This creamy Keto Cauliflower Soup is velvety smooth and delicious, and it takes only a few short minutes to make in the Instant Pot. It’s healthy, low carb comfort food at its finest. Stovetop instructions included too.
This Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup might just be the Best. Dang. Soup. I. Have. Ever. Made.
Is that an exaggeration? Possibly but at the moment, it’s how I really feel. It’s so velvety, so rich, and chockfull of creamy goodness. It’s a classic “loaded recipe”, with bacon, sour cream, cheese, and green onion. But so much healthier than the potato version!
This keto-friendly is the perfect comfort food on a chilly, blustery day, when all you want to do is curl up with a good book or movie. And I plan on doing just that all winter long!
Easy Keto Cauliflower Soup
This recipe gets rave reviews from everyone who tries it, even the cauliflower haters. It really has the right consistency to mimic potato soup. And with the bacon, cheese and toppings, it’s hearty and satisfying.
If you follow the Instant Pot instructions, the soup cooks very quickly and easily. But the stovetop version comes together quickly as well. And because everything is cooked in one pot, clean up is easy too!
It has only 5.7g net carbs per serving, so it’s a healthy and delicious option when you need something warm and comforting. It’s the edible equivalent of a cozy blanket on a chilly day.
Reader Testimonials
Here’s what readers say about this Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup:
“This soup is absolutely delicious! Even my teen sons devour it. Full of fat, so it’s filling and it really fulfills any baked potato cravings you may have. Super easy to make.” — Stephanie
“This was one of the best soups I’ve had since starting keto 2 years ago. Thanks for your hard work on your recipes.” — Pat
“This soup is incredible! That flavor is amazing. It snowed here today so this soup was perfect for dinner! Thank you for sharing it with us all!” — Sharon
Ingredients
- Bacon: Cooking bacon in the pot first has two functions. The bacon bits become the crisp topping for the soup, and the grease in the pot is used to sauté the veggies. This provides velvety texture and amazing flavor.
- Cauliflower: You will need about 1 pound of cauliflower florets for this recipe. And you can use fresh or frozen cauliflower, as they both cook easily and quickly.
- Sour cream: Loaded potatoes always have sour cream, and so should your soup! It provides a wonderful, creamy consistency.
- Shredded cheese: You can use cheddar or Monterey Jack. Or something more interesting, if you prefer. I love the color that a little orange cheddar gives the soup.
- Green onion: This garnish adds additional color and flavor to make the soup resemble loaded baked potatoes. You could also use chopped chives.
- Bone broth: Use good quality broth for all your keto soups. It can be homemade or store-bought.
- Aromatics: Onion, celery, garlic
- Salt and pepper
Step by step directions
I love using my Instant Pot for this recipe, but I have also included stovetop directions in the recipe notes.
1. Cook the bacon: Place the chopped bacon in the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, leaving as much of the bacon fat in the pot as possible.
2. Sauté the veggies: Add the onion, celery, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Turn off the sauté function.
3. Cook the soup: Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then add the cauliflower. Lock the lid onto the pot and make sure the vent is sealed. Set the manual function on high for 5 minutes (it will take 5 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure).
4. Add the sour cream: When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the vent. Remove the lid and stir in the sour cream and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
5. Blend: Blend with an immersion blender until smooth or transfer to a full size blender or food processor (you may need to work in batches).
6. Garnish: Serve the soup topped with the remaining cheese, the bacon, and the green onion.
Expert tips
Cooking the vegetables in the leftover bacon grease gives this soup its velvety rich consistency and also adds flavor. But if you want a vegetarian cauliflower soup, simply sauté the veggies in butter or oil. You will need about 3 tablespoons.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in a regular blender or a food processor. You may need to work in batches, depending on the capacity of your appliance.
Stovetop Option: Not everyone has an Instant Pot, nor any interest in getting one. So you can also make this keto cauliflower soup on the stovetop. Follow the instructions for cooking the bacon and vegetables in a large pot over medium heat. Add the broth and cauliflower and bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 minutes. Follow the remaining steps as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
This creamy cauliflower soup is low carb and keto friendly. It has 8g of carbs per serving and 2.3g of dietary fiber. So it has 5.7g net carbs per serving.
