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    Home » Recipes » Soup

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup

    Published Sep 15, 2023 · by Jacqueline Piper · 30 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    355 shares
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    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    Creamy Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup | This quick homemade soup recipe is jam-packed full of flavorful vegetables - the simplest of ingredients. Made in the Instant Pot, this cauliflower soup is the perfect meal for a cozy weeknight dinner - it's made from scratch and is super comforting and flavorful. 

    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.
    Jump to:
    • What makes this cauliflower soup creamy?
    • Can I make this on the stovetop instead?
    • Why You'll Love This Soup Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Instant Pot Functions
    • Instant Pot Terms
    • Instructions
    • Stovetop Ingredients
    • Garnish options for creamy cauliflower soup
    • Tips for making Instant Pot Soup
    • What to do if you get a burn warning on the Instant Pot
    • What to serve with Cauliflower Soup
    • Storage
    • FAQs
    • Recipe

    I am a soup fan. And I'm a soup fan partly because it's the perfect vehicle for bread.

    Soup is warm and comforting especially when it's delivered to your mouth via a soft and fluffy chunk of bread.

    Give me this soup, some Focaccia, a blanket to cuddle up in, and a book to read or a new show to watch and I'm happy.

    What makes this cauliflower soup creamy?

    The combination or pureed vegetables, including starchy potatoes, and full fat coconut milk make this soup smooth and creamy. You can swap in heavy cream for the coconut milk.

    Can I make this on the stovetop instead?

    Yes, this recipe was originally created using the stove top method. See the recipe card for stovetop instructions which include boiling the vegetables on the stovetop and then blending.

    The original recipe also started off with bacon, so feel free to add that back in when you're cooking the onions.

    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    Why You'll Love This Soup Recipe

    • It's so customizable - That's right, you can mix and match in this recipe. If you don't have a carrot on hand, that's fine! Skip and add more sweet potato. Skip the sweet potato and just use yellow potatoes! Skip the parsnips or turnips if you want to.
    • It's super creamy - simply blending the vegetables into a thick and smooth puree makes this soup creamy in texture. Adding coconut milk makes it super silky and rich.
    • The ingredients are so simple! Just toss a bunch of chopped vegetables in your Instant Pot with some stock and cook for 4 minutes! Finish with coconut milk for cozy and creamy vibes.
    • Vegetarian and vegan - Using vegetable stock and coconut milk keeps this soup both vegetarian and vegan. If you don't live those lifestyles, feel free to use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. I'm sure you could use beef stock as well.

    Ingredients

    See the recipe card for exact amounts.

    Vegetables for soup on a white marble counter.
    • cauliflower: cauliflower has a mild earthy flavor, cooks quickly, and blends easily. Cauliflower brings a lot of nutrition to this soup including Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, and fiber.
    • onion and garlic: for savory base flavors.
    • sweet potato + potato: Sweet potatoes add a sweet element to this soup and the white potato adds some starch to help keep the soup consistency thicker.
    • parsnips or turnips: you can use either of these or skip them and just use more sweet potato or carrot. These add to the flavor but also keep the soup a paler shade than it would be if you added more carrot or sweet potato instead.
    • carrot: carrots add color, flavor, and a lot of nutrition.
    • broth: Use chicken stock or vegetable stock. I use salt-free broth so that I can control the salt level myself. You might need more or less salt, depending on which broth you use. This is why I always say salt to taste - because only you will know how much salt your soup needs depending on the ingredients you use and your personal preference.
    • coconut milk: I choose coconut milk for this recipe to add creaminess because I like its flavor.
    • nutmeg: fresh nutmeg gives the best fresh flavor but feel free to use ground nutmeg instead.

    Substitutions

    • vegetables: use a mix of these different vegetables depending on what you have on hand at any time. The carrot, parsnip, and sweet potato all add sweetness. Carrot and sweet potato add to the orange color. Potatoes add starch and make a thicker puree. Mix and match!
    • broth: You can use either vegetable stock or chicken stock for this recipe.
    • coconut milk: try heavy cream instead.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    Instant Pot Functions

    If you're not familiar with the Instant Pot Functions, here is are some quick explanations.

