Low-Carb Roasted Cauliflower Soup
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A luscious and creamy Loaded Cauliflower Soup is the perfect way to enjoy a couple extra servings of veggies in your day – it’s a delicious twist on a classic Loaded Potato soup (and in my opinion, it’s even tastier).
Loaded Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Vegetable soups like this loaded cauliflower soup are one of my favorite ways to ensure that my family eats enough veggies.
They kind of seem to forget that they are eating veggies, so much so that I often can sneak in an additional serving of veggies alongside without it feeling like vegetable overkill.
We have a few of these veggie-based soups that we all enjoy, so I rotate making a double batch of one of them each week to add in as an easy side dish to add on to lunches or an appetizer for supper – most things pair well with a cup of soup! (I’ll share my list of go-to veggie soup recipes below – just after the freezing instructions for this cauliflower soup.)
Today’s Loaded Cauliflower Soup is wholesome and filling with caramelized, roasted cauliflower, rich, salty bacon and some kid-friendly seasonings. Top each serving with your favorite “loaded potato” toppings (like cheese, chives, extra bacon, etc) for a decadent yet healthy bowl of soup.
Roasting the cauliflower transforms this traditionally bitter vegetable into a caramelized, mouth-watering veggie that blends up to a perfectly creamy consistency. I am NOT a fan of raw cauliflower in the slightest, but roasted cauliflower? It’s actually a treat.
This low-carb cauliflower soup is naturally gluten-free and is very similar to a creamy potato soup. (But personally, I find this loaded cauliflower soup even more delicious.)
A note on the heavy cream called for in this recipe: A full cup will make this loaded cauliflower soup ultra rich and taste just like a cauliflower soup you can order in a restaurant. Including the heavy cream in the soup makes each serving of the soup just 351 calories (assuming the soup serves 4 people).
However, it does bring the fat content up to 30g, so if you’d prefer to reduce it or swap it out for whole milk, the recipe will still be delicious but not as rich and decadent. Using whole milk makes each serving 284 calories and 21g of fat. (This information is based on calculations provided by the VeryWellFit Nutrition Analyzer.)
Roasted Cauliflower Soup Variations:
- Season the cauliflower with your favorite seasonings before roasting – ranch seasoning, Italian seasoning, etc.
- Swap out the heavy cream for whole milk to lighten up the calories and fat content of this soup
- If you want a bit of texture, set some of the roasted cauliflower aside before proceeding with the recipe and then add it back in after pureeing the soup
- Use half potatoes and half cauliflower to make the soup (about 2 cups of each) to make a creamy potato-cauliflower soup
- Leave out the bacon to make this recipe vegetarian
- Leave out the bacon and substitute the heavy cream for coconut milk to make this recipe vegan
Can I use frozen cauliflower to make cauliflower soup? Yes, although you may need to increase the roasting time by up to 15 minutes to essentially “steam” the water out of the cauliflower (that is added during the blanching of the cauliflower which is part of the process of preparing frozen cauliflower).
Can I use a vegan milk to make cauliflower soup? I have not experimented with a non-vegan milk but canned coconut milk would be my personal suggestion if avoiding dairy products.
Can I freeze this loaded cauliflower soup? If planning to make this soup to freeze it, I would recommend not adding the heavy whipping cream before freezing. Freeze in ziptop freezer bags or your favorite freezer containers for up to 3 months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stove. Add the heavy whipping cream and proceed with the recipe as written. (Tip: I tend to write these “after-thawing instructions” right on the freezer bag or on a dissolvable label on the container so I don’t forget.)
More Family-Friendly Veggie Soups we Love:
Be sure to check out our step-by-step video to see how to make this low carb cauliflower soup recipe – and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:
Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
- Cauliflower, approximately 4 cups (we just used the florets, but you can use all white parts)
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste (we used white pepper)
- Bacon, uncooked
- Onion, diced
- Minced Garlic
- Thyme
- Paprika
- Chicken Broth, more as desired <– grab our recipe for homemade chicken broth here
- Heavy Whipping Cream, 35%
- Cheddar Cheese, optional garnish
- Chives, optional garnish
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: this soup is very flavorful and a little bit spicy. We also kept it thick so it would be very filling – you can reduce the seasonings or increase the broth for a thinner, less thick soup (yielding more servings), as desired.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring this recipe from the stove to the oven
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Cookie Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.
- High-powered Blender <– this is the one I use, it’s pricey but a workhorse
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
Preheat oven to 425F.
Place cauliflower florets on a lined or greased cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat the cauliflower completely in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Roast cauliflower for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until cauliflower is golden.
In a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon to personal preference.
Once done, remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, then add the diced onion to the bacon fat.
Saute onion until golden and translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute. At any point, add chicken broth to prevent the veggies from burning.
Add the roasted cauliflower to the soup pot along with the chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high until boiling, then reduce to a simmer until cauliflower is fall-apart tender, about 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to puree, or allow soup to cool slightly, then carefully puree in a blender.
Season soup with thyme, paprika and additional salt and pepper, to personal taste.
Stir in heavy whipping cream and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
(Adjust consistency with additional chicken broth, if desired.)
Makes 4 side servings or 2 large servings.
Pin this Loaded Cauliflower Soup for a hearty lunch option or easy appetizer:
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Loaded Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Head Cauliflower, approximately 4 cups (we just used the florets, but you can use all white parts)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste (we used white pepper)
- 3 Slices Bacon, uncooked
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 5 cups Chicken Broth, more as desired
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, 35%
- Cheddar Cheese, optional garnish
- Chives, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Place cauliflower florets on a lined or greased cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat the cauliflower completely in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Roast cauliflower for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until cauliflower is golden.
- In a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon to personal preference.
- Once done, remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, then add the diced onion to the bacon fat.
- Saute onion until golden and translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute. At any point, add chicken broth to prevent the veggies from burning.
- Add the roasted cauliflower to the soup pot along with the chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high until boiling, then reduce to a simmer until cauliflower is fall-apart tender, about 15 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to puree, or allow soup to cool slightly, then carefully puree in a blender.
- Season soup with thyme, paprika and additional salt and pepper, to personal taste.
- Stir in heavy whipping cream and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- (Adjust consistency with additional chicken broth, if desired.)
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 1450mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 11g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope you love this easy loaded cauliflower soup recipe as much as my family does!
For more scrumptious soups, check out our full soup recipe collection here:
For more ways to make veggies delicious, check out our full vegetable recipe collection here:
