Instant Pot Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Why We Love This Recipe For Instant Pot Cream of Cauliflower Soup

This velvety smooth Cream of Cauliflower Soup is a cinch to whip together in your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. It’s the perfect recipe to make on those colder in-need-of-healthy-comfort-food days. Plus, since the instant pot cooks things so quickly, you can easily make this on a busy weeknight.

I also had to test it in the slow cooker to make sure everyone can make this Cream of Cauliflower Soup even those of you who are still hold-outs (and haven’t gotten in the shopping mood at Costco and ended up buying an Instant Pot.)

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Cauliflower

Buy a whole head of cauliflower and cut it into florets. You can use pre-cut florets if desired, but stay away from frozen cauliflower.

Brown deli mustard

I used mustard because it really needed a kick of flavor, and the taste of the mustard paired well with the cauliflower and cheese.

Dry sherry

To make this recipe gluten-free I used a dry sherry instead of beer (which I’d normally use). If you don’t have sherry you can definitely use beer instead. If gluten is of concern, you can also use a gluten-free beer.

White potatoes

I like using Russet potatoes when making soup since they’re high in starch and light in texture. This helps provide a real creaminess.

Additional Ingredients

• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 parsnip or carrot, peeled and chopped
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
• ½ cup half and half

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Instant Pot Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Step 1: Combine ingredients

Whisk broth, beer, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in the insert of an instant pot or a large slow cooker. Add in potatoes, celery, garlic, onion, parsnip, and cauliflower.

Step 2: Cook soup

For instant pot close lid and set float valve to seal. Set to high for 10 minutes. If using slow cooker set to low for 8 hours.

Step 3: Release steam from instant pot

For Instant Pot, when timer goes off, carefully turn valve to release steam (use tongs and oven mits to prevent steam burn.)

Step 4: Puree soup

Puree soup with an immersion blender (or very carefully in batches in a blender) to desired smoothness. Stir cheese and half and half into hot pureed soup. Serve hot!

Tips and Things to Know When Using the Instant Pot

1. A super important detail- before starting the instant pot, turn the valve on the top to “seal” position. That closes up the chamber so that the pressure can build up inside the pot.
2. It takes a while for the pot to come up to pressure. Like 12 or 15 minutes. Then the timer will start. This is normal.
3. Once the timer goes off (and the Instant Pot beeps like there is a major emergency) you can release the pressure, but MAKE SURE YOU DO SO SAFELY! Here’s how: Put an oven mitt on your hand. Put a set of tongs in the oven mit. Use the tongs to twist the valve to release to “quick release” the steam. It will splutter a bit, so the oven mitt will protect you from any spray or steam. The steam show is crazy people. It’s so exciting! Ha ha! Your house will suddenly smell like delicious soup.
4. When the steam stops, you can remove the lid. It will bleep again. And there will be your cooked veggies and broth inside- looking totally different from before you closed the lid.

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