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
- 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped onion
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups (705 g) chicken broth
- 1 head (566 g) medium cauliflower (about 1 1/4 pound), cut into florets
- 3/4 cup (172.5 g) sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups (169.5 g) 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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Do you actually mean a stalk of celery? Or did you mean a rib?
https://www.finecooking.com/ingredient/celery Pretty sure that Fine Cooking knows what they are talking about…
“Celery ribs (also called stalks) grow in a head (also called a bunch). Though the tough bottom is usually trimmed away, the whole head is edible, and each part can play a different role in a dish. Look for celery with ribs that are firm, not rubbery.”
Gosh, this was soooooo good! I had to make some substitutions/omissions as I didn’t have any celery or green onion or sour cream, but I used full fat Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream, and added some smoked paprika and fresh basil to compensate for the missing celery and green onion (although I know they are totally different flavours!), and it was marvellous. Oh and I don’t have an instant pot so I made this on the hob.. easy peasy 🙂 Thank you so much, Carolyn, I love your dessert recipes, and, admittedly, I have made many more of those, but nonetheless every single savoury recipe of yours I have tried has been delicious!
Glad to hear it!
I can’t wait to make this! Question… I have a bag of cauliflower florets… how many cups should I use to make this?
Your bag is probably listed in ounces and it’s easier to measure out that way. If it’s a 16 ounce bag, use all of it.
I used 2 bags of frozen riced cauliflower and I didn’t emulsify it. My husband said it was the best soup he has had.
Silly question, but….Is a stalk of celery the whole bunch of celery, or just one rib/stick?
A stalk is just one of the ribs.
A stalk is a whole stalk. A rib is a rib. Thank god I saw this before I proceeded.
Hi there. This recipe is in one of my cookbooks and I have editors who take courses dedicated to cookbook editing. They use stalk for one piece of celery. Trust me, they know what they are doing. 🙂
Also refer to this: https://uwyoextension.org/uwnutrition/2015/04/01/celery-stalk-or-rib/
“According to the USDA, a “stalk” means the whole bunch or head and a single piece or stick is called a “rib.” This does not reflect common usage, however, so use caution in interpreting recipes! “Celery stalk,” in American English, is commonly used to mean one piece/rib/stick of celery. Consider the proportion of ingredients when deciding if the author of the recipe meant a rib or the whole bunch.”
making it now, adding steamed broccoli at the end for a added veggie bonus!!
This was so good! The only thing I changed was, I used pepper jack cheese (only because that’s all I had on hand) and it was amazing! Thank You!
Made this soup for lunch today, but as we are in France, I used smoked lardons and creme fraich in place of bacon and soured cream. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for posting the recipe. It’s a keeper.
All I can say is fantastic! Wanted to just sit and eat the pot full!
Question do I have to blend the cauliflower I kinda like the potato texture ?! Just wondering if it changes it a ton?!
You can blend or not blend, it’s up to you.
amazing soup! So thick and smooth. Hit the spot this cool evening. This recipe will be a repeat in our home. Made just like recipe, no changes
I’m so happy you liked it!
I so want to try this recipe, but I am thinking about roasting the cauliflower in the oven first rather than just boiling. It’s an extra step, but well worth it. I love the flavor that you get out of roasting cauliflower. Toss in a bit of oil and roast at 425f for 20 minutes (toss around after 10 minutes to evenly brown). I think it will be lovely.
Sure, would be delicious!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Cauli-cheese soup is my all time favorite. I add a slight shot of cooking Sherry at the end to each bowl and it absolutely MAKES The dish! Try it!
Best. Soup. Ever.
I just made this and it is delicious! Thank you!
Glad to hear it!
Absolutely delicious! I’m making a double batch today so I can bring it to work for the week. Hard to make a mistake on this recipe and the soup is seriously addicting.
Substitution- I wasn’t in the mood to cook the bacon first so I just put a small handful of premade bacon bits with olive oil in the pot first and it still turned out perfectly.
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
So glad you like it!
Hello I’m new to Keto diet. I was so tired of eating the same boring stuff. Came across this recipe and I have to say, this is the best soup EVER!
So happy to hear it!
We’re having a few rain storms, so I think this will keep us warm and feeling cozy. Don’t want to go out to shop – only have riced cauliflower in the fridge. Would riced cauliflower work for stove top, and, if so, how much?
It may but it’s harder to blend up into a smooth soup. I’d do a whole bag at least.
Oh my goodness, this is delicious. Thank you.
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
Yep! Should work fine, no need to change anything.
can you freeze this?
Yes, it freezes well.