    Tip: Depending on the amount of food and its temperature, the preheat cycle can take 10-40 minutes. For this recipe, it is about 10-15 minutes. This means it can take 10 -15 minutes before the 4 minutes of pressure cooking time starts.

    round circle logo with the pipercooks text including a cast iron pan as an O

    Instant Pot Terms

    Sauté: This function allows you to sauté ingredients before adding the lid and pressure cooking.
    Pressure Cook: This function has a high and low pressure option. Use high pressure for this recipe.
    Natural Pressure Release: This means leaving the pot to release pressure itself after the cook time has ended. Don't touch it. For this recipe, leave it for 10 minutes after pressure cooking has ended.
    Quick Pressure Release: This means release all or the leftover pressure by flipping the pressure valve from sealing to venting.

    Instructions

    Prep Tips

    • Using a pressure cooker makes this recipe super easy and hands off. I use an Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 6 Quart.
    • Chop the vegetables into large chunks.
    Onion and garlic saute in an instant pot.
    1. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the onions and oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften.
    Onion and garlic saute in an instant pot.
    1. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, and then turn the sauté function off.
    Chopped vegetables are added to an instant pot.
    1. Pour in the stock and scrape the bottom of the pot, making sure nothing is stuck to it. Skipping this can cause a burn warning. The inner pot should not be more than ⅔ full. Add the vegetables.
    An instant pot is turned to instant pressure release.
    1. Add the lid, set to sealing if necessary (mine does this automatically), and set it to Pressure Cook on high for 4 minutes.
    An instant pot is turned on to saute.
    1. Once the cooking time is done, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release. (See Terms).
    An orange pureed soup is blended.
    1. Use an immersion blender and blend the vegetables with the broth until smooth.
    An orange pureed soup is blended.
    1. You can also do this in batches carefully in a blender instead. The soup will be very hot, so be careful and make sure to let the blender lid vent a bit to release pressure.
    Adding cream to an orange pureed soup.
    1. Add the coconut milk.
    An orange pureed soup is stirred.
    1. Stir the coconut milk through and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.
    Nutmeg is grated into an orange pureed soup.
    1. Grate the fresh nutmeg on top and stir through.

    Stovetop Ingredients

    1. Sauté onions for 4-5 minutes.
    2. Sauté garlic for 1 minute.
    3. Add the rest of the vegetables and the liquid.
    4. Bring to a boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
    5. Remove the pot from heat and blend with an immersion blender or in batches use a stand blender. (Be careful, it's very hot!)
    6. Add the pot back to the heat, and season with salt and pepper.
    7. Stir coconut milk in and heat through.
    8. Grate nutmeg and stir in.
    9. Serve hot.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    Garnish options for creamy cauliflower soup

    I like to swirl a bit of the coconut cream on top when serving to guests. The contrast of the white cream and the orange soup makes for a really pretty presentation.

    How to make hearts shapes with the cream:

    • spoon a few dots of cream in a circle pattern
    • use a skewer or the pointy end of a steak knife to swirl through the center of each dot in one fluid motion

    For a simpler garnish, swirl a bit of extra virgin olive oil on top (fat delivers flavor!) and scatter some seeds on top.

    Tips for making Instant Pot Soup

    • liquid: Always use liquid when cooking in the Instant Pot. I use 6 cups for this soup, but you can use more or less, depending on how thick you want your soup. On Page 11 of the Ultra User Manual, Instant Pot recommends 2 cups minimum. On page 23 of the 6Qt User Manual, they recommend a 1 ½ cup minimum.
    • scrape the bottom: Make sure to deglaze your pan when sauteing in the Instant Pot. This means pouring liquid into the hot pot which makes it easy to release any food from the bottom of the pot. Just scrape around with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing is stuck to it. Doing this helps ensure you won't get a burn warning on your Instant Pot.
    • one-pot soup: using an Instant Pot means you can both sauté and then pressure cook, making this an easy one-pot recipe. This saves time and dishes!
    • customize: it's easy to customize this recipe using a bit more or less of whatever vegetables you have on hand. The taste changes a bit but a pureed vegetable soup will always taste great.

