Cheesy Cream of Cauliflower Soup (keto friendly)

After tweaking multiple recipes for creamy cauliflower soup, I finally came up with one that I think is the BEST! It is packed with flavor, rich, creamy, and perfectly cheesy.

Follow my tips and in about thirty minutes you will end up with a hearty, flavorful soup that will have everyone scraping their bowls clean! And it just so happens to be a perfect low carb soup.

One of my favorite soups to order at Cafe Zupas is their cheesy cauliflower soup. It is smooth and creamy, and the perfect comfort food. I never thought I would find one that I loved that much, but wonders never cease.

To my surprise, I have found a cauliflower cheddar soup recipe that I love even more! I have made this soup three times since starting the keto diet a couple months ago, and I never get sick of it. It really is sinfully delicious, and I don’t miss the carbs at all!

WHY THIS CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP IS THE BEST:

• Instead of just boiling the cauliflower, celery, onions, and garlic, you are going to saute them first in some bacon fat and butter. This step adds so much flavor to the soup! As a bonus, this step eliminates the unpleasant odor that usually comes with cooking cauliflower. 
• This cauliflower cheese soup will be ready to eat in about 30 minutes. I tried a recipe in the crock pot, and it wasn’t nearly as delicious as this version.
• Because the cream makes the soup perfectly thick and creamy, you don’t need to use another pot to make a butter/flour/milk roux to thicken the soup. Only one pan to wash!
• Blending only half of the soup gives you a nice silky soup base, but you still have chunks of vegetables to add a nice texture. It’s kind of like an extra creamy cauliflower chowder. 
• Because there is no flour in the soup, it is low carb, and also perfect for those with gluten sensitivities.
• BACON! – Not only do you top your cauliflower soup with bacon for texture and flavor, you saute the vegetables in a bit of bacon grease. Delicious!

HOW TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER SOUP

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

• bacon – You will be cooking the bacon to garnish the soup, but you will also be using a bit of the bacon grease to saute the vegetables.
• butter – I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted. You can also substitute olive oil if you prefer.
• onion – If you are counting carbs, avoid using sweet onions.
• celery – I love both the flavor and texture that celery adds to this soup.
• cauliflower – You can use both the florets and the smaller white stems. I usually discard the thick stem at the base of the cauliflower.
• garlic – I use fresh minced garlic, but you can use bottled or dried if you prefer.
• chicken broth – I use bone broth because it is higher in protein, and also has no added sugar.
• salt – Add more or less to taste, depending on the salt content in your chicken broth.
• black pepper– Feel free to add more or less.
• heavy cream – I have found that the heavy cream from Costco results in the thickest, creamiest soup, but other brands also work well.
• cheddar cheese – Make sure you grate your own cheese! Pre shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking ingredients (like potato starch) to prevent it from clumping together. This not only adds carbs , it prevents the cheese from melting as smoothly.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse the cauliflower and celery. Chop the cauliflower florets into chunks, and slice the onion and celery. Slice the bacon strips into pieces.
2. Heat a large, heavy soup pot to medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook till crispy, stirring often. Remove bacon and drain off all but a tablespoon of the bacon grease.
3. Add butter to the bacon grease, then add the onion and celery. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the cauliflower and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic during the last minute of cooking.
   
5. Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. 
6. Stir in the cream and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Heat till cheese is melted, stirring often.
7. Carefully ladle about half of the soup into a blender. Blend till very smooth; return to the soup pot.
8. Serve soup hot, garnishing with the crisp bacon and the remaining cheddar cheese.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP :

• For the best creamy texture, a stand blender works better than an immersion blender. I use my Bosch. Yes, it’s a little messier and a bit more work, but I think it makes a big difference in the final results.
• Freshly grated cheese melts much more smoothly, avoid using packaged shredded cheese for this soup.
• Because sometimes cauliflower can be bitter, it’s a good idea to taste it before making the soup. You don’t want to waste an entire pot of soup because your cauliflower was bad!

VARIATIONS:

• To make this soup lower in fat, you can replace the heavy cream with half and half (light cream), or just use milk. It won’t be as rich and creamy, but it will still be delicious!
• If you are a huge fan of blended soup, you can blend all of the soup instead of leaving half of it with chunks of vegetables.
• For a warm, rich flavor, try adding  1/8- 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg to the soup.
• For a sharper flavor, you can substitute parmesan or swiss cheese for some of the cheddar. For a bit of a kick, you can try using pepper jack cheese.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP?

You can store leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days. It actually makes wonderful leftovers, and I think I like it even better the next day.

I haven’t tried freezing it myself, but I think it would work fine and keep for 2-3 months in a heavy duty airtight container. I recommend freezing it before you add the cheddar. When you are ready to serve it, heat it up and then stir in the grated cheddar cheese.

MORE CREAMY SOUPS:

• Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
• Ham Chowder
• Cheese Soup
• Chicken Bacon Soup
• Spicy Corn Chowder
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup

TASTY LOW CARB RECIPES:

• Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
• Salmon with Cream Sauce
• Ground Beef and Cabbage (Mexican Style)
• Slow Cooker Sirloin Tip Roast
• Lime Butter Chicken
• Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

CAULIFLOWER CHEDDAR SOUP

Even if you aren’t counting carbs, you are going to love this keto cauliflower soup! It is so delicious that after one bite, you are going to want to make it over and over again!