This Cauliflower Soup with Ham and Cheese is super creamy and perfect for a cold night. It’s also a great way to use up leftover ham!
This Cauliflower Soup with Ham and Cheese is perfect for a cool evening – especially when you pair it with some easy Focaccia Bread, Easy Dinner Rolls, or these Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits would be fantastic!
I really love Mondays. It’s kind of that chance to start over, to get back on your schedule, to get things in order. As much as I love the weekend, getting back into the normal swing of things is kind of refreshing to me.
Part of that schedule is menu planning, and it always feels so good to get that menu figured out. And now that the weather has cooled down so much, a lot of soups have been making their way onto that menu plan. Including this Cauliflower Soup with Ham and Cheese.
I love, love, love cauliflower soup. If I’m eating out and they have cauliflower soup, it’s pretty much a given that I will order it. And for some reason, when I had some extra ham on hand last month, I had this idea come to me to add ham to cauliflower soup. Maybe I had potato soup on the brain (I love ham in potato soup!). Potato soup is white and creamy, cauliflower soup is white and creamy. And guess what? They both work so well with ham in them, as well!!
Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
- Butter – you could also use extra virgin olive oil, but the butter gives some great flavor.
- Onion & Garlic – unless you really don’t like these, or have an allergy, I wouldn’t skip them as they bring in a lot of flavor.
- Flour – This is to thicken the soup.
- Milk – I use 2% because that’s what we have on hand. Use whole milk for a thicker soup. I probably wouldn’t use skim milk, though.
- Chicken Broth – You can also use vegetable broth if trying to keep this vegetarian.
- Salt – The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, but you can adjust this according to your tastes.
- Cauliflower – You’ll want to cut the cauliflower into florets that are close to the same size so that they cook through evenly.
- Cheddar Cheese – This is a pretty cheesy soup, so you could decrease this amount if you want to cut back a bit. But I love it as it is!
- Ham – This is a great use for leftover ham. If you don’t have leftover ham, you can buy a ham steak at the grocery store and cut it into cubes. You can also leave this out if you are making a vegetarian version.
Tips and Tricks
Freezing Cauliflower Soup – unfortunately, this isn’t that easy. Since the soup has a large dairy base (milk and cheese) it is much harder to freeze and reheat. I usually avoid freezing dairy based soups completely, as they will separate and usually have a grainy texture once thawed and reheated. If you do want to try freezing this soup, though, make sure it is room temperature before transferring to the freezer in freezer safe containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat slowly over medium heat. You’ll probably want to add in some extra cheese as some of the flavor will be lost during the freeze.
You can also sub in bacon for the ham. If you do this, I’d suggest cooking the bacon first, then remove it with a slotted spoon. Use the bacon grease in place of the butter to cook the onions for added flavor.
You can use an immersion blender instead of a free standing blender to puree the soup, as well.
Add a shake or two of hot sauce for some extra flavor.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
Lasagna Soup Recipe
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ham and Bean Soup
Crock Pot Chili
White Bean Chicken Chili
Sweet Potato Soup
Classic Homemade Beef Stew
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Cauliflower Soup with Ham and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 lbs. chopped cauliflower florets
- 3 cups medium shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 oz cubed, cooked ham
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 30-60 seconds longer. Slowly whisk in the milk and the broth. Add the salt. Bring to a light simmer, then add the cauliflower.
- Cover the pot and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the soup pot.
- Stir in the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the ham and heat until the ham is heated through, then serve warm.
Holly says
Great recipe – I added shredded carrots and celery and used my hand blender instead of transferring it to a blender. I like it a bit chunky! Both my husband and I loved it.
Roland says
This is a very good base recipe. At first I was concerned by the amount of cheese that you called for, but discovered that 3 cups shredded is “only” about 5 or 6 ounces. Also, I am not a big salter, but found the recipe as written to be a bit underseasoned. (I know the ham and broth add salt, so everyone’s salt levels will vary). So I added a few dashes of Maggi, which adds umami and depth to any soup or sauce, and a few dashes of habanero pepper sauce. Not enough to be detectably spicy, mind you, but enough to increase the complexity and definition of the cauliflower-cheese broth. Also, my immersion blender made quick work of pureeing the cauliflower, A versatile, compact, and inexpensive addition to any kitchen.
Katie says
Great replacement for potatoes! It takes a little getting used to the texture/consistency of the pureed cauliflower (I don’t normally puree my potato soup), but I’m not picky and enjoyed it either way.
Marie Townsend says
My family loved the soup. Easy and inexpensive
Kristen @ Dinner For Two Blog says
Definitely going to make this next time I have leftover ham. Maybe it will convince my husband to like cauliflower.
Jennifer says
This is definitely going on my must-make list – so warm and comforting. It doesn’t get much better than this soup!! Thanks lot.
Linda | Brunch with Joy says
Yum! This soup looks so mouthwatering and perfect idea to use leftover ham.
Chels R. says
This looks so dreamy and creamy. I love cauliflower soup too!
amanda @ fake ginger says
I love fresh starts, too. Mondays are my fave! These looks so so good. I’ve never seen a cauliflower soup look so creamy! I want!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
I wish I had a bowl of this soup to enjoy today with how brutally cold it is out! The ham garnish is perfect!