Cauliflower Bisque with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Cauliflower Bisque is my favorite for soup season! Ready in just 30 minutes, this creamy soup is topped with the cheesiest croutons ever!
I have a million cauliflower recipes, and this Cauliflower Bisque recipe with Grilled Cheese Croutons is a family favorite! This blended soup is topped with bite-sized homemade croutons covered in cheese for a cozy weeknight dinner in just half an hour.
CAULIFLOWER BISQUE WITH GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS
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There’s nothing more comforting than a great bisque. This cauliflower bisque recipe is made with pantry staples and fall favorites.
You can serve cauliflower bisque as an appetizer, main dish, or side dish for a great fall salad. Make sure you have some softened butter before you start.
Cauliflower Bisque Ingredients
BISQUE This is one of the first soups I make when the leaves change! Cauliflower and thyme are perfect for fall! This soup is also made with butter, onion, vegetable broth, milk, potatoes, poultry seasoning, and heavy cream. You can also garnish with fresh chives!
CROUTONS You don’t have to make these croutons, but they’re so much better homemade. All you need is bread (slightly stale is fine here too!), softened butter, and shredded cheddar cheese. They’re delicious with tomato soup, too!
I like to dip my grilled cheese in homemade soups, but sometimes these grilled cheese croutons are just perfect!
How to Make Cauliflower Bisque
- First, melt the butter in a Dutch oven and sauté the onions for a few minutes. When they’re almost softened, add the garlic and cook until it’s super fragrant.
- Then, add the vegetable broth (or chicken broth) and milk, and bring everything to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce your soup to a simmer and add the cauliflower, potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Cover and let everything simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, you can work on the croutons. Spread butter on one side of your bread and place, butter side down, in a skillet and top with cheese. Set a second piece on top, butter side up, and make grilled cheese sandwiches.
- When they’re golden brown and gooey, cut off the crusts and chop the sandwiches into bite-sized squares.
- Next, when the potatoes and cauliflower are fork-tender, fish your thyme sprigs out of the pot. Then puree the soup completely with an immersion blender or countertop blender. (If using a countertop option, used the blender in batches.)
- Once the soup is smooth, add the cream and stir until everything is heated through.
Ladle this cauliflower bisque soup into bowls and top each serving with your grilled cheese croutons and freshly chopped chives. You can also add an extra drizzle of cream for an extra beautiful presentation!
How Do You Thicken Cauliflower Soup?
This is the best cauliflower bisque recipe because it’s always thick and creamy. With about 4 cups of liquid versus the head of cauliflower and pound of potatoes, this cauliflower bisque soup is thickened naturally.
If your soup gets too thin, however, you can always use a little cornstarch to thicken it! Be sure to mix it with water before adding it to the soup. Once added, let the soup continue to simmer, and let the cornstarch do its job.
What Goes Well with Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a super versatile fall vegetable. You can start seeing it as early as June at the farmer’s market, but it’s in season from September through November.
In recent years, cauliflower has had an explosive rise with the popularity of the keto diet. People love cauliflower as a rice substitute or even a low-carb pizza crust. It’s gentle, mellow flavor makes cauliflower a blank canvas for any seasonings or cuisine.
I love to simply roast cauliflower as a fall side dish. I use a little oil, salt, and pepper, and serve it alongside any protein, like pork tenderloin, roast chicken, or a juicy steak.
Love a comforting bowl of soup? YOu have got to try these recipes!
- Instant Pot Tortellini Sup with Italian Sausage
- Leftover Ham Soup with Lentils
- Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup
- Bacon Jalapeño Baked Potato Soup
- Vegetarian Chili
- More MAIN DISH recipes…
Tools used to make this Cauliflower Bisque with Grilled Cheese Croutons recipe
Immersion blender: You can use a regular blender for this cauliflower bisque recipe, but it’s so much easier to use an immersion blender right in the pot! No transferring, no spilling, and no accidental burns with this simple method to make a creamy, smooth blended soup.
Dutch oven: A Dutch oven with a heavy bottom is a must for simmering a flavorful soup without burning it! I prefer a cast-iron Dutch oven for more even heat distribution.
Cauliflower Bisque With Grilled Cheese Croutons
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes quartered
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Fresh chives chopped, for garnish
Grilled Cheese Croutons
- 6 slices bread
- 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a dutch oven and let melt over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add vegetable broth and milk. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add cauliflower florets, potatoes, thyme sprigs (if using), salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, and stir everything together. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the grilled cheese by spreading 1/2 tablespoon room temperature butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 1 slice of bread, butter side down, in skillet. Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Top with a second slice of bread, butter side up. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Then flip the sandwich and cook until the second side is golden brown and cheese is gooey and melted. Repeat this process until you make 3 whole sandwiches.
- Cut off the crust from each sandwich and cut each sandwich into bite-size squares. Set aside.
- Fish out thyme sprigs from the soup and discard. Take an immersion blender and puree the soup. (see note) Add heavy cream and continue blending until combined.
- To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls, top with grilled cheese croutons and chopped chives.
