This recipe for the Best Creamy Cauliflower Soup is velvety smooth and full of flavor. It’s cooked with onions, garlic, chicken stock and a hint of thyme, then mixed with a healthy dose of cream to give it that true comfort food taste.
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Creamy Cauliflower Soup Video Tutorial
Homemade Creamy Cauliflower Soup
The Best Creamy Cauliflower Soup tastes great all on its own, but to really bring it to its full potential, we like to top it with cheddar cheese, bacon bits and fresh parsley. Fully loaded, this soup is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own. It is also a great recipe to make as a side dish to Garlic Bread, Grilled Chicken BLT Salad, or any type of sandwich. It would also pair well with a grilled chicken entree like this Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken.
How to Make the Best Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- In a large stockpot, drizzle the oil and add the onion. Saute over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the minced garlic and continue to saute until the onions start to become translucent about 5-7 more minutes.
- Next, add the cauliflower and broth and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue to simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Once the cauliflower is tender, turn off the heat. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender in batches (don't fill more than halfway), and blend until creamy. (Note: you can also use an immersion blender directly in the pot).
- Once all of the soup has been blended and well mixed, add it back into the stockpot and stir in the cream with a rubber spatula. Return to medium heat.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the cold water and cornstarch and mix until well combined.
- Slowly pour this cornstarch mixture into the soup while stirring. Continue to stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the soup is thickened.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving before ladling into bowls, and top with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Ingredients in Cauliflower Soup
- Butter - we use this to cook the onions to add even more flavor and creaminess, but you can also use olive oil if you want.
- Onions - we like to use white or yellow onions for this soup as they have a nice sweetness to them.
- Garlic - we use fresh minced garlic cloves but you could try substituting a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Cauliflower - you can use either fresh cauliflower, cut into 1” chunks, or else frozen cauliflower florets work great, too. You could also try roasting the cauliflower on a baking sheet ahead of time for a slightly different flavor.
- Broth - we use chicken broth but you can substitute vegetable stock or vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Salt & Pepper
- Thyme - we use freshly chopped thyme to add another flavor dimension. This is optional so don’t sweat it if you don’t have any.
- Heavy Cream - this gives your soup that extra velvety, luxuriously creamy flavor and texture. If you want to reduce some of the fat in the soup, or if you can’t eat dairy, you are fine to omit this - your soup will still be wonderfully creamy.
- Water & Cornstarch - this slurry thickens the soup just a touch more.
- Cheddar Cheese - we like to use shredded cheddar cheese in our house, but you can also try Parmesan, or skip it altogether.
- Bacon Bits - to make your own, just slice bacon into ½” slices, cook in a saute pan over medium heat until the fat has rendered and they are golden brown, and use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and drain on a paper towel. It’s as simple as that!
- Parsley - chopped fresh parsley as a garnish gives a little freshness and color to each bowl.
Making Creamy Cauliflower Soup Without Cream (And Other Variations)
If you just want to find a substitute for heavy cream, but don’t mind sticking with dairy, then you can add 1-2 tablespoons of butter instead. Just blend the butter in with the soup while you are pureeing in the blender.
If you want to try making this recipe dairy-free, then you can skip the heavy cream altogether (and, of course, your cheese topping). It won’t be quite as velvety, but it will still be super creamy and delicious. You can use a little extra broth to thin it down if you need it.
Try adding in different veggies, like parsnips or broccoli. Just cut them to roughly the same size as the cauliflower and add them in at the same time.
Other seasonings to try for this creamy cauliflower soup are:
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Chopped green onions
- Fresh chopped chives
- Croutons
- Red pepper flakes
- Other herbs like rosemary or oregano
- Creme Fraiche
- A squirt of fresh lemon juice
Yup! Just cool completely and transfer to freezer bags. Lay them flat in the freezer and store for up to 5 months. Once you are ready to use, you can thaw overnight in the fridge, or else transfer directly into a pot on the stovetop and re-heat on medium-low heat, stirring often.
If you want to go the microwave route, just transfer into a microwave-safe container and reheat for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.
Looking For the Best Soup Recipes?
For some more homestyle soup recipes like this one, give these a try:
- Chicken Noodle Soup - full of chicken, homestyle noodles, carrots and peas, and quick to throw together.
- Roasted Tomato Soup - roasting the tomatoes gives them so much more flavorful than the canned version, and it still tastes just as great with a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Potato Soup - if you are a sucker for soup and potatoes, this is for you!
- Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup - loaded with veggies and cheddar cheese, this is delicious on its own or served from a bread bowl.
- Turkey and Rice Soup - filled with wild rice, turkey, and veggies.
- More of the Best Soup Recipes
What to Serve with Cauliflower Soup
Best Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Butter
- 1 Med Onion diced; white or yellow onion
- 2 tsp Garlic minced
- 2 Lbs Cauliflower cut into 1" chunks (about 1 large head)
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth or vegetable broth
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Thyme (optional)
- ½ Cup Heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons Water cold
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Toppings
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- ½ Cup Bacon Bits
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, drizzle the oil and add the onion. Saute over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the minced garlic and continue to saute until the onions start to become translucent, about 5-7 more minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and broth and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme, nad continue to simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Once the cauliflower is tender, turn off the heat. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender in batches (don't fill more than halfway), and blend until creamy. (Note: you can also use an immersion blender directly in the pot).
- Once all of the soup has been blended and well mixed, add it back into the stock pot and stir in the cream with a rubber spatula. Return to medium heat.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the cold water and cornstarch and mix until well combined.
- Slowly pour this cornstarch mixture into the soup while stirring. Continue to stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the soup is thickened.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving before ladling into bowls, and top with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This recipe for the Best Creamy Cauliflower Soup is velvety smooth and full of flavor. It tastes great all on it’s own, but we like to top it with cheddar cheese, bacon bits and fresh parsley.
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