Loaded Cauliflower Soup
This restaurant quality Loaded Cauliflower Soup will seriously drop you to your knees! Chunky pieces of tender cauliflower simmer in a rich and creamy broth, then topped with cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, and green onion. It's decadent and dangerously good.
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 5 bacon slices cut in small pieces
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 small onion chopped fine
- 2 celery sticks diced small
- 1 medium size cauliflower cut in bit size pieces, about 5-6 cups
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock I prefer chicken stock
- 1 cup milk, not non-fat I use 1%
- 1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for topping
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- green onion slices for topping
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat, add bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Remove all but 1 tbsp of bacon fat from the pot.
- Melt butter with the bacon fat and add onions and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until veggies are tender. Add garlic and cook another 1-minute until fragrant.
- Stir in cauliflower and cook 10-12 minutes, until light golden brown. You will finish cooking it through in the next step.
- Sprinkle in the flour and toss with the cauliflower. Cook for 1-minute then add seasonings, broth, and milk. Stir to combine. Bring to a medium boil stirring frequently until slightly thickened. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook another 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender to your liking.
- Remove the soup pot from the heat and stir in sour cream, 1/2 the cooked bacon, and parsley. Stir to combine until all the sour cream has melted into the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle soup in individual bowls and top with cheddar cheese, more sour cream if desired, bacon, and green onion slices.
Notes
Tips:
Dairy free option-
Replace the milk and sour cream with your favorite dairy-free products. Plain Silk unsweetened almond milk or extra creamy oat milk work great.
Gluten free option-
Replace all-purpose flour for Xanthan Gum or other gluten free thickener. Xanthan Gum is not a 1:1 ratio to flour so make sure you read the manufactures suggestions before incorporating into your recipes.
Roasting cauliflower-
Roasting cauliflower pieces in a hot oven will provide a nuttier and more intense cauliflower flavor. Add the florets to a large sheet pan and toss with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast at 450℉ for 20-minutes stirring half way through until caramelized in spots.
Freezing cauliflower soup-
Unfortunately I would not recommend freezing this cauliflower soup recipe. The cauliflower florets do not have the same texture and taste when frozen and unthawed. And because this recipe has sour cream, it’s likely to have a grainy consistency once thawed and reheated.
Storing cauliflower soup-
Cauliflower soup will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Nutritional facts do not include toppings like cheese, bacon, and sour cream.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 295 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 17.2g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat 7.5g | 38% |
| Cholesterol 43mg | 14% |
| Sodium 1423mg | 62% |
| Total Carbohydrate 20.6g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 4.5g | 16% |
| Total Sugars 8.3g | |
| Protein 16.1g | |
| Vitamin D 34mcg | 169% |
| Calcium 151mg | 12% |
| Iron 2mg | 8% |
| Potassium 781mg | 17% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |