This Lighter & Healthier Cauliflower Soup is so easy, a little cheesy and now…low carb and gluten free!
I’ve been making this Cauliflower Soup for over 25 years, but I used to add flour, potatoes and carrots. It’s not as cheesy as Pepé, but that’s a good thing. That’s right, I recently modified this soup to be low carb and gluten free. I ditched those high carb ingredients and I also swapped out the cheddar cheese for Gruyere cheese instead. Think of Potatoes Dauphinoise, but with cauliflower instead of potatoes and it’s a soup instead of a casserole.
Hearty not heavy, so definitely healthier. Ha!
This Cauliflower Soup is hearty, but it’s not heavy. It’s not super thick and loaded with cream or cheese – it has some cream, and some cheese, but not so much that you will feel guilty eating it. It’s a trimmed down and healthier version than the one I always made in the past. Serve with this Bacon, Apple, Walnut & Arugula Salad or any salad for a nice, light change of pace.

Are there vegetarian options?
You bet there are. If you’re a vegetarian, you can easily use vegetable stock instead of chicken and obviously skip the bacon garnish or use a plant based imitation bacon. If you’re vegan… well, I can only go so far and this is not for you. Sorry.
Do I need an instant pot?
No, this soup only takes about 45 – 60 minutes and although I love multi-cookers, it seems that most recipes don’t mention the time that it takes to build the pressure and then release the pressure, or how you have to keep the valve cleaned. I keep my 6 quart dutch oven on my stove top every day. It’s great for cooking so many things, it’s pretty and it’s easier to clean. Plus, if we don’t eat it all, I just put the dutch oven in the fridge – the next day, I put it back on the stove and heat it up (slowly).
Instructions:
Melt butter and oil in dutch oven or soup pot on med/high heat. Sautée onions and celery seasoned with a little salt until tender (about 8-10 minutes), then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.






Lighter & Healthier Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Cauliflower (6-7 cups chopped)
- 1 1/4 Cups Celery (4-5 stalks)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 Cup Gruyere Cheese (plus more for garnish)
- 1 Cup Milk (whole)
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Cups Chicken Stock (or vegetable stock)
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt and White or Black Pepper to Taste (white pepper is prettier for this dish)
- Cooked Bacon (chopped for garnish)
- Green Onions (for garnish)
Instructions
- Melt butter and oil in dutch oven or soup pot on med/high heat.
- Sauté onions and celery seasoned with a little salt until tender (about 8-10 minutes), then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour the cream into the pan, add the cauliflower and the stock. Cook on med/high to high for about 5 minutes.
- Add the milk, nutmeg, white pepper and continue to cook (but not a hard boil or it will get grainy) until the cauliflower is tender and the soup has thickened up a bit (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in the shredded cheese and add more seasoning if you need to. If it gets too thick, just add more milk or stock.
- Garnish with bacon, green onions and more cheese or even a different cheese (like cheddar) if you desire. Chili oil might be a nice garnish or flavor to add as well.