By When you're short on time (and energy), you can whip up this cottage cheese and cauliflower soup that packs 36g of protein! And when compared to the standard version that only has around 15, this is truly a high-protein recipe. You only need a little over 20 minutes to whip up this easy dinner that's best enjoyed with crunchy bread and chives!
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We have a local food joint called Cafe Zupa's that makes the best Wisconsin cheddar cauliflower soup. And that's coming from someone who doesn't like cheese, Wisconsin, or cauliflower. Or so I thought.
Little did I know that 6 years after first trying the soup, I would end up living in Wisconsin, obssessed with cauliflower, and in love with cottage cheese. And because of that, I thought why not use it instead of all cheddar in making my homemade version of my favorite soup perfect for a high protein dinner! So, grab a sheet tray and let's make this high protein roasted cauliflower cheddar soup.
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#1 tip for making protein soup
Blend, blend, blend! The big turn off with cottage cheese is the texture and I'm right there with ya. But, when the cottage cheese is fully blended (meaning for around a full minute). This results is an ultra creamy texture that's high in protein.
ingredient notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Cheese: We use a combination of cottage cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese, and pepper jack. Most sharp cheddar cheese is white cheddar! For the pepper jack, just slices will work.
- Onion: Carmalized onions are the best for this soup and roasting them with the cauliflower is the easiest way to do it!
- Cauliflower: Feel free to use a whole head or prechopped.
- Spices and flavor makers: Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper are the best ways to spice up a dish with minimal ingredients.
- Olive oil: For roasting!
- Bone broth: The best way to boost protein and flavor without any extra work. Regular chicken broth works but has much less protein. We also love it for our protein marry me chicken sauce. You can make this vegetarian by using regular broth (reduces the protein to 28g per serving).
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: cottage cheese
One cup of low-fat cottage cheese packs in about 25 grams of protein! It's mild in flavor, super creamy when blended, and an amazing way to add protein (replacing cream in most recipes) without changing the taste or texture of sauces.
Other great ways to use it? Try it in our cottage cheese egg bake, with our protein dinner rolls, or whipped into dips or in our viral blueberry protein muffins!
here's how to nail this cauliflower soup every time
- Toss the veggies well in oil to make sure they get nice and roasted!
- Chop the cauliflower small so it cooks quickly and evenly with the onion.
- Work in batches. Blending too much at once doesn't result in an ultra creamy sauce!
- Top with crunchy bits like bacon bits or chives for fun texture.
quick recipe video
expert tips for blending
- Blend with the lid cracked so the steam can escape as you blend the hot veggies. This is a crucial safety step otherwise the blender can literally explode!
- Blend in batches! When I first did this I didn't blend long enough and I blended too much at once. This left the texture gritty.
troubleshooting & testing notes
Blend blend blend
What makes cauliflower soup so great is just how lucious and creamy it can be. My first round of testing, I didn't blend enough and it resulted in a gritty texture. But with more time in the blender, it was perfect!
The right ratio of cheese
In my testing, I found that cottage cheese and the sharp white cheddar had a very similar taste. This meant I could up the cottage cheese and reduce the white cheddar to keep the fat lower. It was missing something though but adding a little bit of pepper jack added that wow factor.
how to store & meal prep it
Here's the best way to store soup leftovers:
- Fridge: Keep this in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Or freeze it in silicone soup molds or a freezer ziplock bags for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or if frozen, thaw in hot water or overnight in the fridge before warming up.
Recipe
high protein cottage cheese and cauliflower soup (36 grams!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil or butter)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus additional salt & pepper to taste)
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped, sweet or white onion works too)
- 2 heads of cauliflower florets (5-6 cups, chopped small)
- 16 oz cottage cheese (low fat)
- 1 14.5 ounce can chicken bone broth (1 ¾ cups)
- 1 ¾ cup sharp white cheddar cheese shredded (most sharp cheddar is white)
- ¾ cup pepper jack cheese (shredded or 3-4 slices diced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- green onions and bacon bits for topping
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. On a large sheet tray, place the chopped 2 heads of cauliflower florets and diced 1 medium yellow onion. Drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Use a spoon or your hands to toss to coat.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. When the veggies have 5 minutes left, put a large stock pot on the stove and heat it over low to medium heat.
- Once tender, add half the veggies, half of the 16 oz cottage cheese, and half of the 1 14.5 ounce can chicken bone broth to a blender. Leave the lid ajar or the center air vent open but lightly covered with a towel. Blend for a few minutes or until the soup is suppppeeer smooth. Pour this into the warm stock pot. Then repeat with the remaining veggies, cottage cheese, and bone broth. Add this to the stock pot too.Be very careful when blending hot ingredients! Also - in my testing, an immersion blender worked to blend but not to create that super smooth texture we are after.
- Add the 1 ¾ cup sharp white cheddar cheese shredded, ¾ cup pepper jack cheese, and 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard to the large pot and stir to combine. I love this as a very thick soup! If it's too thick for you, add more bone broth ½ a cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.Simmer while stirring until the cheese is melted. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve with fresh green onions or chives and bacon bits.
Video
Notes
The big turn off with cottage cheese is the texture, and I'm right there with ya. But, when the cottage cheese is fully blended (meaning for around a full minute). This results is an ultra creamy texture that's high in protein. When I first tested the recipe, I didn't blend enough and the texture was gritty. It's important for the cauliflower too! The right ratio of cheese
In my testing, I found that cottage cheese and the sharp white cheddar had a very similar taste. This meant I could up the cottage cheese and reduce the white cheddar to keep the fat lower. It was missing something, though, but adding a little bit of pepper jack added that wow factor.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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