Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup (2024)

Updated on September 11, 2023|By Kate|54 Comments

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Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup is a Zupas copycat recipe. This naturally gluten free cauliflower soup is full of cheesy, creamy goodness!

There’s a local restaurant chain called Zupas that serves soup, salads, and sandwiches. One of my favorites things there is their Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup.

As good as that cheesy, creamy soup is, I wanted to create a lighter version. My version of this Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup keeps all of that creamy, cheesy goodness by using a couple of tricks.

Plus, this soup is really quick and easy to make. So, you can make a bowl of rich, delicious soup in less than 30 minutes!

How to make cauliflower soup

Step 1: Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened.

Step 2: Stir in the garlic.

Step 3: Add the chicken broth.

Step 4: Stir in the cauliflower florets. Cover the pan and cook until fork-tender.

Step 5: Carefully add the soup mixture to a blender. Cover and pulse until smooth andwell-blended.

Step 6: Pour in the half-and-half, and blend in. Add the shredded cheese and stir in to combine.

Step 7: Garnish with ground black pepper and additional shredded cheese, if desired.

Recipe Tips!

Cauliflower: Feel free to use frozen steamable cauliflower in place of the fresh cauliflower florets. I just microwave the cauliflower in the steamer package according to the directions and then stir into the broth. There’s no need to further steam the cauliflower, so just continue with the recipe as written.
Half-and-half: I use half-and-half to give it richness and creaminess without all of the fat of cream. I also used just enough cheese to give it some good flavor. I’ve received some negative feedback about the use of fat-free half-and-half in recipes because of some of the ingredients in it. Please always use your best judgment when making a recipe and feel free to use full-fat half-and-half, fat-free half-and-half or even cream depending on your dietary needs.
Cheese: The pepper jack adds a bit of flavor to the soup. If you prefer, use a different type of cheese, such as parmesan or asiago instead.
Blending: Be sure to blend the soup well if you like it really creamy.

Storage

Store any leftover Wisconsin cauliflower soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The soup should keep for about 3 days when properly stored in the fridge.

More soup recipes!

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Avgolemono Soup
Roasted Tomato and Corn Soup
Cream of Chicken Substitute

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Creamy, cheesy copycat Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup recipe

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon butter
▢ 1 medium sweet white or yellow onion finely diced
▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
▢ 14.5 ounce reduced-sodium chicken broth
▢ 2 pounds cauliflower florets¹
▢ 1 cup half-and-half²
▢ 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
▢ Salt and pepper to taste
▢ 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add onion, and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 seconds.
Pour in chicken broth.
Add cauliflower, and cover skillet (I just use a piece of foil).
Let the cauliflower steam until fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Carefully add cauliflower and broth mixture to a blender.
Add in fat-free half-and-half and dry mustard.
Blend until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in shredded cheese, and let melt.
Garnish with a pinch of shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

Broth: You can use vegetable broth if you would like to make the soup vegetarian.
Cauliflower: Feel free to use frozen steamable cauliflower in place of the fresh cauliflower florets. I just microwave the cauliflower in the steamer package according to the directions and then stir into the broth. There’s no need to further steam the cauliflower, so just continue with the recipe as written.

Half-and-half: I use half-and-half to give it richness and creaminess without all of the fat of cream. I also used just enough cheese to give it some good flavor. I’ve received some negative feedback about the use of fat-free half-and-half in recipes because of some of the ingredients in it. Please always use your best judgment when making a recipe and feel free to use full-fat half-and-half, fat-free half-and-half or even cream depending on your dietary needs.

Cheese: The pepper jack adds a bit of flavor to the soup. If you prefer, use a different type of cheese, such as parmesan or asiago instead.

Blending: Be sure to blend the soup well if you like it really creamy.
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition

Did You Make This Recipe?

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Originally published 1/26/15.

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Created by Kate

Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

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