Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup

This Instant Pot Cauliflower Parmesan Soup is so easy to make and tastes so good and can be made in just 20 minutes. It has crunchy Parmesan croutons, sun-dried tomato oil, spices, and it’s really creamy and delicious. This one definitely goes in the favorites.

This recipe is so simple to make that it can be your new “go-to” meatless Monday option or those busy nights when you need a “dump and go” dinner but want it to be healthier than take out. Look no further, this is the one. Make sure you have a batch of rolls ready to go with it. Kings Hawaiian Rolls from the Instant Pot or a batch of Homemade Breadsticks.

🍽️ Why This Recipe Works

Super Fast – We all need delicious drool-worthy recipes in our back pocket that are fast to make. This will be in your favorites and your family is going to love the flavor!

Meal Prep and Freezer Friendly – This can be made ahead of time or simply prepped ahead of time to shave minutes off of dinner preparations. If you need help meal prepping, pop to the Meal Prep 101 to get you started to save money and time plus reduce the stress of what your family is going to eat.

🍲 Ingredients 

Cauliflower – This recipe calls for 2-3 pounds of cauliflower, so when we said healthy, here is a big chunk of your veggies that you need to eat today. 

Sun Dried Tomatoes – The sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe are just for the use of the oil that is packed in the jar. You don’t actually put them into the soup. But drizzling the oil on top gives you an amazing flavor.

Chicken Broth – Substitute vegetable broth here if you like. 

Parmesan Cheese – Just to make sure we are all on the same page here, we are talking about the shredded cheese in the bag or even better yet, the block that you shred yourself. This is not using the Parmesan in the green can. 

📝 Instructions 

I’m so excited to share this soup recipe with you. You’re not only going to love how amazing it tastes but how simple it is to make too. Let’s get started so you can be indulging in a hot bowl of soup soon:

Step One: Use a non-stick silicone mat or parchment paper to line a cookie sheet. 

Step Two: To make the croutons place one tablespoon piles of parmesan cheese on the baking sheet, so it’s in little bunches. Sprinkle each cluster with Italian seasoning and make sure that they are at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the parmesan turns golden brown. Once done, let them cool. You can make as many as you want for your bowl of soup. 

Step Three: Rinse the cauliflower and chop the florets into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped onion, cauliflower, garlic, chicken broth, garlic salt, and pepper into the Instant Pot and stir. 

Step Four: Place the lid on the pressure cooker and turn the pressure valve to the sealed position. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. 

Step Five: Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid and use an immersion blender to blend the soup. Blend until it’s the texture you want; the longer you blend, the creamier it will be. 

Step Six: Mix the sour cream and parmesan cheese with the soup. Scoop it into bowls and top with parmesan croutons. Add a little bit of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Top with bacon and green onions. Serve and devour! 

🍴 Meal Prep Instructions

Here are tips for meal prepping. You will find it stores well.

Chop the cauliflower florets and store them in an airtight container until you are ready to prepare the soup. You can also chop the sweet onion and green onions. They will store in sealed containers in the refrigerator. 

You can also fully prepare the soup and pour it in a container with a tight-fitting lid. It will last for up to five days in the refrigerator. Warm the soup up and enjoy when you are ready to serve. 

🥄 Freezer Friendly Instructions

This soup will last in the freezer for up to two months! It’s perfect for meal planning and having on hand when you need a quick dinner or lunch. Pour the soup into a gallon freezer bag or smaller bags if you want individual servings. Let the bags freeze flat for a few hours on a sheet pan. Then they can be moved. 

To defrost the soup, place it in the fridge overnight. Once it’s thawed or mostly thawed, put the soup in a pot and warm up using medium heat on the stovetop. You can also warm it up in the microwave for a minute or two at a time. Stir after every minute, or so it warms evenly. 

🥘 Do I Have To Use An Immersion Blender?

No, you don’t have to use an immersion blender. We love using it because it gives that amazing texture we can’t get enough of. You have a couple of options if you don’t own one. 

First, you can skip blending it altogether. This will mean that the soup will be much chunkier and more stew-like. This is completely fine and will taste great too. If you go this route, I recommend really chopping that cauliflower small, so it doesn’t seem too chunky. 

Secondly, you can pour batches of soup into a blender. It’s important to know if you decide to do this, it can be VERY hot and even dangerous. You will need to let the soup cool down and use a towel to cover the lid of the blender. The last thing you need is for scalding hot soup to spray all over the house and you. Work in very small batches, so you don’t overfill the blender. 

🥣 Substitutions

Most of my recipes are super versatile, and you can easily exchange some ingredients for something else. Take a look at a few of the substitutions you can consider.

• Bacon – You can easily omit the bacon if you want the soup to be vegetarian or if you want, you can swap it for turkey bacon.
• Broth – We used chicken broth, but beef or vegetable broth would also work beautifully. 
• Cheese – If you aren’t a huge fan of parmesan, you can cut it down by just using the parmesan to make the croutons and using mozzarella in the soup itself. Parmesan is a saltier cheese, so the flavor will change a fair amount if you do make the switch. 

🥄 Variations

Try out some fun flavors with this cauliflower soup! There are lots of ideas that you can try and make it extra special. Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

• Roasted Cauliflower – I love the flavor and texture of roasted cauliflower! Place some pieces of cauliflower on a baking sheet with some olive oil and seasonings and roast for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Then add a few pieces to the top of the bowls of soup for a pleasant garnish. 
• Chopped Parsley – Sprinkle some parsley on top of the bowls of soup. The extra pop of vibrant color makes the soup look even more gorgeous. There are always substitutes to use if you are out of fresh parsley!
• Dijon Mustard – You don’t need a lot of mustard to make a huge impact! Start with ½ tablespoon, and you can add more if wanted. It just gives a little bit of tanginess to the cauliflower parm soup. 

Instant Pot User Manuals 

If anyone lost their USER MANUAL, here is the link to find yours. Each IP is slightly different so I want to make sure you feel comfortable with all the buttons and how to use them. If you have questions, always make a comment or email us so we can help you along! 

Check out my free Instant Pot cheat sheet printable as well for cooking times on all types of foods. Great help for pressure cooker users.

❗ Expert Tips 

When using your Instant Pot, remember to account for the amount of time that it takes for it to come to PRESSURE. That is NOT accounted for in the total time cooking in this recipe or almost any IP recipe you’ll find. So always add your 8-10 minutes in the back of your head when planning dinner. 

Make this one ahead of time and pour into containers for a healthy lunch on the go. 

Recipe FAQ 

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