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This delicious Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower soup is warm, creamy, cheesy and oh so luscious! Save yourself the hassle of going out and make this hearty soup at home.

Making amazing soups at home is the best! Try Creamy Chicken Gnocchi, Award Winning Cheese Burger Soup, and this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup.
Creamy, savory cheesy, Zupas Copycat Cauliflower Soup!

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Me and the hubby usually go on our dates in the afternoons. The boys are both in school and we just have the baby at home with us. And by dates I mean  going to Costco and Cafe Zupas. But we love spending time together and our favorite place to grab some lunch is at Zupas. If you live anywhere near a Zupas then I am sure you have been to one and know of its amazingness! From their amazing paninis, to the salads, to the soup, you can’t go wrong. It is incredible!

Last year my hubby ordered this Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup. He gave me one bite and I was hooked! This probably isn’t a soup that I would have ordered. Now I order it every single time. My hubby has been wanting to make it at home for some time now. He was so excited that I finally made it. Tasted just like Zupas. It was amazing. I love when you can hide a veggie in a soup and the kids still love it! Creamy and delicious and topped with my favorite toppings.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Ingredients

Simple ingredients that when mixed together create a delectable dish. A delicious and creamy cauliflower soup that tastes identical to Zupas!

  • Butter: Adds richness and flavor
  • Onion: Chop the onions well so they sauté faster.
  • Flour: This will help to thicken the soup.
  • Half and Half: Half and half gives you all the creaminess with half the fat
  • Water: Helps to thin the soup to the proper consistency, can use less or more depending on your preference.
  • Chicken Broth: You can substitute vegetable or beef broth here, although I’m a fan of the chicken for this soup.
  • Cauliflower: Depending on the size of your heads, you may need more than one head to get your 2 pounds
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Shred your own cheese to avoid the coating on pre shredded cheeses that can prevent melting.
  • Pepper Jack Cheese:  I love the little kick the pepper jack adds
  • Salt: The cheese may make it plenty salty already, so taste it before adding.
  • Dijon Mustard: Don’t leave this out, you’ll love the little zing it adds to the flavor

Making Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

This comes together pretty easily! Pair it with a crusty loaf and a garden green salad, and you’re set.

  1. Melt: In a large pot melt the butter and cook the chopped onion until translucent and golden brown. Wisk in the flour. Gradually pour in the half and half, water and broth stirring constantly to remove any flour lumps.
  2. Cook: Add the chopped cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium low and cook till cauliflower is tender about 15 min.
  3. Blend: In a blender or using an immersion blender, blend the soup till smooth. Return to the pot
  4. Cheese: Turn the soup up to medium.  Add in the Dijon mustard and cheese stirring till melted. Serve with optional toppings.

Making creamy, savory cheesy, Zupas Copycat Cauliflower Soup!

Tips for Great Wisconsin Soup

You can eat in the comfort in your own home, surrounded by friends and family, curled up in a blanket, or in your favorite pair of lounge pants!

  • Cauliflower: If you can’t find fresh cauliflower you can use frozen. Steam the cauliflower in the microwave according to the package directions and add to the broth. You won’t need to simmer it, just stir it in and then blend it.
  • Texture: Depending on how you like your soup you can leave it a little bit chunky or blend it till super smooth. You can even add in diced potatoes that have been cooked for a little bit more heartiness.
  • Cheese: You experiment with the cheeses, although it’ll give you a bit of a different flavor. Try parmesan or asiago instead of the pepper jack. Sharp white cheddar is also a great cheese to use.
  • Toppings: Top your soup with even more cheese, bacon crumbles, croutons, and green onions.

Creamy, savory cheesy, Zupas Copycat Cauliflower Soup!

Storing Cauliflower Soup

You can eat in the comfort in your own home, surrounded by friends and family, curled up in a blanket, or in your favorite pair of lounge pants!

  • Freezer-Because of the heavy dairy in the soup, it won’t freeze well. It’ll separate when you thaw it and won’t be as creamy or nice.
  • Fridge-This will however keep extremely well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm up on the stove top over medium low heat stirring often to avoid curdling.

Creamy, savory cheesy, Zupas Copycat Cauliflower Soup!

 

More Scrumptious Cauliflower Recipes

Cauliflower is such a tasty way to eat your vegetables!

 

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Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

3.84 from 6 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
This delicious Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower soup is warm, creamy, cheesy and oh so luscious! Save yourself the hassle of going out and make this hearty soup at home. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients 

Optional Toppings:

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, melt 3 Tablespoons butter and cook the chopped onion until translucent and golden brown. Whisk in the flour. Gradually stir in half and half, water and chicken broth.
  • Add the chopped cauliflower and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low and allow the cauliflower to cook until tender about 15 minutes.
  • In a blender or immersion blender with the center of the top removed to allow steam to escape, blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pot.
  • Heat soup to medium heat and add in dijon mustard and cheese and stir until melted. Serve with optional toppings.

Notes

Updated on October 6, 2020
Originally Posted on October 24, 2014

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 16gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 830mgPotassium: 678mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 816IUVitamin C: 80mgCalcium: 404mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
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About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

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Recipe Rating




23 Comments

  1. 2 stars
    I used to work at Zupas so it was especially disappointing when this recipe turned out tasting like cauliflower water. If you do decide to attempt, make some of the adjustments here in the comments to try to salvage it

  2. Wanted to love this recipe. It fell short. This same copy cat recipe is everywhere and it doesn’t come anywhere near the one to be copied. As made, it lacks in flavor. Not enough cheese or depth of flavor. I added more broth, more cheese, some cream cheese. And garlic. Even added a bit of lemon to brighten it.

  3. 5 stars
    I made this tonight. We doubled the salt and added more cheese. Thank you so much for a recipe I will definitely use again!