The BEST Cauliflower Soup Recipe (2024)

This Cauliflower Soup recipe really is the BEST! I have even had people who don’t really like cauliflower tell me that they ate 2 bowls! This Cauliflower Soup is rich, creamy, flavorful, and can be loaded up with all of your favorite toppings. The best part is that it is super easy to make. You pop it in the crock pot and let it cook away, then just mix in the rest of the ingredients and blend before serving. The hard work is done by the slow cooker while you go about your day! Not only is this soup really very delicious, it is also friendly for many dietary needs since it is naturally gluten free, low carb, and can easily be adapted to be vegetarian.

Cauliflower Soup Recipe

When I posted the recipe for this Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup, I knew I was sharing a really, really, delicious recipe, but what I didn’t know is how much you guys would love it too, and overwhelm me with so many comments and messages about everything from how much you enjoyed it to how your husband who has refused to eat cauliflower his whole entire life, ate two bowls because it really is the best cauliflower soup recipe ever!

You see many times I love a recipe so, so much, but it is hard to convey through this giant internet thing just how good it is and it gets lost somewhere. But this time it just clicked I think and I am so enjoying hearing how much you like the soup. With the popularity has also come lots of questions, and the biggest one is if you can make the soup without an Instant Pot. And the answer is here today…. YES! And it is every single bit as delicious!

So today I am going to walk you through how to make this Cauliflower Soup recipe in the slow cooker so you can enjoy this delicious meal!

Toppings for Cauliflower Soup

One of the best parts of this Cauliflower Soup is that you get to customize it just to your tastes by adding toppings. The soup itself is rich and flavorful but also neutral enough that it works well with many flavors. Adding toppings can be as simple as putting a few things on top, or in our family we like to make a fun night of it by putting a bunch of options in bowls and then letting the kids make their own creations. They love feeling a little ownership in their dinner and have cleaned their bowls every time. If you are having company or entertaining, it can make a really fun “Soup Bar” set up too! Here are some of our favorites, both traditional and non-traditional!

Topping Options:

• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese
• Crumbled bacon (try making bacon in the oven. It’s quick and easy and there’s barely any clean up!)
• Chopped green onions, or chives
• Pico de Gallo
• French Fried Onions
• Chopped onions
• Other cheeses like parmesan, blue cheese, or monterey jack
• Green chiles
• Hot sauce
• Jalapeños
• Croutons

What to Serve with Cauliflower Soup

One of the things that makes this Cauliflower Soup Recipe so perfect is that it goes well with a variety of flavors. You can eat a whole bowl to make a filling meal, or a cup as an appetizer, soup course or to pair with a sandwich, salad or entree. Here are some suggestions of great serving ideas for pairing with this Cauliflower Soup recipe.

• Entrees- This soup makes a great addition to protein based entrees like these
  • Barbecue Bacon Chicken Bake
  • Easy Chicken Marsala
  • Turkey Breast
  • Rotisserie Chicken
• Grilled Meats- If you are cooking out, this is an awesome addition to the menu for that “steakhouse” feel
  • Steak
  • Chicken
  • Pork Chops
• Sandwiches
  • Paninis or Wraps
  • Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich
  • Chicken Caesar Wrap
• Salads

How to Make Cauliflower Soup

This creamy cauliflower soup recipe is as easy as it is delicious. I am going to walk through the recipe here with my notes and tips to help you get the best result and hopefully answer any questions you might have on making it. If there is something I miss feel free to drop it in the comments section below. For the full, printable recipe card, skip down to the bottom of this post.

Cauliflower Soup Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds cauliflower florets-This is about one large head of cauliflower, or you can often find cauliflower prechopped in the produce section of the grocery store.
• 8 cloves fresh garlic-I know this sounds like a lot, but after the garlic cooks all day it becomes very mellow and flavorful.
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped-Yellow or white onions work best in this soup
• 2.5 cups chicken broth- You can substitute low sodium if desired
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened- I use original Philadelphia cream cheese, but you can also sub light cream cheese. Just do not use fat free cream cheese as it doesn’t melt the same way and will not work in this cauliflower soup recipe
• 4 oz sharp cheddar, grated-I prefer sharp cheddar because you get the most flavor from it, but if you prefer you can use mild or medium cheddar or mexican blend cheese

Cauliflower Soup FAQs

Can I lighten up this Cauliflower Soup?

This soup is designed to be super rich and creamy and to maximize flavor and taste. You can make some substitutions to give the recipe a more healthy spin, but the taste or richness could be altered a bit, although I think it would be hard for this soup not to be delicious. A couple of key places you can save on calories, fat and sodium are:

• Substitute light cream cheese for regular cream cheese
• Use 2% cheddar cheese
• Use low sodium chicken broth

What if I don’t own an immersion blender?

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can make this soup by transferring it to a regular blender or food processor. You should think about getting an immersion blender though. They are super handy and relatively inexpensive. I am surprised with how often I find myself reaching for mine now that I have one!

Can I make this recipe in my pressure cooker?

If you have an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, you can make this Cauliflower Soup recipe using it. Here are my instructions for Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup.

How do I thicken cauliflower soup?

If you prefer your soup to be thicker, you can reduce the chicken broth in the recipe by 1/2-3/4 cup depending on the desired thickness. If you decide you want it thicker after cooking, you can continue to cook uncovered stirring regularly until it is the desired thickness. Soup will also thicken some as it cools.

How do I make the Cauliflower Soup thinner?

If you prefer your soup to be thinner, after you have mixed everything in, you can add heavy cream until it is the desired consistency. You can also use half and half or milk, although cream will be truest to the texture of the soup.

How many does this Cauliflower Soup recipe serve?

We have calculated a meal sized portion at 1 1/4 cups and an appetizer or side of the soup as 1 cup of soup without toppings. That means that for this recipe you will have:

• 6 meal sized servings -or-
• 8 appetizer/side sized servings

Can I freeze this Cauliflower Soup Recipe?

Yes. Leftovers of this soup can be frozen by placing it in an airtight container and storing in the freezer for up to a month. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave to eat.

To prep this for freezing before cooking, you can combine the cauliflower, garlic, seasonings, and broth in a ziplock bag and freeze, then add the cheeses as directed in the recipe.

I really hope that this recipe is as well loved by your family and friends as it is by mine. We have it on regular rotation all through the cooler months here.

If you do get a chance to try it, I would love it if you let me know! You can leave me a comment below, or if you post a picture on Instagram, make sure to tag me@easyfamilyrecipesso that I can see what you are cooking up! It makes my day to see others enjoying the recipes that I share!

Oh and before you go!… If you need a regular rotation of recipe inspiration like me, make sure to sign up to get our emails! I send out my new favorites, the recipes my family has been devouring, and some of the best tried and true recipes. It is easy and free of course! You canclick here to sign upand join thousands of others getting new recipes in their inbox each week for free!