This smooth, creamy cauliflower soup with sharp cheddar cheese is absolutely what you want on a chilly day. It’s ready in under an hour. Serve with some crusty bread and a side salad!
Every fall, when the days get shorter and the nights colder, at some point I reluctantly give up wearing shorts and flips flops. Did you know there are only two real seasons here in Sacramento? Flip flop and shorts season, and jeans and socks season.
It’s when your feet tell you, “Hey put on some socks!” that you know autumn has truly arrived. That’s when the soup pot comes out and you look forward to filling it with something warm and comforting.
It’s still flip-flop season here, at least during the day, but the chilly weather will be coming soon (if not already where you are). So we’re cooking up new soup recipes.
A Light and Creamy Soup
We made this cauliflower cheddar soup the other day, and wow! Okay, now I don’t feel so bad about saying goodbye to summer. It’s smooth and creamy without any cream. It’s packed with cauliflower and uses just enough cheddar cheese to give it flavor, but not so much that you think you’ve swallowed a brick.
A teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce swirled in at the end helps intensify the cheese flavor.
Keep Your Cores
When you cut your cauliflower into pieces, don’t discard the core! The core is just as delicious as the florets themselves and since we’re pureeing this soup, no one will even know they’re there.
What to Serve with this Soup
This soup begs to be served with some crusty bread for dipping. Some garlic bread or garlic knots would also work well.
If you’d like to turn this soup into more of a meal, add a salad on the side. Try this Radicchio Salad with Chickpeas, Olives, and Parmesan or this simple Kale Caesar Salad.
How to Store and Freeze this Soup
Leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to five days, or can be frozen for up to three months.
To freeze, let it cool completely, then transfer it to freezer containers or bags and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or reheat directly from the freezer over low heat on the stovetop. If the soup looks at all separated when you warm it up, just blend it in the blender again.
More Easy, Comforting Soup Recipes
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Baked Potato Soup
- Quick and Easy Hamburger Soup
- Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
Watch the video for how to make cauliflower cheddar soup!
Cauliflower Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups sliced onion
- 1 1/2 cups sliced celery (about 2 to 3 ribs)
- 1/2 cup sliced carrot (1 small carrot)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 6 cups roughly chopped cauliflower (see How to Cut and Core Cauliflower)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Method
1 Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, garlic: Heat butter in a large 5- to 6- quart Dutch oven or thick bottomed pot on medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots.
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the onions are softened. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more.
2 Add the potatoes, stock, cauliflower, bay leaves, thyme, salt and black pepper. Heat on high and bring the stock to a simmer. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender.
3 Purée until smooth: Remove from heat and remove the bay leaves. Either using an immersion blender or a standing blender, purée the soup mixture until completely smooth.
4 Add the cheddar cheese and Worcestershire: Slowly add the grated cheddar cheese, continuing to purée the soup as you add the cheese, until completely blended. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
