Cheese, beer and cauliflower make the perfect combo in this creamy, dreamy, easy cheesy cauliflower soup!
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Why we love this recipe
I have to give a shout-out to one of the hardy vegetables that I rely on through all four seasons of the year, and that is my friend cauliflower.
Cauliflower is low in calories, high in vitamin C and K, packed with fiber and antioxidants, and (bonus points!) it also looks like a giant flower!
And most importantly, it is versatile and delicious!
So I’ve whipped cauliflower to serve it as a side dish. I’ve made cauliflower into a tuna salad. And I’ve covered cauliflower in blue cheese, because WHY NOT?
I love good and good for your cauliflower every which way, in this case, made into soup with beer and cheese and sprinkled with crispy breadcrumbs and a little parsley. This beer-cheese soup is thick and deeply flavorful and makes the perfect satisfying cheesy cauliflower lunch or light supper.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cauliflower: You can either buy a head of cauliflower and cut off the florets, or some supermarkets offer pre-cut florets (you are looking for about 4 to 5 cups of florets). And if you can’t find fresh cauliflower, defrosted frozen cauliflower will work.
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the broth in a box for the best flavor. Want to make this cauliflower soup vegetarian? Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Onion: We like a sweet onion for this recipe, but a white onion will also work.
- Beer: I tend to swipe whatever beer my sweet son-in-law has in his fridge (thanks honey!) You can also use whatever you have on hand, remembering that the stronger the beer, the more it will flavor up your soup.
- Bread: Again, whatever bread you have on hand will work for this recipe.
- Cheese: We like sharp cheddar for this recipe, but you can use whatever type you like from mild cheddar to extra sharp!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: I start by cooking up a chopped onion in a little butter until it is nice and soft.
STEP 2: Now add some cauliflower florets, some beer and some chicken broth, and let the whole thing simmer over medium low heat for about a half hour until everything is tender.
STEP 3: Then out comes my handy immersion blender (and if you don’t already have one, I highly recommend this immersion blender – it is one of my kitchen best friends!) Blend it all up until your soup is nice and smooth. (And in the meantime, blending in your regular blender is just fine.)
STEP 4: When everything is smooth, add some cheese and simmer and stir until everything is warm and melted.
STEP 5: Now cook up some fresh bread crumbs in a little olive oil until they are nice and crispy.
STEP 6: Ladle out the soup, sprinkle some of those bread crumbs on top with some parsley and fresh ground black pepper and serve it up!
Yay, cauliflower!!
Recipe FAQs
You can! Just replace it with chicken broth…it will have a gentler flavor but it will still be scrumptious.
I like to tear a piece of break into quarters and then whirl it up in my food processor. Voila – instant fresh bread crumbs.
This handy kitchen tool is a hand-held blender that has little blades on the bottom. You hold the blade end under the soup (that’s the immersion part!) and move it around until everything is nice and smooth. Make sure you don’t lift it out while it is still running or there will be some splattering. 💦 You can see my favorite immersion blender here!
I find that the cheese adds all the salt we need, but it’s always good to take a taste of whatever you are making at the end just to make sure it’s got the amount of seasoning you like.
You absolutely can. Chicken stock is richer and a little bit thicker than broth because it is made with bones and has some of the gelatin from the bones. Chicken broth is made from chicken meat and is a little lighter. The more you know!
It can! Let your soup cool completely and pour it into an air tight container (a plastic zipper bag will also work. Stick on a label with the date on it and pop it in your freezer…it will last for up to three months! When you are ready for your soup, let it defrost in the fridge and then heat it up slowly in a pot. You might want to give it a whirl with your blender if has separated a little.
Pop your question in the Comments section below and recipe card and I promise to answer pronto!
What to serve with this recipe
This scrumptious soup is the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich or a salad…here are some of our faves!
Other cauliflower recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.
PrintCheddar Cauliflower Beer Soup
Cauliflower, beer and cheese team up to make a hearty, creamy soup in this easy and quick recipe!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 ounces chicken broth
- 12 ounces beer (any kind)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 slice bread, processed into breadcrumbs in your food processor
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat butter over medium heat in deep heavy saucepan. Add onions and Worcestershire and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower, beer and broth, bring to a simmer and cook until cauliflower is tender about another 25 minutes.
- Meantime make breadcrumbs: heat oil in a small frying pan over medium high heat, add breadcrumbs and stir until golden. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.
- When cauliflower is very tender, puree mixture with an immersion or regular blender until smooth. Add cheese and stir over medium heat until melted.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with breadcrumbs, parsley and ground pepper and serve.
Notes
-
- Cauliflower: You can either buy a head of cauliflower and cut off the florets, or some supermarkets offer pre-cut florets (you are looking for about 4 to 5 cups of florets). And if you can’t find fresh cauliflower, defrosted frozen cauliflower will work.
-
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the broth in a box for the best flavor. Want to make this cauliflower soup vegetarian? Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
-
- Onion: We like a sweet onion for this recipe, but a white onion will also work.
-
- Beer: I tend to swipe whatever beer my sweet son-in-law has in his fridge (thanks honey!) You can also use whatever you have on hand, remembering that the stronger the beer, the more it will flavor up your soup.
-
- Bread: Again, whatever bread you have on hand will work for this recipe.
Valerie says
Love this recipe!! Can get my veggies and my beer in at the same time 😂 It came out delicious!!
Joanne says
Cauliflower and cheese were pretty much MEANT for each other…and adding in beer just has to be a best thing.
Three great tastes that taste great together! :)
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
I’ve only started adding beer into soups last year and LOVE it!!! this cheddar cauliflower beer soup looks amazing!!!!
Thanks Alice! Beer does add that little extra something that makes soups wonderful, right? :)
Vanessa says
This sounds perfect for the cold weather! And everything is better with beer and cheese!
Truer words were never spoken! :)