    What to do if you get a burn warning on the Instant Pot

    If you get a burn warning, try releasing the pressure, opening the pot, and scraping the bottom if there are only a few bits stuck.

    Then set the pot for whatever time was left and carry on with the recipe.

    If you didn't scrape the bottom before pressure cooking, and the bottom was really burnt, you'd have to start over, washing and soaking the pot first.

    What to serve with Cauliflower Soup

    I love a pureed soup with something crunchy like Garlic Toast or Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread for dipping.

    Add a Spinach and Arugula Salad on the side, or a Vegetable Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or try a Feta and Spinach Grilled Cheese.

    Storage

    Store leftover soup in the fridge for 3-5 days.

    Reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.

    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    FAQs

    Can I make this cauliflower soup vegan?

    Yes. To make this soup vegan use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

    Can I make this cauliflower soup spicy?

    Yes, add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes in with the onions.

    Recipe

    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup

    Jacqueline Piper
    5 from 7 votes
    A full-flavored one-pot soup with simple ingredients. Packed with vegetables, this creamy soup is perfect for your winter dinner table.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 8 minutes mins
    Natural Pressure Release 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 28 minutes mins
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 6 Quart

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 small onion (chopped)
    • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 1 head cauliflower (mine weighed 927g)
    • 1 sweet potato (peeled and chopped (mine weighed 260 grams))
    • 1 turnip (peeled and chopped)
    • 1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
    • 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
    • ¼ cup coconut milk (canned full fat coconut milk)
    • pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds (for serving, optional)
    • salt and pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Turn Instant Pot to Sauté function. (I use high)
    • Add oil and onions. Cook 4-5 minutes, until onions start to soften.
    • Add garlic and cook for about a minute and then turn the sauté function off.
    • Add stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent a burn warning. Add the vegetables. Add the lid and set to sealing (mine does this automatically).
      Pressure Cook on High for 4 minutes.
      Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to preheat before starting the Pressure Cook.
    • When pressure cooking is done, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. (Let it sit for 10 minutes).
      Next do a quick pressure release to release the rest of the pressure.
    • Remove the lid and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
    • Stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and grate in fresh nutmeg. Stir and serve hot.

    Video

    Notes

    Makes about 12 cups of soup.
    Make sure to scrape the bottom of your Instant Pot after using the saute function. Going straight to pressure cooking without scraping the bottom can cause a burn warning.
    Stovetop Instructions
    1. Sauté onions for 4-5 minutes.
    2. Sauté garlic for 1 minute.
    3. Add the rest of the vegetables and the liquid.
    4. Bring to a boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
    5. Remove the pot from heat and blend with an immersion blender or in batches use a stand blender. (Be careful, it's very hot!)
    6. Add the pot back to the heat, and season with salt and pepper.
    7. Stir coconut milk in and heat through.
    8. Grate nutmeg and stir in.
    9. Serve hot.
    •  

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3cupsCalories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 8gFiber: 6gSugar: 11gCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.

    Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
    Keyword cauliflower, Instant Pot, soup
    Have you tried a recipe? Tag @pipercooksblog or tag #pipercooksblog!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

    This post was originally posted on January 17, 2017.

    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.

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    Rating, commenting, and sharing my recipes really helps. Thanks for taking the time! Mention @pipercooksblog on Instagram.

    This is a photo from the original blog post. I left it here to remind myself how much I've learned about photography. This photo also illustrates the color difference when you use less sweet potato, or even a white sweet potato.

    Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup | PiperCooks.com Get the recipe for this healthy and easy soup, packed with vegetables and flavor,, for a comforting any night of the week dinner.

