A bowl of silky smooth Cauliflower Cheese Soup is fabulous comfort food on a cold day. It’s a very simple recipe and takes less than one hour to make. A family favourite turned into a warming, hearty soup. Add croutons, crispy diced pancetta or serve with fresh bread for a wonderful, satisfying meal.
Cauliflower cheese is a much loved, classic British side dish. But have you ever tried cauliflower cheese soup? It’s velvety, rich and delicious. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Just like macaroni cheese, this is a great little recipe for using up any bits of leftover cheese (is that a thing??) you might have in the fridge. You can use any cheese you like as long as it melts well.
I like to use the strongest mature cheddar I can get my hands on along with a generous handful of parmesan. A handful of Gruyere cheese is also wonderful – it makes the soup feel like such a treat.
ingredients
- one large onion. A regular brown onion is all you need.
- A fresh cauliflower, about 600g in weight.
- one large or two potatoes
- cayenne pepper (adds a nice warmth, not spice)
- bay leaves
- vegetable stock – I use the stock pots
- mustard – I like wholegrain mustard, but Dijon is also good
- mature cheddar cheese, whatever brand you prefer (please refer to notes below for different cheese suggestions)
how to make cauliflower cheese soup
1.Separate the cauliflower florets from the stalk and chop everything up into quite small pieces. The stalks are tougher than the florets, so they take slightly longer to cook. I find it’s best to soften them with the potatoes and onions.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and potato.
3. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the diced onion, potato and chopped cauliflower stalk. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables on a low heat for about 12-15 minutes, or until they have softened. Keep an eye on them and stir every now and then – you don’t want them to turn brown.
4. When the vegetables have softened, add the cayenne pepper and cook for one minute.
5. Pour in the vegetable stock and milk. Add the bay leaves, cover and simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
6. Pour the soup into a blender (allow it to cool down slightly if it’s easier) and blitz to your desired consistency. I like this soup smooth and silky, but if you prefer a chunky soup, I recommend blitzing half and mashing the rest with a potato masher.
7. Return the soup to the pan, then stir in the mustard and grated cheese. Place on a low heat and gently heat, stirring so the cheese melts. Season to taste.
serving cauliflower cheese soup
Cauliflower soup is delicious topped with diced pancetta, gently fried until crisp. You could also add crispy bacon rashers or crunchy croutons and an extra handful of cheese – because when is more cheese a terrible idea?
This soup begs for crusty bread dipped into it. If you have time, why not whip up this quick cheese soda bread to have alongside? Or these pumpkin bread rolls would be suitably Autumnal…
variations
- Add a couple of crushed garlic cloves
- Top the soup with fresh chives – cheese and chives are perfect together
- Add a few dried chilli flakes – this will give more direct heat than the subtle warmth of the cayenne pepper
- Add blue cheese, such as Stilton or Danish blue for a similar take on Broccoli and Stilton soup
- A mixture of cheddar and Gruyere cheese is also lovely – basically, any cheese with a good melting consistency will work beautifully.
- If you’re a Marmite fan, try stirring a teaspoon (or two!) in the soup along with the mustard and cheese – you don’t need much, but it adds a little “extra” something!
how to store leftovers
Cool any leftover soup as quickly as possible, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat the soup on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Don’t allow it to boil.
Make sure to cover the pan with a lid, as the soup will splatter. If the soup is too thick, add a splash of freshly boiled water from the kettle.
freezing
Store the cold soup into freezer-suitable containers or thick soup bags – I like these ones from Lakeland. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating.
looking for more winter soup recipes?
Cauliflower Cheese Soup
A creamy, silky smooth cauliflower cheese soup that's ready in under one hour. Top the finished soup with crisp pancetta cubes, bacon or crunchy croutons and a little extra cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- One large onion, finely chopped
- One cauliflower (500g), finely chopped (separate the tougher parts of the stalk from the florets)
- One or two potatoes, about 400g in weight
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 400ml milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons wholegrain or Dijon mustard
- 150g mature cheddar cheese, or a mixture of cheddar and Gruyere (see notes for variations)
- 50g grated parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the diced onion, potato and chopped cauliflower stalk. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables on a low heat for about 12-15 minutes, or until they have softened.
- When the vegetables have softened (but not coloured), add the cayenne pepper and cook for one minute.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and milk. Add the bay leaves, cover and simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are almost collapsing.
- Pour the soup into a blender and blitz to your desired consistency. I like this soup smooth and silky, but you might prefer some texture.
- Pour the soup back into the pan, then stir in the mustard and grated cheese. Return the pan to the hob and gently heat on low, stirring so the cheese melts. Season to taste.
- Serve the soup in bowls with croutons, crispy fried pancetta or bacon and crusty bread.
Notes
Any leftover soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the soup in a pan on a low heat, stirring often. Cover the pan with a lid as it will splatter. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a splash of freshly boiled water from the kettle.
The soup can be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Variations:
Add some blue cheese, such as Stilton or Danish Blue. Any cheese that melts well will work, so feel free to experiment.
When softening the vegetables, add a sprinkling of chili flakes for a little heat. A little goes a long way!
If you like Marmite, stir in a teaspoon (or more!) when adding the mustard and cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 464Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 888mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 22g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.