This cauliflower and cheese soup is so delicious and healthy! It’s the perfect side dish for a cheesy sandwich.
There’s nothing like eating a dish you love and not feeling guilty afterward. You’ll be happy to hear that this cauliflower and cheese soup is one of those dishes! This soup recipe is simple and full of flavor, but the best part is that the ingredients are completely guilt-free.
I know a lot of people like to hate on cauliflower. I always say that people who say this have never eaten the right version of cauliflower. Whatever you say, it’s definitely become the all-purpose health food of our day. I like to view cauliflower as a blank canvas that can be taken in so many different directions. This cream of cauliflower soup with cheese goes in the direction of curry. There is so much flavor in this recipe without a lot of fuss.
I’m a huge fan of curry, and I’ve liked every kind of curry I’ve ever tried. Curry soup is no exception. This soup uses the cauliflower canvas to bring forth the flavors of ginger, garlic, and curry powder. The recipe is about as simple as you can get without sacrificing the flavor of the cream of cauliflower soup.
This post is all about how to make cauliflower and cheese soup.
Ingredients for Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
- Cauliflower- I used one head of raw cauliflower in this recipe. The weight of the cauliflower doesn’t have to be perfectly the same that I used, just somewhere in the general vicinity.
- Curry powder- I thought about using the individual spices in curry powder in this recipe, but simplicity won out on this one. It might not be as flavorful as using freshly ground spices, but it comes close enough for our purposes.
- Olive oil- This is the fat that is used to roast the cauliflower.
- Garlic- Garlic is roasted right along with the cauliflower. It adds so much flavor to the dish.
- Ginger- Freshly minced ginger gives a nice, subtle kick to the soup.
- Chicken broth- This is used to make the broth of the soup, but you could definitely also use vegetable broth.
- Cream cheese- This helps the soup to be a little richer and creamier.
- Cinnamon- Even though some curry powders already include cinnamon, I think a little extra does good things to this soup.
- Parmesan cheese- Parmesan adds a little bit of a nutty dimension to this soup.
- Heavy cream- This makes the cauliflower and cheese soup even creamier.
How to Make Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
Step 1
Chop the cauliflower into florets and put them in a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, salt, garlic cloves, and curry powder. Place them on a roasting pan so that the florets aren’t touching. Roast them in the oven at 350°F until they are soft, but not too brown.
Step 2
Take the cauliflower out of the oven and dump the tray into a blender/food processor along with the ginger, chicken broth, cream cheese, cinnamon, and extra curry powder. Blend everything together until it’s turned into a smooth paste.
Step 3
Put the cauliflower mixture into a soup pot. Over medium heat, gradually stir in the chicken broth and salt. Bring the soup to a simmer. After about 5 minutes, add the shredded parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Let the soup slowly simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened just a bit.
Questions about Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
How can I thicken my cauliflower soup?
If your cauliflower and cheese soup isn’t thick enough, you have a couple of options. The first way of thickening the soup is by letting it simmer some of the liquid out. This can take a while, but you don’t need any extra ingredients.
The second option is by adding some cornstarch. You can start by stirring in a mixture of 1 tbsp. of cornstarch and 2 tbsp. of water. You can add more if necessary until you like the consistency.
Why didn’t my cheese melt in my soup?
If your parmesan cheese didn’t melt in your soup, it’s probably because you used pre-shredded cheese. This can often interfere with cheese’s ability to melt. I pretty much always grate my own cheese for this reason.
Why does my cauliflower soup taste bitter?
This should only happen if you over-roast your cauliflower. As long as your cauliflower’s flavor itself isn’t the problem, cooking it just until it’s soft should prevent this.
If you want more warm and cozy food, you should definitely check these out.
Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chicken Alfredo Casserole Recipe
Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 Cauliflower head (mine was 1 lb. and 10 oz.)
- 1½ tsp. Curry powder
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 3 cloves Garlic (peeled with bottom weird part chopped off)
Paste Ingredients
- 1½ tsp. Ginger (fresh, minced)
- 3 cups Chicken broth (seperated)
- 4 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¼ tsp. Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. Curry powder
Additional Soup Ingredients
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ⅓ Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 2 cups Heavy cream
Instructions
- Chop your head of cauliflower into florets and put them into a bowl. Stir in the 2 tbsp. of olive oil, 1 tsp. of salt, 3 garlic cloves, and 1½ tsp. of curry powder. Place them on a roasting pan so that the florets aren't touching. Roast them in the oven at 350°F until they are soft, but not too brown.
- Take the cauliflower out of the oven and dump the tray into a blender/food processor along with the 1½ tsp. of ginger, 1 cup of chicken broth, 4 oz. of cream cheese, ¼ tsp. of cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. of curry powder. Blend everything together until it's turned into a smooth paste.
- Put the cauliflower mixture into a soup pot. Over medium heat, gradually stir in the other 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 tsp. of salt. Bring the soup to a simmer. After about 5 minutes, add the ⅓ cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to low and stir in the 2 cups of heavy cream. Let the soup slowly simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened just a bit. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy your cauliflower and cheese soup!