Name: Instant Pot Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 medium size sweet or yellow onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 3 cups chicken broth; ½ cup rinsed garbanzo beans; 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets; ½ teaspoon dry mustard; ¼ cup nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese, optional for extra cheesy flavor; 1 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole); 1 cup pepper jack cheese; 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese; extra salt and pepper to taste

Instant Pot Creamy Cauliflower Soup is thick, creamy, and luscious with a fraction of the calories of many other indulgent versions. It's so easy to whip up in the pressure cooker and can be hot and ready on your table in less than 30 minutes!

A few months ago, my sister Cami (the creator of the DIY and Home Decor side of TIDBITS) posted the most beautiful Cauliflower Cheese Soup.

The pictures alone had me drooling!

To my dismay, her recipe required a pot and a stovetop. What the Wha!!!

I immediately sent her a text asking why in the world she didn't use her pressure cooker!

Oh, right, because the Instant Pot isn't the ONLY way to cook dinner . . .

Perhaps that's just what happens when you think about, talk about, and write about pressure cooker recipes all day and all night.

So I begged her to let me Instant Pot-atize her soup and try and put my own lighter and less indulgent spin on it.

We had a good laugh over the fact that her readers had already asked her for a lighter Instant Pot version, so she gave me the green light!

Four testers later, I finally got it!

Luckily my kids love this soup because we ate it for 2 weeks while I tweaked the recipe, and no one complained.

We ate Cauliflower soup in Bread Bowls, with Breadsticks, with sausage, with fish crackers, and finally, with mini gnocchi (or as my kids call them, Pinocchis, haha!)

And guess what, we still want MORE!!! That is always a good sign!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Cami's recipe originally called for making a roux which I knew wouldn't work well in the pressure cooker, so I nixed that step and added a big handful of garbanzo beans instead – trust me, it works! You get the same creamy richness without the hassle of a roux!
Lighter in calories, but not in creaminess – I swapped the cream for low-fat milk and decreased the amount of cheese without it having a huge impact on the taste or texture.
Comforting, wholesome food that warms you from the inside out and can elevate your mood no matter the day you had.
Dinner under 30 – always a plus.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Saute onions and garlic in melted butter until soft
Add broth, beans, cauliflower, and dry mustard
Cook for 8 minutes
Blend until VERY smooth
Pour back into the pot
Stir in milk and cheese until melted

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR MAKING HEALTHIER CAULIFLOWER SOUP

To make this meal even quicker, buy already washed and chopped cauliflower from the produce or freezer section of your grocery store.
To keep it flavorful with less cheese, make sure to use EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese. If you want even more cheesy flavor, add a shake of nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese.
Don't nix the garbanzo beans. I mean, you caaaannn, but they really do an incredible job of making this soup taste indulgently rich. Plus, extra fiber and protein!
At least once, just please, serve it in these Bread Bowls. You will be flying high in happy dinner land for sure!
Use a blender for this one. As much as I love my immersion blender, my Vitamix worked magic on this one. It made a surprising difference in the level of smoothness.
Don't be scared to add a little extra salt and a heavy dash of fresh cracked black pepper. Cauliflower is a mild flavor that sings with the right amount of seasoning.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Store: Cool the soup then store it in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat: This soup reheats well in the microwave, on the stovetop, or on saute in the Instant Pot.
Freeze: I've never tried, but I suspect this soup might be a little grainy if frozen. If you try it, let me know!

VARIATIONS

I love cauliflower soup with a pinch of thyme and a squeeze of lemon.
Kick up the heat level with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Add sausage (like Aidells) or crispy tofu to give it a boost of protein.

In case anyone's wondering, I did indeed bring Cami my top two trials, and she gave me a big thumbs up.

On the outside I was all, “You like it? Oh, cool, that's awesome.”

But on the inside I was screaming, “she likes it, she likes it, she likes it!” while jumping on rainbows in a sky full of glitter. Know what I mean?

I'm glad I could do your recipe proud Cami! Bring on another challenge, I'm ready for it!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CAULIFLOWER SOUP

MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Recipe inspired by my incredibly talented sister Cami