Slow-Cooker Cauliflower, Potato and White Bean Soup

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Dec. 29, 2022

Slow-Cooker Cauliflower, Potato and White Bean Soup
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
8 hours and 25 minutes
Rating
4(8,099)
Comments
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This creamy vegetarian soup is built on humble winter staples, but the addition of sour cream and chives make it feel special. (Crumble a few sour-cream-and-onion chips on top to take the theme all of the way.) It takes just a few minutes to throw the ingredients into the slow cooker, and the rest of the recipe almost entirely hands-off, making it very doable on a weekday. Use an immersion blender, if you have one, to purée it to a silky smooth consistency, but a potato masher works well for a textured, chunky soup.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings 
  • 1pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks 
  • 1pound cauliflower, chopped into large bite-sized florets and stems 
  • 2(15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained
  • ½yellow onion, minced
  • 3garlic cloves, smashed and minced
  • 3½cups vegetable stock 
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2tablespoons dry white wine
  • 1sprig fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½teaspoon garlic powder
  • Coarse kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1teaspoon lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)
  • 8ounces sour cream (1 cup), at room temperature 
  • ½cup chopped chives (about 1 small bunch)
  • Potato chips, preferably sour cream and onion, for topping
  • Shredded Cheddar, for serving 
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

402 calories; 16 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 1158 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the potatoes, cauliflower, beans, onion, garlic, vegetable stock, butter, wine, thyme, garlic powder and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 8 hours on low.

  2. Step 2

    Remove and discard the thyme sprig, and turn off the slow cooker. Add the lemon juice. To make a completely smooth and creamy soup, purée the ingredients using an immersion blender. (Or, purée the soup in a blender in two batches, transferring the puréed soup to a different pot.) To make a textured, chunky soup, smash the ingredients using a potato masher in the slow cooker. Stir in the sour cream and chives. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Serve in bowls topped with black pepper, crushed potato chips and shredded Cheddar. For leftovers, gently reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until it just barely bubbles around the edges; don’t let it boil or the sour cream will break.

Ratings

4 out of 5
8,099 user ratings
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Comments

LD

Easy convert to instant pot. I sautéed the onion and garlic in the butter and then deglazed with the wine. Added cauliflower, potatoes, beans and broth. Pressure cooked on high for 18 minutes, quick release. Seasoned more aggressively adding some smoked paprika and more garlic powder at the end. Added lemon at the end. Puréed beautifully and didn’t require a full day on slow cooker. Really tasty- I love the creaminess from the beans. Will make again for sure!

Jeannie

Delicious. Comforting. I sub Greek yogurt for sour cream whenever possible. If you add it to the soup in bowls, you can reheat leftovers without separation.

Lisa S.

I did this QUICKLY and simply on stovetop and it came out great. Just threw everything in a pot (except chives, sour cream, and chips) and I used low sodium chicken broth (had on hand). Brought to a boil and then simmered for about an hour til veggies were tender. Took off heat and puréed in pot with an immersion blender. Doesn’t even need sour cream or chives (my garden ones had died for the winter!). Yum and healthy.

eatforpleasure

If you make this with purple cauliflower and a red onion it’s a purple color then hold the lemon and serve with lemon slices to squeeze in at the table and the whole thing turns pink, it was a big hit with my kids.

JoJo in Idaho

Didn't have time for the slow cooker option so I just used this recipe as a basic guideline. Sautéed the onions and potatoes (actually used a sweet potato) together in a bit of EVOO. Then followed with the remainder of the ingredients save for sour cream which we just dolloped on top of individual bowls of soup. It was really delicious and the beans helped make a nice smooth consistency when whizzed up with an immersion blender.

Jessie

Appreciative of the instant pot instructions. Cut butter to 2 TBSP and ignored the onion and butter in the IP so butter browned a bit, creating a nice depth of flavor. Sautéed garlic next then added wine, then everything else, water instead of broth. Added TJs black garlic 1 tsp and oregano 1/2 tsp. 20 min pressure cook bc I had RG alubia beans only half cooked. Quick release and immersion blender to blitz only the cauliflower chunks to hide from my kids. Sour cream to use on top only. Leftovers being consumed rapidly!

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