:
- Large Pot
- Blender
Storage
Store leftover soup in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Good for 3-4 days. when reheated, the soup tends to have a thicker consistency.
This soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Top tip
Make sure to not over cook the cauliflower. You only need to cook the cauliflower until tender. If you overcook it, it may have an unpleasant taste.
Recipe
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups Half and Half or milk
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cauliflower head chopped into bit sized pieces. About 5-6 cups
- 1 ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the yellow onion and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add flour and stir to make a roux.
- Slowly add half and half, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and continue stirring. Add cauliflower and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot until cauliflower is tender. It will be easily pierced by a fork.
- Place entire contents of the pot into a blender and blend until smooth. Make sure the steam can vent out. Pour the blended cauliflower liquid back into the pot.
- Add the shredded cheese, and mustard and stir until melted and smooth.
- Serve topped with additional cheese, bacon, or green onion.
Notes
- This soup thickens once reheated. To thin the soup, at any time, add ½ cup of chicken broth at a time until the soup is the thickness you prefer.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
One of my favourite ways to eat cauliflower and this soup is so cheesy and perfect too.
Megan
I've never liked cauliflower soup until I tried it with cheese, this recipe is SOOOO good!
Aimee Mars
What an easy and delicious, but also perfect-for-fall recipe! I love cauliflower and this cauliflower cheesy soup is dreamy. I loved making it!
Lyn
O.M.G.! this is uh-mazing! Ive been wanting to make a copycat Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower soup and this did the trick!
Gwynn
This soup was so easy to make and my family loved it. Looking forward to making it again!