Instant Pot Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Creamy, smooth, and sinfully cheesy, this Instant Pot cauliflower cheese soup is easy to prep and tastes even better on day two! With just 235 calories per serving, it's a healthy yet totally delicious lunch option.

Soup in the Instant Pot is a great idea, simply for the 'no stir' factor- set it and forget it! We love making Instant Pot butternut squash soup as well as Instant Pot beef and vegetable soup. Today I'm sharing another favorite soup with you 😀

Instant Pot cauliflower soup is adapted from my favorite roasted cauliflower soup, but I wanted to see if I could skip the roasting step and still get great flavor- guess what? You can!

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how simple it is to prep Instant Pot cauliflower cheese soup. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel

Ingredient notes

• cauliflower- you are going to need 12 cups of cauliflower florets. This is one large head of cauliflower, or 1 ½ medium heads. You can also purchase pre-cut florets as an easy shortcut.
• thyme- if you can find fresh thyme, it adds great dimension and flavor to the soup. I always struggle with finishing a whole bunch of thyme, and toss leftovers into the freezer. This makes it convenient to have on hand for future soups and stocks.
• stock- use chicken stock, vegetable stock, or even homemade bone broth
• milk- you can use any % dairy milk, or even almond milk
• cheese- I used mozzarella cheese, but this is something you can play around with to add different flavors to the soup. Use aged cheddar for sharper, more intense cheese flavor, or parmesan for a richer, umami-packed soup.

Step by step directions

• 

• 

Sauté onion + garlic- Select the 'sauté' function of your Instant Pot. Add the olive oil and onion to the stainless steel insert, and cook for 5 or so minutes, until onion is soft and translucent.

Make a space in the middle of the pot, and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.

Deglaze the pan + add ingredients- Add 1 cup of stock to the pan, and use the spatula to scrape the bottom and remove anything that might be sticking.

Add the rest of the stock, the cauliflower, celery, thyme and salt. Stir to combine.

Cook + 10 minute NPR- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the steam release handle to 'sealing', and pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps, allow it to sit for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.

Purée, add milk + cheese- Add the milk to the pot, then use an immersion blender to blend it smooth.

Add the cheese by the handful, and stir it in until melted into the soup. Remove the stainless steel pot from the Instant Pot and serve up the soup.

FAQ

Storage

Fridge

1. Cool soup, then transfer to an air tight storage container (or leave it in the pot).
2. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
3. Reheat single portions in the microwave until steaming hot.
4. Reheat the whole pot on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until steaming hot.
5. Do not reheat more than once.

Freezer

1. Cool soup completely before transferring to a freezer-safe storage container (see my favorite freezer containers).
2. Freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw for 24-48 hours in the fridge, or in the microwave on low power.
4. Heat until steaming hot in the microwave, or in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
5. Do not reheat more than once.

More Instant Pot soups + stews

• The Most Incredible Instant Pot Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
• Rustic Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew
• Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup