Loaded Cauliflower Soup

This Loaded Cauliflower Soup is absolutely one of the best!  It is rich, creamy and packed with delicious flavor.  Loaded Cauliflower Soup is perfect to curl up with on a cold day, and since it is made in the Instant Pot, it only takes a few minutes from start to finish! It is made all the better when you pile on the delicious toppings… Crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, and more! In my family both the kids and adults devour this soup and ask for more.

Loaded Cauliflower Soup

This is one of those recipes that when the idea hit me, I knew it couldn’t wait, but had to be made now because it was going to be epic.  And epic it is!  With all the comforting flavors of a loaded baked potato, it delivers on all the rich and delicious flavor you would expect, but as a bonus is a little bit lighter and lower carb.

The first time I made this soup, it was a cooking day for the blog where I made about 6-7 recipes.  My friend was on hand to help out (really meaning keep my kitchen from completely exploding) and we had made several recipes already when we got to this soup.  Once we finished tweaking the recipe and got it cooked, we finally tasted it and our eyes met, and our jaws dropped.

It wasn’t good.  It was GREAT!  Every once in awhile one of those really special recipes comes around, and this my friends is one of them.

How to Serve Loaded Cauliflower Soup

The most fun part about making Loaded Cauliflower Soup is all of the toppings!  When you serve it you can top off each bowl, or set up a little tray with all of the different toppings to let each person customize their own bowl of soup.  We like to do it this way because the kids think it is really fun and as a result they clean their bowls since they got to pick all the things that they were eating. Either way, one of the keys to this soup is fun toppings, so here is a list of some of our favorites to top your soup:

• Sour cream
• Green onions or scallions
• Crumbled bacon
• Cheddar cheese
• Diced onion
• Jalepeno
• Hot sauce
• Croutons

You can choose a few toppings that work well together to make the perfect bowl for you!  I also really love to serve it with a big slice of this cornbread!  If you have any other topping ideas, let me know so I can try them!  Just leave a comment below.

How to Make Loaded Cauliflower Soup

I will walk through the recipe step by step with you here so that if you have any questions it will hopefully answer them.  I also offer any tips, insights or brand preferences I have here.  If you just want the quick version of the recipe, feel free to scroll down to the bottom of the post to find the full printable recipe card.

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds cauliflower florets- This equates to about one large head of cauliflower, or you can usually buy them pre-cut in either one or two pound packages at the grocery store in the produce section which cuts down on some prep time!
• 8 cloves fresh garlic- I know this may sound like a lot but because the garlic cooks in the pressure cooker it will really mellow the flavor to perfection.
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped- In the end this will get blended so don’t worry too much about making the perfect, even chop.
• 2 cups chicken broth- You can use store bought, or make chicken broth in your slow cooker.  Also, you can substitute vegetable broth if you want this to be vegetarian.
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened- I use regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese, but you can also sub light.  Steer clear of fat-free because it won’t melt the same and doesn’t work well for this recipe.
• 4 oz sharp cheddar, grated- I really like sharp for this recipe because you don’t use a ton of cheese but still get a great flavor in the soup.  In a pinch you could use medium cheddar.

Instructions

This soup really couldn’t be simpler to make!  I use a 6 qt Instant Pot to make mine, but I try to write the directions so that if you are using a different pressure cooker it will be just as easy to understand.  If you have questions, drop me a note in the comments!

1. Chop the cauliflower in to roughly even smaller pieces. You don’t have to be exact but it helps it to cook most evenly so I try to get it roughly the same without taking too much time.
   Add the cauliflower, garlic, chopped onion, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the pot of the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
2. Quick release the pressure, open the pot and add the cream cheese and cheddar.  I like to dump it in and let it sit on the hot cauliflower a minute so that the cream cheese softens which makes it a little easier to blend.
   Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
3. I use a handheld blender similar to this one which I really love.  It comes with a few attachments that I use regularly.  I love how compact it is and how easily it blends things.  If you don’t have an immersion blender you could pour the contents of the pot (super carefully, it’s hot!) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Serve hot and garnish with your favorite toppings from above. Enjoy!

I hope that you take one taste of this and think it is absolutely as epic as we did!  If you do get a chance to try it, I would love to hear about it.  Just drop me a comment in the section below, OR if you share a pic on Instagram make sure and tag me so I can see!  Nothing makes my day more than seeing others enjoying the recipes that I share.  Most of all, enjoy this amazing Cauliflower Soup folks!

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Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Prep 10 mins

Cook 8 mins

Total 18 mins

Author Kimber

Yield 6 Servings

This Loaded Cauliflower Soup is rich, creamy and delicious!  It has all the indulgent flavors of a baked potato but is made with cauliflower.  Adding your choice of toppings makes this the perfect filling and delicious meal.

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds cauliflower florets
• 8 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz sharp cheddar, grated

Topping Options

• Bacon crumbles
• Green onion
• Sour cream
• Additional Cheddar
• Diced onion
• Jalepeno
• Hot Sauce
• Croutons

Instructions

1. Chop the cauliflower in to roughly even smaller pieces.  Add the cauliflower, garlic, chopped onion, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the pot of the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
2. Quick release the pressure, open the pot and add the cream cheese and cheddar.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
3. Serve hot and garnish with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

• Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Dietary Considerations:

This recipe is naturally gluten free*, low carb, and friendly for low carb and keto diets.

*Guten free- The soup is gluten free, however some topping suggestions listed may contain gluten. Check ingredients to confirm gluten exclusion.

Nutrition facts provided based on my best estimation for the recipe and may not be accurate depending on what brands you use or modifications you make to the recipe.  I recommend using a nutrition calculator with the exact brands and measurements you use for the most accurate calculation.

©2017 The Pinning Mama- Recipe found at: https://www.thepinningmama.com/loaded-cauliflower-soup

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 1/4 cup

Amount Per Serving
Calories 267
% Daily Value
Total Fat 20 g		31%
	Saturated Fat 11 g	55%
	Unsaturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 63 mg		21%
Sodium 3623 mg		151%
Total Carbohydrates 12 g		4%
	Dietary Fiber 4 g	16%
	Sugars 7 g
Protein 11 g		22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.