Are you ready for another cauliflower recipe!? That veggie really can do it all! I didn’t realize how versatile an ingredient it was, until recently. I mean, you can make bread, gnocchi, “rice”, you name it!  I’m always looking for easy ways to sneak in more veggies and this Creamy Italian Veggie Soup (GF + DF), really checked all the boxes for me. It’s a one-pot meal, though light on the carbohydrates. If you’d like to add some carbs to this meal, you could simply roast some potatoes or add some leftover rice or quinoa. This soup is quick, easy and full of protein and vegetable options.

Julie, from PaleOMG, wrote this Instant Pot Creamy Gnocchi Soup recipe. I’ve made many variations of this soup, depending on what I happen to have on hand. As you’ll see below, I usually omit the gnocchi (which is why I refer to it as Creamy Italian Veggie Soup) and add other ingredients. It’s super versatile and easy. You don’t need an instant pot to make it. It will take a little longer to cook on the stovetop. If you do use the stovetop, just cook until the cauliflower is really soft. I also use an immersion blender like this one, instead of pouring it into a blender. The immersion blender and instant pot, do make this recipe super fast and easy.

Here’s why this recipe is now a staple in my house:

• It’s creamy but dairy free! The power of pureed cauliflower! I’ve also really been enjoying making pureed cauliflower as a side dish, or for putting shredded or ground meat on
• It’s an easy way to sneak in some bone broth. You can also just use chicken or veggie stock
• It makes a bunch of leftovers
• You can choose whatever type of protein you like
• You can make this vegan or vegetarian, by just omitting the meat and adding some Italian seasoning

Here are some of the variations I tend to make:

• I usually omit the gnocchi, just because I don’t have it on hand
• I add chickpeas or lentils
• I use frozen chopped greens, or fresh ones if they need to be used up
• I’ve made my own Italian sausage, by adding 2 Tbs of Italian seasoning and some salt, to ground meat. I’ve also used sliced chicken sausage in link form. Here is another sausage recipe you could use
• You can add onion, zucchini, small diced potatoes, with or in place of the pepper