Craving comfort food without the carbs? Look no further than keto cauliflower cheese soup! This creamy and satisfying soup is a fantastic alternative to potato soup, offering a similar texture and flavor profile with a fraction of the carbohydrates. It's easy to make, customizable, and perfect for a chilly day.
Why Cauliflower?
Even if you're not a cauliflower enthusiast, you'll be surprised at how well it mimics potatoes in this recipe. Cauliflower's mild flavor and creamy texture when cooked make it an ideal base for a comforting soup. Combined with the richness of cheese and other flavorful ingredients, you won't even miss the potatoes!
Key Ingredients and Their Roles
- Cauliflower: The star of the show! Rich and buttery cooked cauliflower naturally thickens the soup, creating a creamy texture without the need for added dairy or starches. Choose a head of cauliflower that is bright white and feels heavy for its size, with tightly packed florets. You can use both the florets and the smaller white stems.
- Bacon (or Bacon Fat): Bacon adds a smoky, savory depth to the soup. Rendered bacon fat is used to sauté the vegetables, infusing them with flavor.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps to sauté the vegetables. Use salted or unsalted butter according to your preference.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics form the foundation of the soup's flavor. Sautéing them in bacon grease or olive oil enhances their sweetness and mellows their pungency. White or yellow onion is recommended. Fresh minced garlic adds a punch of flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Provides a savory base for the soup. Homemade chicken broth is always a great option.
- Cheddar Cheese: Adds a sharp, cheesy flavor and contributes to the soup's creamy texture. 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.
- Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese is essential for the soup's signature creaminess.
- Heavy Cream: Further enhances the soup's richness and creaminess. For a lower-fat option, you can replace the heavy cream with half and half (light cream), or just use milk.
- Spices and Seasonings: Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme are used to season the soup and add complexity to its flavor. Feel free to use regular paprika or chipotle powder if you don’t have smoked paprika.
- Optional Toppings: crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped leeks, chives, or scallions, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Easily convert this cauliflower chowder to a vegetarian or vegan dish by substituting butter for avocado oil, using veggie broth, and skipping the bacon topping. Smoked tofu can be used as a bacon substitute.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Stir in a can of coconut milk at the end to make it extra creamy.
- Instant Pot: To make Instant Pot loaded cauliflower soup, saute the bacon in the pot on Saute mode. When the onion is tender, add in the garlic and smoked paprika. Turn off Saute mode and add the cauliflower florets and chicken broth before locking the lid. Carefully remove the lid and use your immersion blender to puree the soup. Feel free to turn Saute mode back on to keep the soup warm.
- Adding Broccoli: For a broccoli cauliflower cheese soup, cut cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Add 1 cup of water, cauliflower and 1 cup of broccoli to pot over medium heat and steam for about 15 minutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are a few methods for preparing Keto Cauliflower Cheese Soup.
Stovetop Method
- Prep the vegetables: Rinse the cauliflower and celery. Chop the cauliflower florets into chunks, and slice the onion and celery.
- Cook the bacon: Heat a large, heavy soup pot to medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook till crispy, stirring often. Once the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and allow it to drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add butter to the bacon grease, then add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.Stir in cauliflower. Cook, stirring occasionally, until barely crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic during last minute of cooking. Add the cauliflower and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
- Simmer the soup: Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Blend the soup: Carefully ladle about half of the soup into a blender. For the best creamy texture, a stand blender works better than an immersion blender. Blend half of the soup in a blender till smooth. I prefer this soup half blended.
- Finish the soup: Stir in cream and 1 cup of the grated cheese, cook and stir till melted and creamy. Stir in the cream and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Serve: Top each individual bowl with remaining cheese, leeks, and crumbled bacon.
Slow Cooker Method
- Combine ingredients: Add cauliflower, chopped onion, low carb milk (either unsweetened almond or coconut in a carton), instant bone broth, water, and collagen bone broth flakes to a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cook: Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Puree: Once the time is up puree soup using a high speed blender or stick blender.
- Finish: Return to the slow cooker with the heat still on low. Stir in mustard and all but ½ cup of the cheese for garnish.
- Serve: Garnish with remaining cheese, fresh chives and crisp cooked bacon.
Instant Pot Method
- Sauté: Select the "Sauté" function on your Instant Pot. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute.
- Pressure Cook: Add the cauliflower florets and chicken broth until it just covers the cauliflower (about 4-6 cups). Add another pinch of salt. Secure the lid and set the valve to "Sealing." Cook on "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" for 8 minutes. Allow for a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Puree: Carefully remove the lid and use an immersion blender to blend and puree until the soup is very smooth. (If you are using a blender, blend in smaller batches to avoid a mess!)
- Finish and Serve: Taste to see if you need to adjust the seasonings. If your soup is too thick, stir in some more chicken broth until it reaches the consistency you like. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, chopped chives or scallions, bacon bits, and cheddar cheese (optional).
Tips for the Best Keto Cauliflower Cheese Soup
- Roast the cauliflower: Roasting the cauliflower before adding it to the soup will deepen its flavor. This can be done ahead of time and then added into the pot with the veggies and broth.
- Don't overcook the cauliflower: Overcooked cauliflower can become mushy and bitter. Cook it until it's tender but still slightly firm.
- Use an immersion blender carefully: When using an immersion blender, start on a low speed and gradually increase it to avoid splattering.
- Adjust the thickness: If your soup is too thick, stir in more chicken broth until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasonings: Before serving, taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as needed. You may want to add more salt, pepper, or other spices to suit your preference.
- Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose that can prevent it from melting smoothly. Grating your own cheese ensures a creamier soup.
- If you don’t have access to xanthan gum, no worries! It’s added as a thickening agent at the end, however, this recipe for cauliflower soup tastes fantastic without it. Sans xanthan gum, it just resembles a creamy soup rather than a thick chowder.
Serving Suggestions
Keto cauliflower cheese soup can be served as a main course or a side dish. It pairs well with:
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Salads
- Roasted vegetables
- Grilled chicken or fish
Storage and Reheating
- Storing: Leftovers will last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Freezing: Keep the cooked and cooled batch in an airtight container or a sealed ziploc bag for up to 3 months. It is recommended freezing it before you add the cheddar.
- Reheating: Reheat the soup in the microwave and heat for 1 or 2 minutes until warmed through.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- Calories: 176kcal
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Protein: 11g
- Fat: 8g
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
tags: #keto #cauliflower #cheese #soup #recipe