If you’re old enough to remember Panera’s Potato Cream Cheese Soup, it’s time to buy some night cream! I kid, but actually I used to eat that soup from Panera roughly three times a week in high school and was so sad when they axed it from their menu. Since it’s not available anymore (nor could I eat it anyway on account of my Celiac Disease!) I created a similar cozy soup with a lighter twist by swapping the potatoes for cauliflower. Each bowl comes in at just 9 grams of carbs. Low-Carb Cauliflower Cream Cheese Soup is thick, creamy, and so satisfying — just like the original!
Low-Carb Cauliflower Cream Cheese Soup is grated cauliflower, which is kissing texture cousins to potatoes, steamed with seasoned salt, feathery fresh dill, and pepper then simmered in gluten-free flour-thickened broth for a few minutes before being swirled with tangy cream cheese. If you loved the Potato Cream Cheese Soup from Panera, you’ll adore this low-carb version. The grated cauliflower is a perfect swap for potatoes. Best of all? It’s ready in under 30 minutes making this a weeknight friendly recipe, too!
Start by grating 1 small head cauliflower for 4 cups grated cauliflower. You can use the grating attachment on your food processor, a box grater, or simply buy frozen, grated cauliflower.
Next saute 1 small chopped shallot or 1/2 small onion, and 3 minced garlic cloves in 2 Tablespoons butter in a soup pot over medium heat, until the shallots are just starting to turn tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the grated cauliflower plus 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill, 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, and lots of pepper, then stir to evenly coat the cauliflower in butter.
Pour in 2 Tablespoons water then place a lid on the pot and steam the cauliflower until tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Pour in 2 cups milk, 1-1/2 cups chicken broth, and more pepper, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer — not a boil.
Stream in 1/4 cup chicken broth whisked with 2 Tablespoons gluten-free flour then simmer until the soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Finally, add the cream cheese! You’ll need 8oz cream cheese softened to room temperature. I tested this recipe with 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and this Greek yogurt cream cheese blend, and both were fantastic. Scrape the cream cheese into the soup from the package in three or four hunks then switch to a whisk and whisk until it’s completely melted and incorporated into the soup.
Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary then let the soup sit and thicken off the heat for 10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls then serve and devour! I hope you love this lighter take on a Panera favorite!
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