Hi Friends! It’s raining outside (yay – rain in Southern California!!), I’ve got a fire in the fire place, and soup season is officially in full swing! I LOVE making soup, and it just doesn’t get any better than this gluten free and vegan, Creamy Cheddar Bacon Cauliflower soup! It’s a full meal by itself, although, I can’t blame you if you want to eat some crusty bread with it, and improve the situation even more with a beer… just saying’. 😉 This soup is so incredible, that it has been officially, and permanently added to my list of family favorites. It’s joining favorites like my Tortilla Soup and my Classic Chili, and my (yet to be posted) vegan Chicken Noodle Soup! I have recently developed a bit of an obsession with cauliflower, and this soup is the result! I know, I’m a little late to the cauliflower party, but I’m here now, and I’m making up for lost time! You gonna want to get this on your favorites list ASAP, so let’s talk about how you can whip up a batch of this soup in no time flat!
So the photo above shows the veggies you need for this soup. All of that good stuff is going in, and more, and this is the best part… you can cook it on the stove, or you can make it in an Instant Pot! It’s amazing, either way. I’ve made it both ways, but I usually make it in the Instant Pot. Both sets of instructions are included with the recipe.
If you aren’t already familiar with Instant Pots, they are magical little appliances, that can do anything from pressure cooking, to slow cooking, yogurt, steaming, etc. I love mine because I can load all of my ingredients in there and walk away. When I come back, a short while later, my food is done. You know how some foods, like soups and casseroles sometimes taste even better the next day? When you use a pressure cooker, you get that wonderful, rich, flavor on the same day. I use mine all the time, to make rice, beans, soups, and chili. This is a pic of my Instant Pot with my immersion blender in it. (I’m including links for both on Amazon. I’ve had my immersion blender for years, so the link is for the newer model!) ❤ My two favorite kitchen tools!❤
Instant Pot, or stove top, either way, it’s going to be AMAZING! So, I showed you a couple of pics of the veggies. That potato looking thing in the pic is a Japanese Yam. A Japanese Yam is like a very dry sweet potato that isn’t very sweet. I use them in place of potatoes in some recipes (like potato salad, and in some soups), because I’m allergic to potatoes. It helps to thicken soups and make them creamier. I’ve also used a puree to act as a binder in bread recipes. You’ll be able to tell them apart from yams or traditional sweet potatoes because the skin is purple and the inside is white. If you aren’t allergic to potatoes, or you can’t find Japanese Yams, you can definitely sub in a Yukon Gold potato for this recipe. 
These are the liquids and Spices you need. I use non-dairy, unsweetened almond milk. I like using almond milk because it’s flavor is really neutral. You could also use soy if you want. Just make sure the one you use is unsweetened and unflavored. I adore coconut milk, but I don’t think it would be good for this particular recipe.
And this yumminess? ⬆⬆⬆ This is what we are going to stir into the soup when the pressure cooking is done. This is vegan cheese, some extra cauliflower, and crumbled tofu bacon. This is the recipe for Tofu Bacon. It’s really easy to make, and it’s amazing with this soup, but also with pancakes, on sandwiches, and salads too! You can make this soup without the ‘bacon’, but if at all possible, make it with! It tastes amazing, and gives this soup a boost of protein, and makes it a very filling meal.
As you can see from the photo above, I use the Tofu Bacon crumbled in this recipe. When you get ready to marinate the tofu, slice it into 1/2 thin slices, and then gently break them apart to create the crumbled pieces. This whole process is much easier before you bake the bacon, when the tofu is soft. 😉 I usually marinate the bacon for at least an hour, sometimes longer. Then I bake it while the Instant Pot is doing it’s magic.
When the soup is done cooking, and after you slowly let the pressure out of the Instant Pot if using one, you puree the contents on the pot, and then stir in the Tofu Bacon, Shredded Vegan Cheese (I use Daiya Cheddar Shreds – just use your favorite kind), and 1 bag of frozen cauliflower, warmed. I like mine with freshly ground black pepper and chives. My 6 year old is a little foodie in training, and he loves it with chives too. My husband goes a different route and loads it up with Tabasco! This recipe makes 10-12 servings, so you’ll have some leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day! If you find that your soup thickens up a lot when it cools, you can definitely add a little water to it, when reheating.
I hope you love this soup as much as we do! I promise it will bring your soup season up to a whole new level! If you have any questions just drop them in the comment section below. If you would like to stay connected and get great recipes like this, delivered to your inbox, sign up for our email newsletter below, or connect with us on social media. Just click the icons next to my picture and it will take you to our pages. Thanks so much for coming by! With love, Angel
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T Olive Oil
- 2 medium sized heads cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1 medium sized Japanese Yam, cubed
- 2 large carrots, sliced into 1" rounds
- 32 oz. unsweetened, unflavored almond milk or other non-dairy milk, like soy
- 2 vegan Chicken style Bouillon cubes
- 40 Oz. water
- 1 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
- 8 oz. shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 T Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp (or more to taste)Spike seasoning
- 16 Oz. frozen cauliflower florets, warmed
- 16 Oz. Tofu BaconCrumbled (Recipe makes 20 OZ. - use the rest for snacking, soups, salads, and breakfast!)
- Ahead of time, marinate one batch of Tofu Bacon - prepare according to directions, except crumble the tofu as seen in photos above.
- In a large pot or Instant Pot, saute diced onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and saute one minute more. (If using Instant Pot, use saute function, and then turn off when the onions and garlic are softened).
- Next, add carrots, yam (or potato), cauliflower, all spices, nutritional yeast, bouillon cubes, almond milk, and water. (Make sure ingredients do not extend above max fill line in Instant Pot.) If using IP - cover, select 'Soup' and set timer to 7 minutes. Pot will take about 20-30 minutes to come up to temp and 7 minutes to cook.
- Bake tofu bacon while soup is cooking (about 30 minutes).
- Stove top- bring soup to a boil, and then reduce heat slightly. Simmer until vegetables are soft.
- When vegetables are soft (stove top) or IP is done, use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth.
- Stir in vegan cheese (it will melt with heat), cauliflower florets, and crumbled tofu bacon.
- Garnish with chives if desired.
Angel McNall is the author and photographer of High Vibe Lifestyle. For over 20 years, Angel has been teaching people how to live more vibrantly by eating a plant based diet, and using plant based medicine. 
Now this is how you get me to eat my veggies. Smother them in veggies and surround them with bacon. NEED to make this ASAP!
Oh, you’ll be so happy when you make this! I wish I had a steady supply in my fridge at all times! 😃
Wow what lovely food combinations! Looks and sounds delicious.
Hi hope you try it Lucy, it’s so yummy! 😃
I made this creamy soup and the tofu bacon for dinner this week and it was DELICIOUS!! I used a regular potato, but would like to try it with the Japanese yam next time. It made plenty, so we were able to have it again, plus share some with a friend. I am definitely putting this in my book of recipes to SAVE!
HI Melissa,
Yay! I’m so glad that it’s a favorite with you too!