This Creamy Cauliflower Soup is reminiscent of baked potato soup, just a little lighter! Cauliflower is roasted and simmered with bacon, onion, white wine, and chicken stock, then blended to silky perfection. Sour cream and cheddar give the soup some body and richness. And don’t forget to load up your soup with bacon, cheddar, and chives!
Table of contents
The Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup I Make on Repeat in the Winter
This creamy bacon and cauliflower soup looks and tastes so much fancier than it really is. My secret? I roast the cauliflower florets before blending to give the soup a rich, nuanced flavor.
A splash of white wine brightens up the soup, while sour cream and cheddar cheese make it silky smooth and luxurious.
I realize I could have stopped there and enjoyed a seriously good bowl of soup — but why stop when I could slurp down a bowl of loaded cauliflower soup topped with my favorite baked potato toppings?
If you love baked potato soup but are looking for something a little lighter, this creamy roasted cauliflower soup ticks all of the boxes!
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower. Stick with fresh cauliflower florets here; frozen cauliflower will release tons of steam as it cooks in the oven, and you won’t be able to roast it properly.
- Bacon. Bacon really adds a lot of flavor and the onions are later cooked in the bacon fat.
- Onions. Caramelizing the onions in the bacon fat really takes this soup over the top.
- Dry White Wine. Use your favorite or skip altogether if you want to avoid cooking with alcohol.
- Herbs. I love the flavor that fresh thyme and chives add to this loaded cauliflower soup.
- Broth. I love using homemade chicken stock or broth, and I always have some in my freezer.
- Sour Cream and Cheddar. Add the “creamy” element to this roasted cauliflower soup.
Tool I Recommend
How to Make Loaded Cauliflower Soup
Jenny’s Tip: Blending your soup in a high-powered blender will create the smoothest texture, but an immersion blender creates less mess and is the easier option.
- Roast the cauliflower florets at 400ºF. Roasting the cauliflower gets rid of excess moisture so that the soup is thick, creamy, and super flavorful (cauliflower is fairly bland on its own otherwise).
- Render your bacon. Add the chopped bacon to a soup pot and cook over low heat until it’s super crispy. Remove a couple tablespoons to a plate to use as a garnish later, but leave the rest in the pot.
- Caramelize the onions in the bacon fat. This will take around 12 minutes, but I promise the flavor payout is more than worth it! I suggest caramelizing the onions as the cauliflower roasts so you can finish the soup faster.
- Finish the soup. Deglaze the pot with white wine, then add the thyme, broth, and roasted cauliflower. Simmer just for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the cauliflower before blending.
- Stir in the cheddar and sour cream. Once the cheese has fully melted, you can ladle the soup into bowls and load it up with with minced chives, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and the reserved crispy bacon.
What to Serve with Your Soup
You can’t go wrong with a hunk of crusty bread or a fresh side salad on soup night! We particularly love the following with this loaded cauliflower bacon cheddar soup:
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
- Creamy Gnocchi Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Chicken Curry Noodle Soup
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Creamy Loaded Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 heads cauliflower , stem removed and cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 slices bacon , diced
- 1 onion , diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2/3 cup sour cream , plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar , plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives , for serving
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflower. Preheat an oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until tender and golden brown.
- Render the bacon. While the cauliflower roasts heat a 4 qt dutch oven or soup pot over low heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered out. Remove 2 tablespoons of chopped bacon from the pot and set aside.
- Caramelize the onions. Add the onions to the pot and cook in the bacon fat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
- Finish the soup. Add the white wine and thyme leaves and cook until most of the wine has cooked out. Once the wine has cooked out, add the chicken broth and cauliflower to the pot and bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Blend until smooth. Transfer the soup to a high-powered blender or use an immersion blender to puree until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot over low heat and add the sour cream and cheddar. Stir until completely melted and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Load up on toppings. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with minced chives, sour cream, cheddar, and the reserved crispy bacon. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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