Name: Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 43 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter (28g); 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth); ½ teaspoon dried dill; 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into large florets; 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (83g; can sub regular cheddar); ½ cup sour cream (or full-fat Greek yogurt); ½ cup half and half cream; salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste after cooking); bacon bits or sliced cooked bacon; grated cheddar cheese; sour cream or Greek yogurt; sliced green onion; hot sauce

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Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup is incredibly creamy and full of savoury flavour. Customize it with your favourite toppings!

Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup in a white bowl next to garnishes and a blue linen.

This soup is such a crowd pleaser. It’s an amazing creamy base for all the toppings your heart desires. We suggest some simple toppings like bacon, green onion and grated cheese, but don’t let that limit your imagination! Sliced jalapeños, crispy fried onions and chives are also great options.

I highly recommend doubling this recipe, if you tend to enjoy extra large bowls of soup or if you’d like to have leftovers. This soup reheats really nicely.

Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup. Check out the recipe card below for the detailed quantities and instructions!

Butter – for sautéing
Onion
Celery
Garlic
Broth – chicken or vegetable
Dried dill
Cauliflower – a medium-sized head, so you have about 20 ounces of florets
Sharp cheddar – regular cheddar cheese works too, but the sharp cheddar flavour is more noticeable
Sour cream – or full-fat Greek yogurt for a lower fat/higher protein option
Half and half cream – the soup is fairly creamy without this, but adding a bit of cream takes it to the next level!
Salt and pepper – to taste
Suggested toppings – bacon bits or sliced cooked bacon, sour cream, grated cheese, sliced green onion and hot sauce.

Ingredients for loaded cauliflower soup viewed from overhead.

How to make it

First, use the Sauté function to melt the butter and sauté the onion and celery. Once these are softened, turn off the Sauté function and cook the garlic for about a minute in the residual heat.

Deglaze the pot with a bit of broth (if necessary), then add the rest of the broth and sprinkle in the dried dill. Layer the cauliflower florets on top.

Uncooked cauliflower florets in an Instant Pot viewed from overhead.

Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes. At the end of cooking time, quick release the pressure. I like to leave the keep warm setting on so that it’s easier to warm up the dairy ingredients.

Use an immersion blender right in the pot and blend until the soup is smooth and creamy. Then, stir in the grated cheddar, followed by the sour cream and half and half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with your favourite toppings and enjoy!

Cauliflower soup being blended with an immersion blender in an Instant Pot.

Tips and Variations

Use the keep warm setting. This helps keep the soup warm while you add the dairy ingredients.

Be efficient with prep. Grate the cheese and measure out the dairy ingredients while the soup is pressure cooking.

Taste and season after cooking. I tend to suggest seasoning with salt after pressure cooking because the saltiness depends a lot on the type of broth you use. The sharp cheddar also adds salt, so season after it’s mixed in.

Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the bacon topping. You could use a vegan faux bacon, or add some other toppings like sliced olives, jalapeño or crispy fried onions.

A ladle of cauliflower soup being pulled out of an Instant Pot.

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