Name: Loaded Cauliflower Soup (Gluten-Free, Keto Friendly)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 strips bacon, sliced into lardons; 1 yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp ghee or butter; 36oz cauliflower florets; 24 oz chicken broth; 1 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste); ¼ tsp black pepper; 1 cup full fat coconut milk; ¼ cup green onion, chopped; 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese; 1 bay leaf; 4 sprigs of thyme

Delicious, creamy and cheesy, Loaded Cauliflower Soup packed with veggies, crisp bacon, and green onions, and made with whole real food ingredients. This easy soup is the perfect filling lunch or dinner.

The Best Ever Creamy and Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Soup

There is just something about a “loaded” anything that we all love, am I right? I mean whether it is a loaded baked potato, loaded mashed cauliflower, or this dairy-free version of loaded baked potato soup, the combination of crispy bacon, green onion, and a sharp cheddar cheese is always, always, always a good idea.

While I love a good loaded baked potato, sometimes I am craving a recipe that is heavier on the less-starchier veggies and this easy loaded cauliflower soup always does the trick. It is cheesy and full of flavor. If you are craving a cozy soup loaded up with cauliflower goodness, this is it.

Watch How to Make This Loaded Cauliflower Soup

More Delicious Cauliflower Recipes

Cauliflower Soup Ingredients

Cauliflower: to keep things easy, I like to use pre-cut cauliflower florets for this recipe. Of course, if you prefer, you can chop your own cauliflower but, if you need an quick and easy option, pre-cut cauliflower florets work perfectly.

Coconut Milk: The broth in this soup is nice and creamy thanks to canned coconut milk. I love using canned coconut milk in soups like this (this soup is another favorite) to get that creamy element. Canned coconut milk is a great substitute for heavy cream and, since it’s canned, you can keep it in your pantry until you are ready to use it.

Shredded cheddar cheese: It wouldn’t be a “loaded” cauliflower soup without a little shredded cheddar. This recipe calls for sharp cheddar because it has so much more flavor than mild cheddar. Of course, you could use a mild cheddar cheese if you prefer but, I highly suggest going with sharp.

When a recipe calls for shredded cheddar cheese I like to buy a block of cheese and shred it myself with a cheese grater instead of cheese that has already been shredded. Pre-shredded cheese often contains stabilizers and additives so it doesn’t melt as well that has been freshly shredded off the block. Thankfully, shredding your own cheese is quite easy and will only take a moment. All you need is a cheese grater which is a great kitchen tool to add to your arsenal.

Bacon: Another classic ingredient in any loaded soup is crispy bacon. For the best (and crispiest) results slice your bacon in lardons (small strips) before frying them up.

Chicken Broth: You can use homemade chicken broth for this recipe or store bought, either is perfectly fine. If you are particularly sensitive to salt or just trying to monitor the amount of salt used in the soup, grab a low-sodium broth.

Recipe Variations

Leave out the bacon – you can leave out the bacon altogether if you prefer.
Broth – if you need to make a plant-based version of this soup you can easily use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Add extra veggies – this soup is so easy to customize! have some extra veggies you need to use? try adding them to the soup. Broccoli, carrots, or celery would all be great options.
Swap the coconut milk – don’t love coconut milk? swap it for half and half instead.
Switch up the cheese – feel free to switch up the cheese in this soup if you prefer! Pepper jack cheese would add a bit of a delicious spicy kick to the soup.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Step 1: Cook the bacon until crispy and then set aside on paper towels to drain. Remove half the bacon fat from the pot.

Step 2: Now it is time to add the garlic and veggies. Add the ghee or butter, if using, to the pot and then add the garlic, onion, and celery. Saute until the veggies are tender and then add the bay leaf, thyme, cauliflower, and chicken stock to the pot along with a little salt and pepper.

Step 3: Once the cauliflower is in the pot, your work is mainly done. Now, you just have to let the soup simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Once the cauliflower florets are tender it’s time to turn this into a creamy soup. To do that, you will place a few ladlefuls of soup in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour that mixture back into the soup.

Step 4: Lastly, stir in the coconut milk, shredded cheese, green onion, and bacon. Once the cheese is melted, it’s time to eat! Garnish the soup with extra cheese, green onion, bacon, greek yogurt or sour cream, and a little cracked black pepper before serving.

Tips to Make This Recipe Dairy Free

If you need to make this soup dairy-free for any reason you most certainly can! Here is what you need to do:

Use avocado oil or olive oil instead of butter.
Swap the cheddar for your favorite dairy-free vegan cheddar instead.
Leave out the cheddar altogether! You may need to add a little extra salt if you go this route.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Fridge: to keep the soup fresh, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can easily reheat this soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Feel free to add in a little extra broth if the soup is thicker than you like when reheating.

Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this soup because of all of the cheese. I think it tastes better from fresh.