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    355 shares
    Jacqueline Piper profile photo

    Hi I'm Jacqueline

    I've been blogging for 10 years as I learn how to cook from scratch. I share my recipes to help you create easy, delicious, and (mostly) healthy food. I love fresh ingredients, spicy noodles, anything on toast, and reading a new cookbook with a glass of wine at my cabin. I'm so glad you've joined me.

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    1. Fred

      January 20, 2017 at 5:26 pm

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:06 pm

        Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    2. Aish Das-Padihari

      January 20, 2017 at 6:29 pm

      I cook with cauliflower a lot but never made a soup out of it. Looks good

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:42 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

      January 20, 2017 at 8:42 pm

      Homemade soup is always so good. I love cauliflower in soups. This looks delicious.

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:50 pm

        Thank you! I *love* homemade soup, one of my faves!

        Reply
    4. Corina @ Searching for Spice

      January 21, 2017 at 1:08 am

      I bet this is gorgeous with the coconut milk or cream instead of dairy milk! It looks beautifully thick - a really great winter warmer of a soup!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:52 pm

        Thank you! So perfect for our frigid Canadian winters 🙂

        Reply
    5. Sarah

      January 21, 2017 at 1:13 am

      I love love love cauliflower! I also love that you used parsnips!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:53 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    6. Tanya

      January 21, 2017 at 6:29 am

      I've never had cauliflower soup but it sure looks good. I will be giving this a try.

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:55 pm

        Thank you, hope you like it!

        Reply
    7. Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed

      January 21, 2017 at 7:03 am

      Your cauliflower soup looks delicious, I like the idea of using coconut milk for a creamy finish. Perfect for these wintery days, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:57 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    8. Erica

      January 21, 2017 at 8:36 am

      I love soup AND cauliflower, this is a must make for me! Love all the other veggies in this soup, as well!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:58 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Margot

      January 21, 2017 at 2:53 pm

      This is perfect soup for our family, they all love cauliflower and soups... especially since the temperature has dropped. I'm pinning to to our soup board for later 🙂

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:59 pm

        Thank you, I hope your family likes it!

        Reply
    10. Derek | Dad With A Pan

      January 21, 2017 at 4:23 pm

      This looks all sorts of yum! Trying this!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 2:00 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    11. Lynn | The Road to Honey

      January 22, 2017 at 9:04 am

      As soon as the temps drop, I become a full on soup addict. To me nothing beats a bowl of a warm comforting soup paired up with a piece of toasted bread. I just adore the color of this soup. It's like a little bowl of sunshine.

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 2:01 pm

        Especially with fresh baked bread! Thanks for your comment 🙂

        Reply
    12. Ilaria - Mozzarella Bites

      January 22, 2017 at 9:30 am

      I really like you added sweet potatoes and parsnip. Love them!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 1:05 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    13. Amy

      January 23, 2017 at 1:35 am

      I love cauliflower but I Have never tried cauliflower soup. Sounds super filling and healthy though!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 2:03 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    14. Eileen

      January 23, 2017 at 7:54 am

      I am a huge cauliflower fan and I love this soup. Adding the sweet potato and parsnip ads a lot of dimension to the flavor of this soup. Great recipe and I am adding into my rotation.

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 2:07 pm

        Thank you Eileen, I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    15. Lynne

      January 23, 2017 at 2:01 pm

      Wow, I was not expecting parsnips and sweet potato and carrots, too. Looks divine!

      Reply
      • pipercooks

        January 23, 2017 at 2:08 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply

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    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top with text for Pinterest.
    A bowl of soup with a heart shaped coconut milk swirl and seeds on top.

    Hi, I'm Jacqueline Piper.

    Hi, I’m Jacqueline Piper and I’m all about the homemade because I love to make things. I've been blogging for 10 years. From 15 minute meals for your weeknight dinner to more effort for special dinners and desserts on the weekend, I’ll show you how to cook from scratch. We’ll do healthy and we’ll do delicious, everything from kale to chocolate with beautiful, fresh ingredients. Search my recipes for your cravings, because we can make it!

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