Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Gouda Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Puree is comforting, creamy and the soup to make for a chilly night!
I've been wanting to share this creamy cauliflower soup with you all winter long. I made it in the fall, we ate half, then the holidays hit and the rest went into the freezer. I've been thinking about this soup ever since and I made it just under the wire!
Happy Spring!! We'll eventually get to what's in the freezer, but I sure wasn't going to wait until next fall to share this wonderful soup with you.
First of all, I LOVE a pureed soup which takes no chopping skills whatsoever. Simply chop the fresh ingredients, cook, simmer until everything is tender and then puree. The result is smooth, silky and refined like this!
Lovely, lovely!
And gouda cheese, baby!
To make your creamy soup-making life super, super simple, get an immersion blender. What's easier than tossing everything into a pot, cooking it, and then pureeing it into silky goodness? No transferring to a food processor or blender where you can ugh... burn yourself! Don't be that person. Get. An. Immersion. Blender.
Then, you'll want to get a mini food processor so that you can whip up this tasty little topping to swirl over the top. Many of your kitchen chores can be done with these two amazing appliances!
Chives are one of the first herbs in the spring to poke their flavorful goodness out of the ground. They make the perfect garnish for this creamy cauliflower soup!
Now, let's eat!!
Be sure to check out these other lovely, creamy soups!
- Spinach Goat Cheese Bisque with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas
- Pumpkin Soup with Marsala and Mascarpone
- Creamy White Bean, Rutabaga and Roasted Garlic Soup
- Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Bisque
- Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup
- Cream of Green Vegetable Soup
Cauliflower Soup with Gouda Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Puree
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion - coarsely chopped
- 2 medium carrots - coarsely chopped
- 2 stalks celery - coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - coarsely chopped
- 1 large Russet potato - peeled and cubed
- 5-6 cups chicken broth
- 1 large head of cauliflower - cut into florets
- 2 cups shredded Gouda cheese
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Salt - to taste
- Cayenne pepper - to taste
Roasted Red Pepper Puree
- 1 jar (12-ounce) roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
Soup
- Heat canola oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often until vegetables begin to soften, approximately 7-8 minutes.
- Add the potato and cook briefly (30 seconds), just so it absorbs some of the aromatics. Add 5 cups chicken broth and the cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover slightly and cook until everything is very tender.
- Stir in the cheese and half-and-half and stir until the cheese melts. Carefully transfer to a food processor or blender to puree, or use an immersion blender to do that right on the stovetop. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
Roasted Red Pepper Puree
- Combine ingredients in a mini food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Swirl into the soup and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
chris says
Absolutely wonderful!! My belly approves!!
Carol says
Hi, Chris, Thanks so very much! So glad you and your belly enjoyed! Thanks again!
Anonymous says
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
This soup looks absolutely luscious! Love the mix of veggies and cheese!
Rachel @Simple Seasonal says
You had me at gouda! Now that's a cheese that I don't thing get enough love. I imagine it melts beautifully into this creamy soup, and then the red pepper puree adds a sweet zing!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
We love our soups any time of year. This does sound super tasty and I wouldn't care if it were during springtime weather or even summer. And yes! an emersion blender is a must. We use ours quite a bit -- easier than washing out our blender.
Carol says
Thanks, Marisa! I can't get along without one!