Slow Cooker Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

This easy Crockpot Cauliflower Soup is the perfect cold weather comfort food. It's creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. Make it for a quick and easy dinner with a Kale Caesar Salad, pack it ahead for lunches, or make a double batch and freeze some for later.

I know everyone is saying this right now, but all I want to do is curl up and eat soup. What can I say? I have to speak my truth.

Unfortunately, this is proving a bit difficult these days since the sun is really shining right now in Southern California and my daily attempt to wear sweaters and boots is being constantly thwarted. However, I am not letting that get in the way of lots of soup eating. If my body craves it, then I try to go along with it, even if it's not weather permitting.

So to fill this craving, I decided to go ahead and make this simple and healthy recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower Soup. Chock full of cauliflower, veggies, low-fat dairy, and just enough cheddar to really taste rich, this is one new vegetarian dish you'll love to put in the slow cooker and look forward to all day long.

How do you make Crockpot Cheesy Cauliflower Soup?

As easy as the Slow Cooker already is, would you believe this cauliflower soup couldn't get any easier? It's true!

When you've gathered all your ingredients and cut your veggies all you have to do is add the cauliflower, other veggies, garlic, and broth to your slow cooker. Cook all of this together on low for about 4 hours or until everything is nice and soft.

When the four hours is up, in another bowl, mix together the flour, evaporated milk, and skim milk. Add this slurry to the slow cooker and cook this all together for another hour on high. The soup will get nice and thick this way.

When that last hour is up, add salt and pepper to taste and then use an immersion blender to blend the soup all up till it is nice and creamy.

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in batches in a blender, but be sure to do it slowly, and to leave an opening in the top of the lid and cover with a towel to avoid the steamy, hot soup from exploding out the top and burning you.

Add the cheese to the blended soup and stir until it's all melted and cheesy and gooey.

Recipe Ideas

• You can leave out the flour to make a gluten-free, Paleo, or low-carb version. It will still turn out really good, it just won't be quite as thick.
• You can also blend only about half the soup if you like a chunkier version.
• Use half broccoli and half cauliflower for a cruciferous combo cheesy soup. (For a broccoli-only soup option, try this recipe.)
• For a spicy version of this cauliflower soup, add two chipotles with adobo sauce to the soup before blending. Add more if you really like it hot!
• For an Indian-inspired flair, add a tablespoon of curry powder to the mix before cooking.
• If you like all the texture in your soups (like I sometimes do), you can steam a side of bite-size veggies in the microwave or on the stovetop and add it to the soup after blending. This way, you get both tender veggies and creamy veggies in your soup.
• To bring out a richer, deeper, roasted taste to your soup, roast the cauliflower florets, carrots, onions, and garlic in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes before continuing with the directions as follows. Put them on a sheet pan and sprinkle with olive oil before roasting.

Can you freeze cauliflower soup?

I often like to make a double batch of my soups to freeze some for later. Or, I'll just freeze leftovers if we don't crush it all within a day or two. It's easy to do and you'll thank yourself later when you don't have anything for dinner and you remember you have stocked up your freezer for such an occasion.

After you have cooked and blended your soup, let whatever portion you want to freeze cool to room temperature. Once it's cooled off, put it into freezer-safe dishes such as plastic containers with screw-top lids, or even large mason jars. Ziploc bags work too, just make sure you put the open bag into a bowl or another container to hold it upright as you ladle soup into it or it will fall over and make a huge mess.

When you're ready to reheat your soup, simply thaw in the fridge all the way (again supporting those baggies with a bowl if necessary), put into an oven- or microwave-safe container for reheating.

So if you're feeling the soup thing but it's not soup weather yet, then this Cheesy Cauliflower Soup will satisfy your soup needs without having to sweat over a hot stove all day.

How long will this keep in the fridge?

Cauliflower soup keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Keep it in an airtight container. When you heat it up, add a touch of extra broth or milk if the soup is thicker. Sometimes the soup will thicken as it hits.

Can I make this as a chunky soup?

If you prefer a chunkier soup, you can leave some of the vegetables intact. What I would recommend is blending half the soup and leaving half chunky. That way you get a thick soup but also get some of the whole vegetables. Another option is to roast some cauliflower on the side and add it to the soup right before serving. The deep nutty flavor of the roasted cauliflower is great as a topping. Plus it adds some texture.

Looking for more healthy cauliflower recipes?

• The Best Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
• Cheesy Bacon Cauliflower Soup
• Garlic Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta
• One Pot Cauliflower Piccata Pasta