Cauliflower Soup
This Cauliflower and Bacon Soup is comfort food at its best, delivering cozy vibes with every spoonful.
Loaded with gooey cheddar, soft cauliflower, and just the right amount of crispy bacon
Our delicious limited-ingredient Cheesy Cauliflower Soup is here! You can choose how you want it; blended, smooth or chunky.
Cauliflower Soup Recipe Highlights
- PERFECT FOR BUSY DAYS – this soup is the ideal meal for busy days! Prepare it ahead of time to enjoy an easy dinner later.
- FILLING – This soup is the main dish. The egg yolks add a healthy dose of protein that will keep you satisfied!
- FLAVORFUL – The combination of cauliflower and Cheddar cheese is just simply delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
CAULIFLOWER – Cut up a head of cauliflower into florets, or if you want to save time, use two pre-cut bags of cauliflower.
BACON – You can make this soup without bacon! But it adds a bit of oompf to the roux and makes for a very tasty garnish.
EGGS – Adds texture and flavor. To avoid curdling, you take a couple of tablespoons of the hot soup and mix it with the egg yolks before adding the mixture to the pot.
FLOUR – We use all-purpose flour to make a simple roux that thickens the soup.
CREAM – To make the soup extra creamy, we use heavy cream, but you can shave some calories by using half & half or whole milk.
BUTTER – As always, I recommend unsalted butter. This recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of butter; if you have a lot of bacon grease, you can reduce that amount.
VEGETABLE BROTH – Use your favorite brand of vegetable broth. I recommend using a low-sodium variety.
CHEESE – Sharp Cheddar cheese works really well and is my choice because it’s the one cheese you can find in every supermarket. I prefer white cheddar cheese for this recipe, but I also believe in using whatever you have on hand.
Variations
CHEESE – If you don’t like the Cauliflower Cheddar Soup combination, there are other great options. Because cauliflower pairs well with a variety of different cheeses.
So, instead of cheddar, you can use Gruyere or Comte cheese. Parmesan cheese and cauliflower are also a delicious combination.
Instead of using 8 ounces of cheddar, you can reduce it to 6 ounces and add 2 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese.
BROTH – Instead of vegetable broth, you can also use chicken broth. When I use chicken stock, I prefer a low-sodium chicken broth.
VEGETARIAN – You can easily make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the bacon. You can also add more veggies to the soup. Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic are all flavors that work very well with cauliflower.
GLUTEN-FREE – If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you will have to skip the roux and instead thicken the soup with gluten-free cornstarch or arrowroot.
How To Make Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
- CAULIFLOWER – Cook cauliflower florets in 2 cups of boiling salt water until tender. Drain and reserve cauliflower water.
- ROUX – Fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside the crispy bacon. Melt butter in the rendered bacon fat and whisk in the flour until smooth and bubbly.
- LIQUIDS – Add cauliflower water and vegetable broth and cook until the soup begins to thicken. Whisk in blended egg yolks and Cheddar cheese and simmer over medium heat.
- BLEND – Return cauliflower to the soup and blend with an immersion blender and blend. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve and garnish with crispy bacon and fresh parsley.
Author’s Note: Despite having made this soup dozens of times (my husband’s favorite), I forgot to pre-mix the egg yolks when I photographed the soup. And it worked out just fine; check the recipe card for tips if this ever happens to you.
Leftovers
STORE – You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZE – I don’t recommend freezing the soup as is. The heavy cream will separate when frozen, and the taste and texture will be off once reheated. However, if you plan to freeze the soup, you can omit the cream and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container.
REHEAT – When you are ready to defrost it, reheat it slowly on the stove over medium to medium-high heat and add the cream towards the end.
More Fall Soup Recipes
Recipe Success Tips
You can make this soup in a large pot, Dutch oven, or an Instant Pot.
Serving Ideas
There’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of warm soup with a slice of fresh homemade bread.
More Easy and Delicious Soup Recipes
Chicken Potato Soup – Rich and creamy one-pot hearty soup topped with crisp bacon bits.
Hamburger Soup – A hearty, sweet, spicy ground beef soup with vegetables and savory seasonings.
Sweet Potato Soup – A flavorful, filling, easy-to-make, 5-ingredients soup.
Hungarian Goulash – hearty beef stew with tender beef, perfectly sautéed onions, and a delicious spice blend.
Pumpkin Soup – Gently spiced soup that takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 ounce bacon diced or diced pancetta
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup Cheddar grated
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Cook cauliflower florets in 2 cups of boiling salt water until tender. About 5-7 minutes. Once tender, remove the florets from the water and set them aside. Reserve the cauliflower water.
- Use a large pot (or Dutch oven) and slowly fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the crispy bacon and set aside. Add butter to the bacon fat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour.
- Continue to whisk until the mixture (roux) is smooth and begins to bubble. Gradually add the reserved cauliflower water and the vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a rolling boil, reduce it to a simmer, and cook until the soup begins to thicken. About 8-10 minutes.
- Combine 1-2 tablespoons of the hot soup with the egg yolks and whisk until well blended. Add the blended egg yolks and Cheddar cheese and stir until the soup is creamy. Return the cooked cauliflower to the soup but reserve a few pieces for garnish. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
- Garnish the soup with crispy bacon and fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.