Ready in 30 minutes, this Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup tastes just like a loaded baked potato soup, but with a fraction of the carbs! Top this soup with bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions for a satisfying and delicious dinner!
Cauliflower is one of the best vegetables, in my opinion! It's so versatile. What other vegetable can be a pizza crust, a side dish, or a soup?
The Instant Pot makes the most delicious soups! You get that long, slow cooked flavor in a fraction of the time. Here are some of my favorite Instant Pot soup recipes:
- Simple Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Lasagna Soup- In The Instant Pot!
- Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Hearty Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Cozy Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Cauliflower- one large head, or two small. It should come out to 5 cups of cauliflower florets.
- Chicken broth- Low sodium is best is you can find it. You can also use vegetable broth instead.
- Cheese- Shredded sharp cheddar, white cheddar, Colby Jack, or your favorite type of shredded cheese.
- Parmesan- To add a little more salt and flavor to the soup.
- Dry Mustard- Add a depth of flavor and brings out the flavor of the cheese in the soup.
- Milk- Whole milk, 2%, or 1% would all be great in this soup.
Equipment
How To Cut A Cauliflower
When you are first looking at a cauliflower it can be very intimidating. To wash and clean a cauliflower, first wash it under cold water. Remove the outside leaves that may still be on the cauliflower from harvesting.
With a sharp knife, cut the cauliflower in half. You will see the core on the inside of the cauliflower where it grows on the plant. Cut a triangle into the cauliflower to remove the core and discard the core.
Take the remaining head of the cauliflower and cut it into florets. Florets are a small piece of cauliflower with a little bit of the stem still on it. Add all those florets to a bowl and set it aside.
Let's Make Loaded Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup!
Clean and trim the cauliflower and cut the cauliflower into florets. Set the florets aside in a bowl.
Cut and chop the onions and garlic. Add one tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the oil. Set the Instant Pot to "saute" mode and saute for 3 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Add the cauliflower florets, chicken broth, and dry mustard to the Instant Pot. Cancel "saute" mode, close the lid of the Instant Pot, and set the Instant Pot to "High" pressure for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, quick release the pressure from the Instant Pot. Be very careful when doing this step as the chicken broth can come out the steam valve and the chicken broth is very hot.
With an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is a creamy, velvety consistency. Turn the Instant Pot back to "Saute" and add the milk and cheeses. Mix the soup until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
What To Top Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup With
- Crispy Bacon Bits
- Chopped Scallions
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Chives
- Chopped Onions
- Roasted cauliflower
- Jalapenos
- Hot Sauce
Tips and Tricks
- Serve this soup with sourdough bread or sourdough bread rolls. The bread will soak up the soup and it's always fun to dip!
- If you don't have an immersion blender, ladle the soup into a blender or a Vitamix and blend until the soup is the consistency you are happy with. You can't over blend this soup.
- You can make this soup half broccoli and half cauliflower! Just add use half the amount cauliflower and substitute broccoli for the other half.
- Taste the soup after you add the cheese. Cheese tends to have a high salt content, so you don't want to add too much salt to the soup and overpower it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! To freeze this soup, make sure it has completely cooled down. Ladle the soup into an airtight container and label the date in which you are putting the soup in the freezer. It will stay good for up to 4 months in the freezer.
To reheat this soup, simply place it in a microwave safe mug and place it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. To reheat it on the stove, add the amount of soup you would like in a saucepan and gently reheat on medium heat. Serve immediately.
This is a velvety soup, but if you would like to make it thicker, reduce the amount of broth you use by 1 cup. You can also add a can of drained cannellini beans to the cauliflower and that will thicken the soup significantly.
Definitely! And the best part, you don't even need to defrost it! Add the bag of cauliflower to the Instant Pot when you would add the fresh cauliflower.
Other Recipes To Try
Did you love this Loaded Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5-star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!
And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Dip
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
- Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan
- Cornbread with Kefir
📖 Recipe
Loaded Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion Chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 5 cups Cauliflower 1 large head
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 4 cups Chicken Broth Low Sodium if possible
- 1 cup Milk Whole milk, 2%, or 1%
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese Grated
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Wash and trim the cauliflower head. Cut the head into florets. Set that aside in a bowl.
- Set the Instant Pot to "saute". Add the olive oil, chopped onions, and minced garlic to the Instant Pot. Saute for 3 minutes until the onions start to soften.
- Add the cauliflower florets, chicken broth, dry mustard, and chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Cancel "saute" mode, close the lid, set the Instant Pot to "High" pressure for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, carefully quick release the pressure. Be careful as chicken broth might come out the top.
- Open the lid and with an immersion blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency.
- Set the Instant Pot back to "saute". Add the cheeses and milk and stir to combine and to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Frozen cauliflower can be used instead of fresh cauliflower at a 1 to 1 ratio.
- To make this even more decadent, substitute heavy cream or half and half for the milk.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully ladle the soup into a large blender and blend until the soup is the desired consistency.
- Top this soup with bacon, scallions, more cheddar, and sour cream.
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