Cauliflower and cheese pair well for a great winter soup, providing plenty of richness and warmth. Often times, it's made with cheddar, but we opted to use gouda for a nice, toasty flavor. Depending on what's available at the market, you can use either fresh or frozen cauliflower. Serve with a salad and a slice of crusty French bread for a complete meal.
PrintCauliflower and Gouda Soup
Instead of the more traditional cheddar, this cauliflower and cheese soup uses gouda for a slightly toasty flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 cups cauliflower florets
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
- 1 bayleaf
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups grated gouda
- 1 teaspoon mustard (Dijon-style or English)
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped coarsley
- 2 to 3 thin slices of prosciutto, julienned
Instructions
- Roughly chop the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and combine with the cauliflower, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper in a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until vegetables start to soften and onions become translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the bay leaf and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and purée the soup until smooth with a hand-held immersion blender, or a conventional blender (see tip below).
- Just prior to serving the soup, stir in the gouda, mustard, half-and-half and butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper again if needed. Continue cooking until the cheese has melted and the soup is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- In a small pan, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and quickly fry the rosemary and prosciutto until crispy and aromatic.
- Divide soup into bowls and garnish with the rosemary and prosciutto.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
You can easily substitute bacon or pancetta for the prosciutto, as well as cheddar in place of the gouda, if you prefer. If you want a richer, thicker soup, feel free to add more grated gouda. As is, the soup is on the light side.
Cooking Tip:
When using a conventional blender to purée hot soup, allow the soup to cool a little first and work in batches, never filling the blender much beyond the halfway mark.
Carol says
It has a nice texture and I found it thick enough, even with adding 1/2 cup half n half. I would try the smoked gouda and a splash of worcestershire sauce next time to make it a little tastier. I would also add the fried rosemary to the blender.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Carol,
Glad you liked the soup. I like your ideas for bumping up the flavor a bit – thanks for sharing.
Carol says
Would like have the nutritional information included. I was able to get it off of My Fitness Pal but it would probably be appreciated by many.
Lynne Webb says
We’re working on adding nutritional information soon. If you need that info for another recipe on our site, just leave a comment or use the contact form to ask and we’ll calculate it for you.
Sabrina says
I have made this soup a few times. Absolutely delicious. Using smoked gouda makes ALL the difference though. I used regular once, and it wasn’t nearly as tasty. I never add rosemary because I do not care for that herb. Parsley makes a nice substitute.
Alyssa says
I made this for a dinner party and everyone (even the finicky eaters) loved it! I used smoked gouda because that is what I prefer. Substituted a package of pre-cooked real bacon bits that I had on hand for the prosciutto. Next time I make it I will probably use more than 8 oz of gouda to make the soup thicker.
I will definitely make this again, as well as pass the recipe along to friends.
Thank you for the terrific recipe!
Michelle Ann Anderson says
Terrific recipe! I made a couple adjustments since I was serving to a group with vegetarians. I substituted smoked gouda for the regular rather than add the prosciutto. This added a nice smoky note without the meat. Since there was no meat for the topping, I cooked the rosemary ( a little less than the amount called for) with the veggies and pureed it along with them. We all enjoyed the soup immensely and will make it again.
Thanks!
Lynne Webb says
The smoked gouda is a great idea for a meatless version ~ thanks for sharing!