Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Soup
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 23, 2025 
Cheesy Low Carb Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Recipe – Our Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Soup is a ketogenic and vegetarian soup with a rich creamy texture and pop of spice!
Why We Love Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Creamy soups are hard to resist. Although we love classic broccoli cheese soup, the rustic flavor of this cheese and cauliflower soup is just as appealing… If not more so.
Each bowl offers a rich creamy texture with deep earthy vegetable flavor. Plus, the addition of buffalo sauce gives this healthy cauliflower soup a spicy note you will love.
You read that right… this cheesy soup is not only irresistible, it’s healthy as well. It’s gluten-free, vegetarian, and low-carb, so you can spoon up a big bowl, guilt-free!
Keto Cauliflower Soup
If you are looking to make changes in your eating habits this year, we’re here for you!
No, A Spicy Perspective isn’t a nutrition website and we don’t stick to one particular diet plan.
However, as a family, we do try to make healthy decisions throughout the year, and that leads to lots of healthy recipes that fit into all sorts of diet plans!
We are personally going to eat low-carb and lots of clean foods over the next 6 weeks. Therefore, we will be posting plenty or low carb, keto, paleo, vegan and vegetarian, and Whole 30 recipes. (Make sure to subscribe by email so you don’t miss any of them!)
Today let’s start with a Keto Cauliflower Soup Recipe that is low in carbs, yet oh-so-satisfying. The addition of buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese give this Cauliflower Cheese Soup a silky texture and kick of spice!
Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
- Cauliflower – Although I always use fresh cauliflower in recipes, you can buy frozen cauliflower to eliminate the chopping.
- Onions – For rich underlying flavor.
- Garlic – Same as above. *wink*
- Oil or butter – Just a little fat helps soften the onions and garlic.
- Vegetable broth – Store-bought or homemade.
- Buffalo cayenne pepper sauce – This provides a distinct kick of bold flavor and spicy heat!
- Cream cheese – For a thick creamy finish. If you are not on a ketogenic diet, you can use low fat cream cheese.
- Cheddar cheese – Use sharp cheddar cheese for that little extra something.
Today’s Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Recipe is a step in the right direction…
It’s a creamy low carb soup that fits neatly into a ketogenic diet. Plus, it’s vegetarian (without the bacon garnish) and could be vegan if you substitute vegan cheeses.
The pop of spicy buffalo flavor is a welcomed surprise, combined with the smooth cheesy broth.
Top this Cauliflower Cheese Soup with extra cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, and/or scallions for a comforting meal that feels naughty even though it’s easy on the hips.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup – Optional Toppings
- Extra shredded cheddar cheese
- Crumbled blue cheese
- Chopped scallions
- Bacon bits
- Fried onions
- Shaved celery
Plus, if you love the bit of spice in the soup, add more buffalo sauce on top!
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
- Sauté the veggies – Soften the onions, garlic, and cauliflower to bring out their flavor.
- Simmer the soup – Add the broth and hot sauce. Then simmer the soup until the cauliflower is nice and soft.
- Puree – Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. (Or use an immersion blender in the pot!)
See the Complete (Printable) Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe Below.
This spicy cauliflower soup is thickened by pureeing the cauliflower with cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. It creates a lovely silky texture.
Once the cheese is added to the hot broth, remove the soup from the heat. Cooking cheese in broth too long will cause it to separate, even after it is pureed.
If cauliflower soup is tasteless it means you have not added enough salt, spice, and richness. This buffalo cauliflower soup is anything but tasteless! The combination of buffalo sauce, two cheeses, garlic, onions, and vegetable or chicken broth, give it a unique balanced flavor.
Yes, leftover creamy cauliflower soup can be kept in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat it over low heat, in a soup pot or dutch oven, until just warm. Simmering too long will cause the soup to separate.
More Cauliflower Recipes You Will Love
- Roasted Buffalo Bacon Cauliflower
- Watermelon Gazpacho
- African Peanut Soup (Maafe)
- Easy Cauliflower Rice
- Grain Free Low Carb Cauliflower Crackers
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing
- Creamy Irish Cauliflower Soup
More Healthy Soup Sensations
- Skinny Chicken Fajita Soup
- Vegan Creamy Golden Soup
- Low-Fat Creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup
- Healthy Chicken Cacciatore Soup
- Spring Pea Wasabi Soup
- Chicken White Bean Soup
- Southwest Chicken Detox Soup
Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil or butter
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 6 cups cauliflower florets
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup buffalo hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
- 6 ounce cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Possible garnishes: extra cheese, blue cheese, bacon bits, scallions
Instructions
- Set a large 6-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, chopped onions, and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes. Then stir in the cauliflower and sauté another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Pour the vegetable broth and buffalo sauce into the pot. Cover and simmer the soup for at least 20 minutes, or until the largest cauliflower florets are fork-tender.
- Carefully pour the hot soup into a blender jar. Add the cream cheese and shredded cheddar. Place the lid on the blender, and open the vent in the lid. Place a dish towel over the blender so the steam can vent, but you do not get splashed with hot soup through the open vent. Then blend until completely smooth.
- Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm sprinkled with extra cheese, scallions (or bacon if you’re a meat eater)!
I forgot to buy cream cheese so I read online that you could sub cottage cheese (blend it first). Turned out great and added more protein to the soup!
I love how simple this is to make! It was so good my family loved it!
Made this for dinner and it was a HUGE hit!
TOTALLY saving this and going to hopefully freeze it for after we have our baby this week! This looks so so good.
This was delicious just starting to.look at the keto diet and this is a winner!!
Looks awesome, any suggestions for converting this to an Instant Pot recipe? How long to cook, etc… Thinking of using a immersion blender instead of blender for true 1 pot ease…
Hi PG,
I have not tried this personally, but I believe the cauliflower will be soft enough to puree if you set the Instant Pot of Pressure Cook High for 4 minutes. Let me know how it turns out! :)
Amen to everything above. It’s all about our choices. We hold the key to making changes in our own lives!!! And I definitely am making a change to my cauliflower soup recipe now!!! I love that you added buffalo sauce to it! Yum!
You have literally put my 2 favorite things together and OMG I can’t wait to try it!
Oh delicious! I can’t wait to try this soup! Great comfort food.
This is such a great soup! So creamy and tasty
I just saved this recipe to make this weekend! I am so excited!
Made this tonight. Awesome soup! I, too, added extra hot sauce and cooked chicken. This is a keeper! Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, I only added three stalks of celery, chopped ‘cuz I love celery; otherwise just as you listed. Made it for dinner tonight and it was a big success! Thank you – Happy New Year