Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup is a vegetarian creamy soup loaded with healthy and simple ingredients. Made with just a few pantry staples that come together to create a mouthwatering flavor profile.
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Instant Pot cauliflower soup is made quickly using a pressure cooker, then blended into a super creamy soup that's full of deliciousness. It's naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan and dairy-free with 1 simple ingredient swap.
Use your air fryer lid to roast the cauliflower to amp up the soup's already amazing flavor, or simply use fresh cauliflower without any precooking. But the addition of sweet, caramelized roasted cauliflower is worth it if you have the time- trust me!
I use my 8 quart Duo Crisp Instant Pot, but this recipe works in any size pressure cooker. To blend it, use an immersion blender or a high speed traditional blender. The Instant Ace blender works great! This recipe makes 4 cups of soup, but can be doubled.
If you've never had pureed vegetable soups, you may not thick they are for you. But try it once I know you'll rethink! Soups that blend cooked vegetables to create a creamy broth rather than using heavy cream or cheese, are incredibly healthy and are delicious with the right combination of spices and seasonings.
Just try my Instant Pot celery soup and you'll be quite impressed with what only a vegetable and lots of seasonings can become. And if creamy soups really aren't your thing, pressure cooker cabbage soup and Instant Pot vegetable soup are a few other veggie-loaded soups that you'll love!
Ingredients and Tools
- Cauliflower: one head of cauliflower makes 4 cups of soup.
- Carrot
- Celery
- Onion: I like sweet onion but yellow onions work.
- Garlic
- Thyme: dried is perfect, but you can use fresh (three times the amount of dried).
- Vegetable broth: if not vegetarian, chicken broth can be used.
- Lemon juice: fresh or bottled.
- Cheddar cheese: extra sharp or sharp cheddar cheese provide the best flavor.
- Salt & pepper
Optional Toppings
- Fresh herbs: like parsley, chives, basil, thyme, etc.
- Red pepper flakes
- Ground black peppercorns
- Turkey bacon
- Pressure cooker
- Air fryer lid or oven/toaster for roasting the cauliflower (optional)
- Immersion blender or other high speed blender
Make It Vegan and Dairy-Free
To make this Instant Pot cauliflower soup vegan and dairy free, just eliminate the cheddar cheese. Replace it with nutritional yeast flakes or a vegan creamy cheese.
Instructions
STEP 1: Wash and dry the cauliflower. Chop into 1-2 inch pieces. If roasting, rub with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Put into the air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until cauliflower begins to brown. This can also be done in a standard oven. If not roasting, skip this step.
STEP 2: Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the inner pot and set to saute for 3 minutes. (If you used the air fryer lid and roasted the garlic in the Instant Pot, leave any bits of cauliflower that fell into the inner pot). When the oil is hot, add diced carrots, celery, and onion. Add minced garlic during the last minute. Stir frequently.
STEP 3: Turn off saute and pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Deglaze with a wooden spoon to release any stuck pieces of food on the bottom of the pot. Add the cauliflower, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and thyme. Do not stir.
STEP 4: Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook/manual on high for 5 minutes. Complete a controlled quick release when finished. Open the lid and stir.
STEP 5: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, put soup into a high speed blender and blend until creamy.
STEP 6: Transfer the inner pot to a heat-proof surface and wait 1 minute. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Serve immediately with your choice of garnishings.
Cooking Tips
Instant Pot cauliflower soup is very simple, but keep these few tips in mind.
- You can puree it completely to make a smooth, velvety soup or puree it partially for a slightly chunky soup.
- If you're not satisfied with the creamy texture at the end and want it slightly thicker, make a roux of butter and flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and mix with ¼ cup of flour. Add this to the hot soup once it's done pressure cooking, you've pureed it, and added the cheese. Set to saute for 2-3 minutes and stir while the soup thickens. Another thickening option is cornstarch. However, once the cauliflower is pureed and the cheese added, the soup is quite thick so I do not add a roux or cornstarch.
- Let me repeat myself- the flavor is so much more elevated when using roasted cauliflower!
Don't skip on the seasonings. Thyme, rosemary, parsley, and basic salt and pepper can add a world of flavor depth to basic cauliflower soup. For maximum flavor, always saute the garlic, onion, carrots and celery prior to pressure cooking. And used roasted cauliflower. Red pepper flakes, sea salt, fresh herbs and a sprinkle of extra cheese all enhance the final bite too.
Cauliflower soup is loaded with protein, vitamins A and C and calcium. It's relatively low in calories and fat. Cauliflower is also a good source of antioxidants and fiber, so there are a lot of nutritional benefits to eating cauliflower soup!
Storing
Fridge: store for up to 5 days in a covered container.
Freezer: store flat in freezer safe bags for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Recipe
Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
Equipment
- air fryer lid or air fryer optional
- immersion blender or high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower plus olive oil, salt and pepper for roasting
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 large sweet onion or yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese sharp or extra sharp
- red pepper flakes optional garnish for serving
- fresh herbs optional garnish for serving
Instructions
- Wash and dry the cauliflower. Chop into 1-2 inch pieces. If roasting, rub with a little olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Put into the air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until cauliflower begins to brown slightly. This can also be done in a standard oven. If not roasting, skip this step.
- Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the inner pot and set to saute on high for 3 minutes. (If you used the air fryer lid and roasted the garlic in the Instant Pot, leave any bits of cauliflower that fell into the inner pot). When the oil is hot, add diced carrots, celery, and onion. Add minced garlic during the last minute. Stir frequently while cooking.
- Turn off saute and pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Deglaze with a wooden spoon to release any stuck pieces of food on the bottom of the pot. Add the cauliflower, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and thyme. Do not stir.
- Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook/manual on high for 5 minutes. Complete a controlled quick release when finished. Open the lid and stir.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, put soup into a high speed blender and blend until creamy.
- Transfer the inner pot to a heat-proof surface and wait 1 minute. Add the shredded cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. If thickening further with a roux, see notes below.
- Serve immediately, with your choice of garnishings.
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