Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Pepper Jack & Bacon is a creamy, silky recipe that balances healthy, vitamin-packed cauliflower with zesty cheese and decadent bacon...and using frozen cauliflower, it couldn't be any simpler to make!

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Pepper Jack and Bacon, with text overlay.


 

Welp, it actually feels like winter once again here in Texas...albeit only for a few days before it hits the 70s again. But my understanding that other parts of the country are currently getting bombarded with snow. So while the temperatures are nice and chilly, how about taking full advantage by making a big crock pot full of soup...specifically, creamy, warming Cauliflower Soup!

Bowl of Cauliflower Soup garnished with cheese, bacon, and jalapeños..

How to Make It

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Pepper Jack and Bacon is pretty much exactly what it says. It's as easy as tossing frozen cauliflower florets into the slow cooker along with some broth and seasonings.

You may certainly start with fresh cauliflower, but I like the simplicity and convenience of frozen...and since I always have a couple of bags in the freezer, I can whip up this yummy, easy soup anytime!

After the cauliflower has cooked until tender, the real fun begins thanks to one of my favorite kitchen appliances EVER...my trusty immersion blender! This inexpensive little gadget is worth its weight in gold, as you'll use an immersion blender to effortlessly puree this soup to silky perfection. But no worries if you don't have an immersion blender...you can absolutely achieve a smooth soup by transferring it in batches to a blender or food processor.

Spoonful suspended over bowl.

Finishing the Soup

Once your soup is creamy with no chunks of cauliflower remaining, stir in a cup of half-and-half (or whole milk, if you prefer). And then, to add zip to the mild-flavored cauliflower, stir in a few handfuls of pepper jack cheese until melted.

If you don't care for pepper jack, you may certainly substitute mild Monterey Jack or even sharp cheddar, but I enjoy the kick that pepper jack lends this soup. Finally, garnish your bowl with crispy, salty, GLORIOUS diced bacon. And by "garnish," of course, I mean pile it on!

Aerial view of two bowls with platter of garnishes.

A Potato Variation

Before I share the Cauliflower Soup recipe, I’m going to let y'all in on one last little secret. If you think your family might balk at an all-cauliflower soup, you can swap out half of the cauliflower for peeled, cubed potatoes.

Once pureed together, the cauliflower flavor will be less noticeable and, with a little cheese and bacon, unsuspecting picky eaters probably won't even detect that it’s there! Just be sure to hide the frozen cauliflower bags at the bottom of the trash can so you don’t get busted…not that I’ve ever been so careless.

Close-up of bowl of Cauliflower Soup with garnishes.

So who’s ready for a cozy, creamy soup that’s loaded with vitamins but also loads o’ fun to eat (because have I mentioned BACON)?

Cauliflower Soup makes a warm, delicious lunch or dinner any time of year, but particularly when there’s a chill in the air.

It’s so easy to make that it hardly counts as cooking, and therein lies the beauty of the slow cooker.

Hope y’all enjoy adding this recipe to your crock pot arsenal!

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Pepper Jack & Bacon, two-photo collage with text.

More Slow Cooker Soups

Cauliflower Soup.

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Pepper Jack & Bacon is a creamy, silky, crock pot recipe that balances healthy, vitamin-packed cauliflower with zesty cheese and decadent bacon...and since it starts with frozen cauliflower, it couldn't be any simpler to make!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 622kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds frozen OR fresh cauliflower florets
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 3 cups chicken OR vegetable broth/stock
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded pepper jack cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounces bacon, cooked until crispy and diced

Instructions

  • Place cauliflower florets in a large, oval slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Pour chicken broth over the top. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW (or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH), until cauliflower is very tender when pierced with a fork (but not brown and overdone).
  • Using an immersion blender, purée cauliflower pieces until smooth and creamy. Stir in half-and-half and shredded cheese (if soup is too thick for your preference at this point, you may add a bit more half-and-half or broth). Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 more minutes or until heated through. Serve warm, topped with bacon and, if desired, extra cheese and sliced fresh jalapeños.

Notes

  • You may use vegetable stock if you like. You may also replace the half-and-half with additional stock, if you prefer. The type of stock or broth you use is going to dictate if you need to add additional salt at the end or not.
  • For the dairy, you can use 2%, whole milk, half-and-half, heavy cream...it's up to you! But obviously, the fattier the milk product you use, the richer and creamier the final soup is going to be.
  • You may swap out the pepper jack cheese for Monterrey jack, sharp cheddar, or whatever your favorite may be.
  • If you don't have an immersion blender, you may purée this soup in batches using a food processor or blender. Just allow it to cool down a bit before doing so, work with small batches at a time (don't fill your blender more than half way!), and leave the top of the blender cracked (holding it in place with an oven mitt or folded kitchen towel) so that steam can escape and soup doesn't explode everywhere!

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1372mg | Potassium: 948mg | Fiber: 6g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 24.9mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Recipe originally shared at Yellow Bliss Road

Save

Save

Save

You May Also Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




6 Comments

    1. I'm afraid that may splatter hot soup everywhere and I'm not sure it would consistently and smoothly puree the chunks of cauliflower.

  1. Hi, Samantha. I received your bookplate in the mail today. Many thanks!! I was not expecting it, so it was a nice surprise. I love your cookbook. It is so good to have a cookbook with recipes that are so delicious. It nice to come home from work and have a nice comforting dinner for my family.

    1. Oh yay, Connie! I'm so glad you received the bookplate and I'm even happier to hear that you've been enjoying the cookbook! It makes my day to read your kind words...thank you for taking the time to share that with me. 🙂