Cauliflower Fondue Soup

I'm pretty obsessed with my Instant Pot these days. The Retro Recipe Redo challenge, a discussion about fondue, and a recipe I saw online on "Eating Well" all came up at the same time. I knew I wanted to try something similar in the Instant Pot and here's what I came up with! Smooth, luscious, and perfect for a fall day.

Instant Pot Cauliflower Fondue Soup
by Sandra blogging at Dear Lauren, Love Mom
Adapted from Eating Well's Cauliflower Soup with Smoked Gouda

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 Tablespoon butter
3 slices bread, cubed
1 medium white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon organic chicken base
4 cups water, divided
1 head cauliflower, cored, broken up or left whole
4 ounces smoked Gouda, shredded
2 teaspoons cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper for serving

Place the liner in the Instant Pot and press the saute button. Wait until the display says "hot" and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Stir until the butter is melted and foams and then add the cubes of  bread. Stir the bread until they are browned. Remove the croutons to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out the liner with a paper towel, be careful because it will be very hot. Place the liner back in the Instant Pot.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the liner and then add the onions. Stir frequently until the onions are translucent and just starting to brown. Add the pepper and garlic powder and stir. Add the wine, deglaze. Add the Better than Bouillon, stir until combined. Add 1 cup water, stir. Add the cauliflower. Place the top on the Instant Pot and set to "sealing". Turn the cooking setting to Manual, 5 minutes. (You will have to press the cancel key before you do this in order to take the Instant Pot off the saute function.)

While the cauliflower mixture is pressure cooking, mix the cold water and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Once the pressure cooking is complete, do a quick release. Use an immersion blender to puree the contents of the liner. Once the mixture is very smooth, press the cancel button and press the saute button. Add the remaining 3 cups of water to the liner. Stir frequently until the mixture begins to simmer. Press the cancel button. Add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.

Season with salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon. Serve with freshly ground pepper and croutons on top.

Optional: Gently pour 1 tablespoon of heavy cream onto each bowl of soup before adding croutons, as a pretty garnish.