Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup is a recipe you’ll make again and again, and this soup will be a hit with the whole family! Even people who say they don’t like cauliflower have gobbled up this Loaded Cauliflower Soup, and you can also make it on the stovetop if you prefer.
PIN the Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup recipe to try later!
This Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup makes a great dinner when it’s cold outside and you’re craving something tasty! And even people who normally avoid cauliflower will likely enjoy this delicious low-carb and gluten-free soup. I’ve had readers report that their family member will devour it, even those who aren’t fans of cauliflower!
When I first made this recipe with my niece Kara, we couldn’t wait to share it with you! Now years later, this Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup is still one of the most popular soup recipes on Kalyn’s Kitchen! And I make this regularly, so this week I’m reminding you of this loaded cauliflower soup for Friday Favorites!
I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it. And it’s starting to feel like serious soup weather in Utah. Does it get cold where you live?
What ingredients do you need for this soup?
(This is just a list of ingredients; scroll down for the full printable recipe. Or if you want the GO TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, which will take you directly to the full recipe.)
- onion
- butter or olive oil
- large cauliflower head
- canned chicken stock (affiliate link) or homemade chicken stock
- Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
- Kosher salt (affiliate link)
- cream cheese
- grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
- half and half (or use whipped cream or milk if you prefer)
- more grated sharp cheddar or extra sharp cheddar cheese for topping (optional)
- sour cream for topping (optional)
- crumbled crispy bacon for the topping (optional)
- sliced green onions for topping (optional)
Why is it called Loaded Cauliflower Soup?
The word “loaded” in the name of this Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup refers to loaded baked potatoes. This soup is topped with optional cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions, like the toppings used on loaded potatoes.
Can you freeze this Instant Pot cauliflower soup?
Soups with cream do not freeze well, so I do not recommend freezing this loaded cauliflower soup. But it will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, and I bet it will be devoured in that time!
How low in carbs is this loaded cauliflower soup?
This tasty soup contains only 6.3 net carbohydrates and 17 grams of protein. Nutritional information does not include toppings because it is difficult to calculate which and how many people will add. But all toppings are low in carbohydrates.
What size Instant Pot did I use for the cauliflower soup?
We made the soup in my 6 liter instant pot (affiliate link) and wished we had made a larger batch! If you have a 8 liter instant pot (affiliate link) you could double the recipe. Check out my growing collection of Instant Pot recipes for more soup ideas!
Can you make this cauliflower soup without the Instant Pot?
For those who have still joined The Church of Instant Pot, I will also be leading the stove. And this soup is super easy to make on the stove. Look for those directions in the main recipe, after the Instant Pot instructions.
How to make instant cauliflower soup with jar filling:
(This is just a summary of the steps for the recipe; scroll down for the full printable recipe. Or if you want the GO TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, which will take you directly to the full recipe.)
- Cut the onion and the cauliflower.
- Melt butter or heat oil in Instant Pot on SAUTE setting and cook onions for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the chopped cauliflower, chicken stock, garlic powder and salt.
- Lock the lid, use the MANUAL setting and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 5 minutes. Release the pressure quickly.
- While the soup is cooking, prepare the cream cheese cubes, grated sharp cheddar, and cream (or use milk or half and half).
- Also prepare the extra cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions as toppings.
- Set the Instant Pot to KEEP WARM and use a hand blender (affiliate link) to puree the soup to the desired consistency.
- Check if you want to add some more chicken stock to thin the soup (or reduce the liquid on the SAUTE setting if it is too thin).
- Add the cheese and cream cheese, let melt and stir to combine.
- Then stir in the half and half, heat through and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Taste before adding more salt.)
- Serve Instant Pot Low Carb Cauliflower Soup hot with shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions to add to the table as desired.
Make it a low-carb meal:
If you serve it with all the toppings shown here, this Loaded Cauliflower Soup can probably be a one-dish meal. But if you want something more, the soup is also delicious with one of these breads or muffins:
Want more delicious cauliflower soup recipes?
Check out Great Cauliflower Soup Recipes for many more ideas for delicious soups with cauliflower or cauliflower rice!
Weekend food preparation:
This Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup recipe has been added to the Weekend Food Prep category, where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped small
2 T butter or olive oil
1 large cauliflower head, cleaned and coarsely chopped.
3 cups chicken stock or chicken broth, plus a little more to thin the soup if necessary
1 teaspoon. garlic powder
1 teaspoon. kosher salt
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup half-and-half (or use heavy cream or milk if you prefer)
Topping ingredients:
extra grated sharp cheddar or extra sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
8-10 strips of bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled (optional)
thinly sliced green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the onion and cut into small pieces.
- Cut away the leaves of the cauliflower and part of the stem, but keep the core part. Roughly chop the cauliflower into pieces.
- Set the Instant Pot or pressure cooker to SAUTE and melt the butter; Then add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the chopped cauliflower, chicken stock or canned chicken stock, garlic powder and salt.
- Lock the lid, use the MANUAL setting and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 5 minutes.
- Release the pressure quickly.
- While the soup is cooking, prepare the cream cheese cubes, grated sharp cheddar, and half and half. Also cook and crumble the bacon, serve some sour cream and extra grated cheese and slice the green onions for the topping.
- Check whether the cauliflower is very soft; then set the Instant Pot to KEEP WARM (use simmer or low for other pressure cookers.)
- Use one hand blender (affiliate link) blender, or food processor to puree the soup. (I highly recommend using an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pressure cooker, if you have one. Be very careful with the hot liquid when you put it in a blender or food processor for pureeing.)
- Check the thickness of the soup and add more stock if you want it thinner, or reduce it slightly if it seems too thin.
- Add the grated cheese and cream cheese cubes, let them melt and stir everything together.
- Add half and half (or heavy cream or milk) and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Taste before adding more salt.)
- Serve the soup warm, with grated cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and green onion to add to the table
Hob Directions:
- Prepare the ingredients as described above, but use 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock for the stovetop version. Use a heavy Dutch oven type pan that will hold all the ingredients.
- Heat butter or oil in the frying pan, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the chopped cauliflower, chicken stock, garlic powder and salt.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender, probably 20-30 minutes.
- Puree the soup as above and check the amount of liquid. If it is too thick, add a little more stock and if it seems thin, cook for a few more minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the grated cheese and cream cheese cubes, let them melt and stir everything together.
- Add half and half (or heavy cream or milk) and heat through, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Taste before adding more salt.)
- Serve the soup warm, with grated cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and green onion to add to the table as desired.
Comments
This recipe was created by Kalyn and Kara, with inspiration from Instant cauliflower and mushroom soup.
Nutritional information
Yield
6
Portion size
1
Quantity per serving
Calories 360Total fat 27.4gSaturated fat 15.4gUnsaturated fat 9gCholesterol 77.6 mgSodium 881 mgCarbohydrates 9.7gFiber 3.4gSugar 6.8gEgg white 17g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I use. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy as many variables influence these calculations. (The nutritional information for this recipe does not include the optional toppings.)
Suggestions for a low-carb diet / low-glycemic diet / South Beach diet:
This delicious Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup is ideal for low-carb or Keto diets. If you follow the Original South Beach Diet strictly, you should consume low-fat dairy products, use olive oil instead of butter, and perhaps limit the amount of bacon or use turkey bacon.
Find more recipes like this:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTokor on YouTube to see all the good recipes I share there.
Historical notes on this recipe:
The Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup was first posted in 2017. The recipe is extremely popular on the blog and I have made it many times for dinner guests. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2026.
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