You shouldn’t need any extra thickeners such as flours or starches for this keto soup recipe. The cauliflower provides a thick consistency already, and the sour cream and cheddar cheese contribute to the rich, creamy consistency. Don’t add too much broth, as it does water it down.
Freshly made, this Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup can last for up to 6 days in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
More delicious cauliflower recipes
- Cauliflower Risotto
- Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower
- Keto Shepherd’s Pie
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Creamy Cauliflower Salad
- Cauliflower Fritters
Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 head medium cauliflower (about 1 ¼ pound) cut into florets
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar divided
- 1 green onion
Instructions
- Place the chopped bacon in the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, leaving as much of the bacon fat in the pot as possible.
- Add the onion, celery, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Turn off the sauté function.
- Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then add the cauliflower. Lock the lid onto the pot and make sure the vent is sealed. Set the manual function on high for 5 minutes (it will take 5 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure).
- When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the vent. Remove the lid and stir in the sour cream and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth or transfer to a full size blender or food processor.
- Serve the soup topped with the remaining cheese, the bacon, and the green onion.
Lynda says
This was delicious! Everyone loved it! So tasty!!!
Looking forward to other recipes from your site and books!!
Marianne says
Taste is superb! However, I was unsure how many cups if cauliflower would equal the 1 pound called for. I used 2 cups but that seemed way too little – the cauliflower to other ingredients was off and the result was more like grits or polenta- but soooooo tasty! I’ll try again with a better balance. Thanks!
Carolyn says
yes, 2 cups is far too little. You need more like 4, at least.
Nina says
Just curious! When you double the recipe do you still use the same time in the pressure cooker? I am assuming yes but wanted to ask
Carolyn says
I haven’t ever doubled the recipe all at once… it may need a tiny bit longer but not much.
Michelle says
I make this often, it is so good.
Christi says
Oh my goodness! This is so good! Tastes just like cream of potato soup!
Whitney Lodes says
Not sure what happened. The flavor is amazing but we cannot get the texture smooth and creamy. More mushy than anything
Carolyn says
Did you put it in a blender?
Kim says
Just whipped this up using the stovetop method and it is AMAZING! So thick and full of flavor! I used pepper jack cheese to give it some extra zip. SO GOOD!
Dee says
you hit it out the park with this one. best low carb soup I have ever ever ever had. day 2 the soup was so creamy and thick. better than baked potato soup which has long been my favorite
Teresa says
I had a head of cauliflower that I needed to use before we went away for the month of December. I cooked it in the instant pot and pureed it and put it in the deep freeze. Today i made it into this soup! We love it- so reminiscent of our loaded baked potato soup we used to make.
I tell all my friends, those who eat Keto and those who don’t about your website because they often ask me for my recipes. Everyone is always surprised that the recipes are so good and don’t “taste” keto!
Linda says
Question….can yogurt be subbed for the sour cream to lower calories?
Carolyn says
It won’t be as thick or rich, but you’re welcome to experiment.
Patricia Yandell says
Wowie! Excellent! Thanks!
Leslie Delacruz says
I love this soup! Making it for the second time today. The pressure cooking does something magical to the cauliflower making it smoother than when I’ve tried making cauliflower soups other ways. I added a bit of truffle oil and truffle salt to the recipe and it makes it so decadent! I feel like I’m eating something I shouldn’t. 💜
Leah says
The soup is delicious and super easy to make! I didn’t have sour cream on hand, so subbed equal parts 2%fage and half & half. Next time I will double the recipe to have more leftovers!
Donna C says
this was fabulous but we are going to remove the onion pieces because ours were bitter. otherwise this was delicious!!!
Anne says
This soup is delish. Thank you
Darcy says
This is simply delish and super easy to make! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Kathy Thomas says
I will cut the broth next time, but otherwise very good. I added about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for a little zing.
Carolyn says
I like that idea! The mustard, yum!
Joni says
Easy and delicious!!!!