This loaded cauliflower soup is a healthy twist on loaded potato soup that is still comforting and feels indulgent!
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We are slowly inching our way closer and closer to Fall. School is starting back, we’ve eaten our first pumpkin pop-tarts, apple picking is on the calendar, and soup is coming back to the lunch meal plan during the week.
I rely heavily on soups during the fall and winter for easy lunches and hearty dinners. They’re so comforting, can be made with practically whatever you have on hand, and can be super frugal too. Which is clearly why I have an abundance of soup recipes both here on my blog and in my cookbook.
Our loaded cauliflower soup yesterday was inspired by the head of cauliflower we had on hand and the half gallon of fresh chicken stock waiting to be used in my fridge. No one was upset about a bowl of creamy soup loaded with cheese and bacon, served (of course) with a slice of bread and butter for dipping!
Loaded Cauliflower Soup in the Instant Pot
Now that we are back to school (taking up most of the morning hours), I am making it more of a priority to do some prep work before our school days. Though, thankfully, we do our school at the dining room table right next to the kitchen so it’s not too difficult to monitor a batch of stock cooking or start something in the Instant Pot for that day’s lunch or dinner.
To meal prep this week, I cooked a whole chicken in my Instant Pot on Tuesday, pulled all the meat off the bones, immediately used the white meat to make chicken salad for lunch, saved the dark meat for chicken fried rice later in the week, and started a big batch of chicken stock. A relatively small amount of work that yielded ingredients for several meals. (I was able to make a little over 24 cups of delicious stock from the one chicken carcass!).
How to make chicken stock in the Instant Pot (a must-have recipe for the fall and winter!) ::
Homemade chicken stock takes this loaded cauliflower soup up a notch in both flavor and nutrition, but it’s definitely still delicious with store-bought stock too! My kids didn’t miss the traditional potatoes, either. Everyone gobbled up the soup and most came back for seconds too.
The bacon in the soup (added both at the beginning and the end of the cooking process) adds a lot of depth and the necessary saltiness to the dish. Cauliflower isn’t super flavorful on its own (unless you roast it), but that can be a good thing since its mild taste makes it a great substitute for rice, potatoes, and even pasta at times.
If at all possible, be sure to serve this soup (alllllll the soups) with crusty bread or biscuits on the side. These are some of our favorite soup dippers:
- One-Hour French Bread
- One-Hour Focaccia Bread
- Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves
More tasty soups to try ::
(all of these are Instant Pot soups because since getting my first Instant Pot several years ago, it’s the only way I make soup!)
- Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Sweet Creamy Gnocchi Soup
- Maple Pumpkin Chili
- Extra Green Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- French Onion Soup
- …and many more!
Loaded Cauliflower Soup in the Instant Pot
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes under pressure
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
This loaded cauliflower soup is a healthy twist on loaded potato soup that is still comforting and feels indulgent!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 3 slices of uncooked bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, about 1/2 a tablespoon
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 5–6 cups chopped cauliflower
- 6 cups* chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- kosher salt to taste
- additional bacon and cheese for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to Saute.
- While the Instant Pot preheats, chop the onion and bacon. When the Instant Pot reads “HOT”, add the ghee, then the onion and bacon. Sauté until the onion is soft and the bacon is mostly cooked. Stir in the minced garlic.
- Pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot as needed until there is nothing stuck to the pot. Add the carrots and the cauliflower. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, and set the cook time for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure. Stir together the cream and cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the soup, turn the Instant Pot back to Saute, and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until the soup is slightly thickened. Stir in the shredded cheese until it is thoroughly melted into the soup. Season with salt to taste.
- Portion the soup into bowls and top with additional shredded cheese and crumbled bacon (optional). Serve, but be careful because the soup is hot!
Notes
*I use a lot of stock to make more soup (and because my youngest kids love the broth best), but if you want a thicker soup, reduce the stock to 4 cups.
Nicole A. says
Very good soup. The simple ingredients are elevated into a really tasty meal. I adapted it a bit based on what I had on hand. Using dehydrated onion instead of fresh, bacon bits instead of raw bacon and sauteed both in bacon fat I had leftover in the fridge (omitting the ghee). It still came together wonderfully and quickly.
★★★★★
Meghan says
Made this soup a couple days ago and paired it with homemade bread. So delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🥰
★★★★★
John Spear says
This looks good… I think I can have some vege soup… thanks for sharing 🙂