This creamy Keto Cauliflower Soup recipe tastes rich and decadent but is low carb and healthier than most cream-based soups. This easy cream of cauliflower soup recipe is low carb, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
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I am a long-time fan of The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. Her Cauliflower Soup has been in our fall and winter dinner rotation for years. If you search "Cauliflower Soup" on google her result is #1. That is how good it is.
When I began eating low carb and Trim Healthy Mama I needed an on-plan substitute. I spent a few hours the other day tweaking Ree's recipe to make my Keto Cauliflower Soup Recipe compatible with my lifestyle.
I swapped out a few ingredients, reduced or increased a few others, and made a delicious soup. This will definitely make another appearance before warm weather arrives again.
Ingredients
Butter & Coconut Oil - I use these in conjunction for the most health benefits and best taste but you can just use one of the two or olive oil if you prefer.
Carrot, Celery, & Onion - This classic combination is used in many (if not most) soup recipes and is often called its French name 'mirepoix'. To keep the carb count low I only use one carrot and one onion in a soup recipe with 16 servings.
Cauliflower - Obviously the star of the show here. You can sub in frozen cauliflower in a pinch but fresh cauliflower really does taste the best. Cauliflower rice can also work if you have some to use. I use one head cauliflower.
Parsley - Dried or fresh parsley both work in this keto soup recipe.
Chicken stock or chicken broth - I normally make my own using my chicken bouillon powder. You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer.
Almond Milk - Plain, unsweetened almond milk is the one you want. If you want this recipe to be nut free you can sub in plain unsweetened coconut milk from the carton instead.
Salt - Always season to your own preference. The amount of salt and pepper I give is to my taste buds. If you prefer less salt that is fine.
Garlic Powder - For extra flavor try roasted garlic powder.
Cottage Cheese - This is a bit of an unconventional soup ingredient but I promise you can't taste it and it makes my keto cauliflower soup so creamy. If you really hate cottage cheese you can sub in cream cheese.
Heavy Cream - I only add a bit of cream relying more on the cottage cheese to make the soup creamy in order to keep the total calories lower.
Xanthan Gum or Glucomannan - these are optional but help with thickening if you would like your soup thicker.
How to Make Keto Cauliflower Soup
It is easier to make this homemade soup than you might think. You just add the vegetables to the pot at the correct times, then the other ingredients, and then puree.
Step One: Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in a large soup pot over medium heat until they have softened. Add the cauliflower and parsley and cover. Turn the heat all the down to low. The cauliflower will steam and start to soften with just the liquid the vegetables release.
Step Two: Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes. This step will finish cooking the cauliflower.
Step Three: Add the rest of the ingredients and puree the soup. This is easiest with an immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender transfer the soup to a regular blender in batches to puree it.
Always vent a blender when pureeing a hot liquid. You can remove the center of the cap and cover that with a towel. Hold the towel on with an oven mitt covering your hand to prevent burns. I've burned myself more than once trying to puree a soup.
You can puree all of it or leave some cauliflower florets in bigger pieces. I prefer to puree about ⅔ of it for a creamy texture leaving some nice sized chunks of cooked cauliflower.
Expert Tip: Make sure not to let the soup come to a boil after adding the cottage cheese or it can separate.
Variations
Bacon - Top the easy cauliflower soup with some crumbled cooked bacon when you are ready to serve it. Green onions are another great topping.
Cheddar Cheese - You can mix in some shredded cheddar in the last step or just use it to top bowls of soup when serving.
Bone Broth - For added nutrition make this soup with a chicken bone broth.
Herbs - Adding some fresh herbs is also a nice choice. I prefer fresh thyme or sage in this recipe.
Roasted Cauliflower - To make roasted cauliflower soup simply roast the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet at 425 for 25 minutes instead of steaming it. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Common Questions
Is cauliflower ketogenic friendly?
Yes, it is a great vegetable to enjoy on a low carb keto diet because the flavor is so mild. It is used often as a substitute for potatoes or rice.
What is the best soup thickener on keto?
This soup is thickened all on its own by the cauliflower but the best soup thickener I've found is xanthan gum or glucomannan. They are similar and you only need a tiny amount to thicken up a sauce or soup quickly. If you try adding some start slowly and add just a ¼ teaspoon at a time. If you add too much it can make a keto recipe end up like jelly or pudding.
Can I freeze cauliflower soup?
Yes! This cream of cauliflower soup recipe makes a HUGE pot of soup. It made 6-7 quarts. It freezes well so I love having some on hand for easy lunches or dinners. My husband likes it and a couple of the kids like it too. I wish they all liked it but kids. I have a soup problem. It is impossible for me to make a small pot of soup. A small pot of soup is still at least 4 quarts.
