Ham and Cheese Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower – check your cauliflower thoroughly before buying. Try to avoid cauliflower heads that have any dark spots or soft spots. You can also get pre-cut cauliflower florets if needed, you will need about 18-20 oz of florets.

Ham – this cauliflower soup is a great way to use up leftover holiday ham or ham leftover from a big dinner. You can also get some ham specially for this soup. (Note, it’s okay if your dinner ham has a little glaze still on it, you can simply scrape it off if it’s to much. A little sweetness will not ruin the soup.)

Chicken Stock – chicken stock is best for deeper, richer flavor, but if you need to, you can substitute vegetable broth or chicken broth if needed. When using store-bought broths and stock, try to get “low sodium” or “no salt added” kind. Try to also get bone broth if available, it will have a richer flavor.

Flour – all purpose flour works well for thickening soups. If you need to, use gluten free all-purpose flour. (Try to use 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour, not almond or coconut.)

Cheese – for a nice rich flavor, you want to stick to cheeses like sharp cheddar cheese. You can also add some parmesan cheese if you’d like or asiago. It’s best to choose white cheddar because it doesn’t have the yellow dye in it.

Garlic – note that fresh garlic will tastes do MUCH better than pre-minced in a jar.

Heavy whipping cream – for the best rich and creamy texture, do use heavy whipping cream and nothing less. (If you need to keep it lactose free or dairy free, use lactose free half and half and some lactose free sour cream. There are some plant-based whipping cream options if needed, check your grocery stores.)

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

This is a pretty fast moving recipe, so it’s best to prepare all you ingredients before starting to cook!

Dice onion and ham into small pieces and set aside. Cut cauliflower florets off the stem and discard the stem. Dice florets onto small pieces. Set them aside as well. Peel and press garlic and measure out remaining ingredients.

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat with some oil. Sauté diced onion (1) until transparent and add ham (2). Cook for a few minutes and add pressed garlic (3), mix, and cook until fragrant.

Add prepared cauliflower, mix well and cook for a few minutes (4). Sprinkle flour over veggies and ham and mix well (5).

Pour in chicken stock (6), while slowly stirring. Add the seasoning (7), stir, and bring to simmer. Once simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Stir in heavy whipping cream and grated white cheddar cheese (8). Cook for a few more minutes and serve (9).

Storing Leftovers

You can store the leftover cauliflower soup in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should last 3-4 days.

It’s easy to reheat individual portion either in the microwave or in a small sauce pot on a stove. In the microwave, make sure to use proper bowl and reheat the soup in 30 second intervals just until heated through. On stove-top, reheat as much as you wish in a small pot over medium-low heat.

Freezing Cauliflower Soup

While you can freeze this soup, I highly recommend that you do it without cream and cheese. Cream and many soft cheeses don’t stand up to freezing and thawing well because they tend to separate after thawing.

Cook the soup up to the point to adding cream and cheese. Take the pot off the heat and cool it to room temperature. (To cool it faster, you can set the pot of soup into a larger pan with ice and stir as it cools.)

Transfer cooled soup into a freezer container or a freezer zip-top bag. Make sure to only fill it about 2/3 of the way, allowing the soup to expand as it freezes. Get as much air out as you can, seal, label, and freeze. You can freeze cauliflower soup for up to 2 months.

Thaw slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 24 hours.

Reheat the soup in a pot and once reheated, you can add in cream and cheese as per the recipe.

More Soup Recipes To Try

• Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Cauliflower Cheese Soup
• Ham and Bean Soup
• Cauliflower Pizza Crust
• Ham and Potato Soup