Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Published March 6, 2019. Updated February 6, 2024

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This Cauliflower Soup is one of the best recipes to make with fresh cauliflower! It’s rich and creamy, brimming with veggies and it has the perfect balance of flavors (bring on the cheddar and bacon!). It’s just one of those comforting recipes you’ll want to make time and time again.

Cauliflower Soup in two serving bowls.

Delicious Cauliflower Soup Recipe

This soup is actually very similar to a potato soup. Before telling my kids what kind of soup it was, my daughter was eating it and asked if there were potatoes in it, so it must be close.

I love how the flavor of this soup is simple yet so satisfying. Nothing fancy here just creamy, cheesy homestyle soup!

Pot full of cauliflower soup garnished with cheddar, bacon and green onions.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup without Cream

I love that this soup is nice and creamy but doesn’t have any heavy cream. For best results I do recommend whole milk but in a pinch you can use 1% or 2% just don’t use skim milk.

Ingredients needed for cauliflower soup shown here.

What Ingredients go into Easy Cauliflower Soup?

  • Fresh cauliflower
  • Yellow onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Butter
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Sharp cheddar
  • Bacon and green onions (optional)

Showing how to make Cauliflower Soup. Sautéing carrots, celery, onions and garlic in pot.

How to Make Cauliflower Soup

  • Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute 5 minutes.

Adding cauliflower and chicken broth to Cauliflower Soup.

  • Add chicken broth and cauliflower, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low then cover and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.

Making a roux in a separate saucepan to thicken Cauliflower Soup.

  • Meanwhile melt remaining butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add flour and cook and whisk constantly 1 minute.

Adding cheese to milk mixture in saucepan.

  • While whisking slowly pour milk in flour mixture.
  • Bring just to a light boil stirring constantly, remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Pouring milk mixture into Cauliflower Soup in pot.

  • Once veggies are tender pour milk mixture into soup.
  • Serve warm topping each serving with bacon, green onions and more cheese if desired.

Overhead image of pot full of Cauliflower Soup

Do I Have to Add Cheese?

I think the soup is more one dimensional without the cheese. The cheese does add a nice boost of flavor but this soup can be made without the cheese if you’d prefer.

Three servings of Cauliflower Soup in grey bowls set over brown plates on a green tabletop surface.

Looking for a Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe?

If you have some extra time for roasting the cauliflower try my other recipe HERE.

Looking for a Healthy Cauliflower Soup Recipe?

Try my Super Easy Cauliflower Vegetable Soup recipe HERE. It uses frozen cauliflower and pre-cut veggies and it’s about as lazy as homemade soup gets.

Close up image of bowl of Cauliflower Soup

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Cauliflower Soup
5 from 25 votes

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Such a delicious soup made with lots of cauliflower and veggies. It tastes like potato soup and it's perfectly hearty and creamy. Makes about 8.5 cups.
Servings: 5
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt 1 Tbps butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute 5 minutes. 
  • Add chicken broth and cauliflower, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low then cover and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile melt remaining butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook and whisk constantly 1 minute.
  • While whisking slowly pour milk in flour mixture. Bring just to a light boil stirring constantly, remove from heat and stir in cheese.
  • Once veggies are tender pour milk mixture into soup. Serve warm topping each serving with bacon, green onions and more cheese if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 448 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 531mg23%
Potassium 1085mg31%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 4065IU81%
Vitamin C 103.3mg125%
Calcium 350mg35%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
Recipe and photos updated March 2019, originally shared April 2014.