That is fine when the soup comes out well but once or twice I've ended up with a big pot of soup we just didn't like. Then I freeze the soup because I feel guilty dumping it. And then I find it in the bottom of the deep freeze a year later and it's freezer burned and I finally throw it away.
What soups are Keto friendly?
There are many soups that are compatible with a low carb diet. You just want to avoid soups with pasta, potato soup, soups based on other starchy vegetables, or those with added sugar.
A few good options for broth-based low carb soup recipes are Keto Meatball Minestrone, Easy Vegetable Soup, and Whole30 Chicken Soup.
For creamy soup options, try this Keto Pumpkin Soup and my Keto Butternut Squash Soup.
What Soup Pot Should I Buy?
When Emile Henry sent me a few of their beautiful products I couldn't wait to try them out. I love the Flame Top Round Dutch Oven. I have an inexpensive smaller cast iron dutch oven that is so heavy I hate to use it because I need to lug it back and forth to the sink to wash. This pot is larger but weighs only ⅔ what my enamel pot weighs.
I have owned several Emile Henry pieces for about 10 years and they still look new. You've seen them on my blog without even realizing it. They are beautiful and practical. These are investment pieces that can last your lifetime. You can see some other Emile Henry bakeware in my Zucchini Gratin post, my Chicken Fajita Casserole post, and my Cream Cheese Egg Bake.
You can also shop for Emile Henry on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2clAb8y
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📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
- 2 heads of cauliflower chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 quart unsweetened plain almond milk
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 16 oz cottage cheese (or 8 oz cream cheese)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or glucomannan optional (helps with thickening)
Instructions
- Heat the butter and coconut oil over medium. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and saute until softened. Add the cauliflower and parsley. Turn the heat to very low and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the stock and turn the heat up to medium high. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Add the almond milk, cottage cheese, and salt.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender or by carefully transferring some of the cauliflower and liquid to a blender. Always vent the lid and use caution blending hot liquids. Return the puree to the pot (if using a blender).
- Stir in the heavy cream. Sprinkle on the gluccomannan, if using, and stir until dissolved.
Roberta says
Done this quite often for cold nights and everyone enjoyed it, with some variation s: skipped carrots and onion, added two cloves of garlic (once also tried feremdnted black garlic: superb...), and in a couple of occasion sprinkled crumbs of roasted prosciutto on the top as garnish. I'm gonna ty to experiment a slowcooker version too. I may use leftover (if any 😉 ) with some ground meat to make meatloaf or some fritters. Great base, highly customizable as most of your recipes!
Cherie Pedersen says
Even my picky husband loved this!
Sarah says
Hi, do you think this would freeze okay?
Taryn says
Yes, I've frozen this before.
Andrea says
If I used frozen chopped cauliflower, how much should I substitute? I've got loads of it on hand.
Taryn says
About 3 pounds. If you'd like the soup thicker you can add more at the end.
Big Tom says
If you google "cauliflower soup" the pioneer woman doesn't even appear on the first page
Taryn says
Maybe now. When I published this post what I wrote was true. Google results change constantly.
PS says
Dealing with cold weather right now. This looks awesome. I think this will be for dinner, one night, this week.
Jennifer Glynn says
Hi! Do you think I could put all of these ingredients in my instant pot and then use an immersion blender afterwards?
Taryn says
I would do the first half of the recipe (up to simmer for 15 min) on a pressurized setting and then add the cottage cheese, almond milk, etc. when you puree it.
Wretha says
So this is an S so I could add some cheese and bacon and make it like a loaded potato soup?
Taryn says
Yes, definitely!
Lisa says
I bet this one tastes amazing! With the weather getting colder, it's the perfect time to make soup!
Georgina says
A wonderful soup for the colder months! Thank you!
Lisa | Drop The Sugar says
The soup looks delicious! Would have never thought to use cottage cheese in it.
STACEY says
This looks healthy and comforting for the Fall weather 🙂
Katrin says
What a delicious sounding recipe! The weather has turned here today and after a long day of rain I am ready for a warm hearty soup. Just reading this makes my mouth water...
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
I find that cauliflower soups are hearty and satisfying. I love this recipe and love even more that it's just 3.2 net carbs per serving. I have never tried Ree's cauliflower soup, but you can bet I'll be making yours. Sounds great. And I love Emile Henry and covet this pot! 🙂
Rebekah says
Could I mix it up and do half cauliflower and the other half Broccoli?
Taryn says
Sure!