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.
Susan says
Made this twice now and its soooo good! Used the stovetop method. First time was better cuz I used “better” cheddar cheese than today. The Balderson smoked was nicer than Armstrong mild cheddar.
Carolyn says
Good to know!
Dave says
Outstanding and so delicious. Highly recommend anyone reading this to put this on your next dinner plan. Question, Can leftovers e frozen? If so, what is the best way to reheat?
Carolyn says
Yes, you should be able to freeze. Just thaw completely and then re-warm gently. The bacon bits, if you add them, will be pretty chewy after freezing.
Jenna says
Newly minted member of the Instant Pot Tribe over here, and this was the second thing I’ve made in my pot!
I doubled the recipe, and juuuuuust managed to squish the florets of two LARGE cauliflower heads into my 6 quart pot, haha! I didn’t increase the time at all, and things blended up easily with my immersion blender.
I may have also shredded a smidge too much cheese, but, is there such a thing as too much cheese?! Only real change I made (other than the cheese), was a few healthy shakes of Montreal Steak Spice right at the end.
Wonderful recipe & I’ll be filing this one away to make again!
Carolyn says
Yummy. Thanks for the feedback!
Francine says
Is it possible to make it so the recipe can be downloaded, saved on computer or printed without the pictures and advertisements i?
Carolyn says
I am not sure what browser you are using but when I click bring, the ONLY photo that comes up is a small square photo of the recipe. I can’t remove that. But no advertisements show. If it does for you, please tell me what browser you are using and I will as my ad network to change the settings. And are you on mobile or desk top?
Lindsey says
RUN IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR KITCHEN TO MAKE THIS! So delicious! I made it stove top and it was surprisingly quick to make!
Estelle says
This is absolutely wonderful in its simplicity, goodness, taste and “comfortfoodiness”, cannot describe it any better, thank you.
CJ says
Has anyone doubled this recipe? Would I cook it for longer? Trying to serve 4 with some leftovers and thinking that one batch wouldn’t be enough.
Carolyn says
You should be able to double it easily, if your IP is big enough. Then cook maybe a 2 to 4 minutes longer to ensure the cauliflower is tender.
Samantha Schwind says
This may be the most divine thing I’ve ever made/tasted. I made a critical error and forgot to remove the bacon after sautéing before I added the veggies. Never fear, once it was ready to blend up, all that delicousness just came together perfectly. I used mozzarella because that’s all I had and I cracked a lot of black pepper onto the final product. So good! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Carolyn says
Glad it worked out!
Macy says
This is creamy goodness in a bowl when you need a little comfort food! My non low carb husband enjoys it too.
Dee says
I’ve made this twice now! First I did follow the recipe exactly – Absolutely wonderful! Then I made it with the smoked cheddar – Absolutley Fabulous! I had one bowl left over and I added diced chicken to it – Soooo
Goooood! Next I’m going to do smoked Swiss! Thank you so much for this recipe. P.s. Non-low carb hubby inhaled this. Winner!
Carolyn says
Hooray! Have fun with the cheeses!
Joanna says
I made this on the stove and it was sooooo good. Thank you!!
Jen says
O oooo, this looks and sounds amazing! Similar to a loaded potato soup I used to make with WAY less carbs, saving for sure!
Jenn says
This never happens to me! I made something extremely similar to this this winter for my granddad who was in decline and not eating well. Used half chicken stock and half heavy cream, with a splash of wine- but no sour cream- otherwise, darn near exactly the same. And I used smoked cheddar which is quite funny after all the above comments. I was able to vitamix it into a thick delightful soup and the man ate three bowls and proclaimed it “wonderful”. Which from the stern and ailing culinary patriarch of a family of chefs is no small feat to achieve. Great work! I can’t wait to try yours, I think the sour cream is going to be sooo good in there. Very twice baked. Yum! Thanks for a dynamite recipe!
Carolyn says
Well, loaded cauli soup is not an unusual recipe so it’s not surprising we came to similar ideas!
Debbie Hilliard says
Delicious & Nutritious! We had an unexpected cold front come in today – a week after Easter – and this soup was perfect for a cold rainy day. I made it exactly by the recipe and used sharp cheddar cheese because it was what I had on hand and I wouldn’t change anything – unless I wanted to experiment with different cheeses. Your recipes never let me down!
Carolyn says
Wonderful to hear!
Jessa says
This looks so easy yet completely yummy! I’m still getting used to using my instant pot and I definitely want to try this!
Sandie says
This was fantastic! Bolt my husband and I loved it. It was easy and quick to make. Thanks so much for all your work.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Danielle Coonerty says
With Winter about to start in Australia, I can’t wait to try this. I think the smoked cheddar addition would also lift it to another level.
Dawn says
Smoked cheddar huh? Maybe I should try it. I wonder how smoked Gouda would be instead…
Karel says
Impeccable timing! I’d washed a head of cauliflower and had decided between two soup recipes when this one came through my Feedly account. I made it tonight and it is absolutely the best cauliflower soup recipe yet. Definitely a keeper. Easily five stars for taste, but it was also fast and easy. TRY IT! I followed the recipe exactly, and served it with keto Black Pepper Biscuits.
Robin says
I’ve made this a couple times! Next time I plan to cook some extra cauliflower florets on the stove so I can add them back into the finished product – I kind of like to have some chunks in my soup. ???? Delicious recipe, thanks.
Dee says
I will definitely try this. But I think I will use smoked cheddar – DJFoodie got us hooked on smoked cheddar.
Carolyn says
Hey, smoked cheddar is where it’s at! 😉