Cauliflower Soup
17
Published Feb 15, 2022, Updated Feb 20, 2023
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This easy cauliflower soup is thick, creamy and packed full of flavor. It’s vegan, dairy-free and comes together in under 30 minutes with less than 10 ingredients.
These chilly winter days have me craving all the warm and comforting recipes… cue this cozy cauliflower soup! It’s so creamy and definitely hits the spot on a comfort level. Plus, it’s packed full of flavor and leaves me so satisfied after each bite.
Why You Need to Make This Soup
- It’s budget-friendly. You only need 5 simple ingredients, plus salt + pepper!
- It’s a one pot meal. Yay for minimal dishes!
- Great for meal prep – make one batch and enjoy this healthy soup all week long!
- It’s plant-based and packed with nutrients.
Ingredients Needed
- cauliflower – the star of the show! You can use pre-chopped cauliflower florets to save time or 1 medium to large cauliflower head.
- olive oil – to sauté the vegetables in your pot. You can also use ghee or butter.
- yellow onion and garlic – the main source of flavor in this soup!
- water, vegetable broth or chicken broth – the liquid base of the soup. I like to use low-sodium broth for flavor and so I can control how salty the soup is at the end.
- seasonings and spices – sea salt and pepper to bring all the flavors together!
- optional toppings – fresh parsley, chives and/or heavy cream or coconut milk.
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
Sauté vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Dice the onions and mince the garlic, then sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant – about 5-7 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients: Add salt, pepper, cauliflower, and water or broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
Puree soup: Once cauliflower is soft, use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree soup into a smooth consistency. Don’t forget to adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Serve: Divide into bowls and top with parsley and/or chives plus a drizzle of heavy cream or coconut milk if you like!
pro tip! When chopping your cauliflower, chop the florets into small pieces all about the same size. They'll be easier to eat and cook faster.
What if I Don’t Have an Immersion Blender?
I prefer to use my immersion blender to smooth this soup, leaving some chunks for texture. That said, if you don’t have an immersion blender there are a few alternative methods you can use to smooth your soup.
- Potato masher: This option is great if you prefer more of a chunky texture. Once your cauliflower is fork-tender use a potato masher to mash some of the cauliflower until you reach your desired texture.
- High powdered blender: This option is great if you prefer a completely smooth soup! If you’re using a blender, just blend in batches, making sure to not fill your blender past the maximum fill line and be extra careful because the soup will be hot! You can still achieve a chunky soup with a blender. Just add about half of the soup to your blender and blend until smooth, leaving the rest of the soup as is.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want more flavor in your soup, you can easily add in some spices like paprika, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, etc. A splash of fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs like chives, green onions or thyme will also add great flavor to your soup!
If you’d like to thicken your cauliflower soup you can add some arrowroot powder, corn starch or flour. To do this, you can make a roux with 1 part thickening agent to 2 parts liquid. I don’t recommend adding the thickener straight to the soup because it will clump up.
One serving of cauliflower soup has 4 grams of protein.
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not! This soup should freeze well if stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
How to Serve
Here’s where it gets fun! Get creative with your toppings or set out a little topping bar for people to build their own bowls of soup. Here are some topping ideas:
- shredded cheddar cheese – vegan if needed
- “bacon” bits – coconut bacon or tempeh bacon would be perfect!
- herbs – chopped green onions, chives, parsley
- croutons
- roasted chickpeas
- heavy cream or coconut milk
- spices – cracked pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder
This soup could be a meal on its own or it would be delicious served with toasted sourdough bread, crunchy almond flour crackers or even a side salad like this simple kale salad.
How to Store Leftovers
As I mentioned earlier, this soup is a great meal prep recipe. I like to make a batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy it for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week. Allow the soup to cool slightly and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Popular Soup Recipes to Try
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Potato Soup
- Mushroom Barley Soup
More Recipes With Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Cheesy Cauliflower Nachos
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Kung Pao Tofu with Roasted Cauliflower
- Healthy Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Curry Roasted Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Gratin
Be sure to check out all the cauliflower recipes as well all of the soup recipes on EBF!
Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into large chunks
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups water vegetable, or chicken stock (plus more, as needed)
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- ¼ cup fresh parsley and or chives chopped for garnish
- Heavy cream or coconut milk for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to the pot and saute about 5-7 minutes, until onions begin to soften and become translucent.
- Add salt, pepper, cauliflower and water or broth to pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- Once cauliflower is soft, use an immersion blender to puree soup to a smooth consistency. If you do not have an immersion blender you can transfer the soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water or broth as needed to reach your desired consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly ground black pepper, parsley and/or chives, and a drizzle of heavy cream (use 1-2 Tablespoons per serving) if desired.
Notes
- Vegan option: If you’re looking to make this soup vegan just be sure to use vegetable broth or water and skip the heavy cream or use coconut milk as a substitution.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Had a cauliflower head in the fridge that I needed to use and this recipe hit my inbox in the am and made the dish for lunch…. Amazing!!! So simple so comforting so delicious!!!
Yay! I am so glad to hear that, Elaine! Thanks for trying this recipe and coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it so much!
I made this for the first time today and it’s a hit with my whole family! My 9 year old said it tastes similar to Panera potato soup! We added bacon bits too
Woo! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit for you, Katie! Thanks for making it and coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Could your recommend something I could use for seasoning besides the onion and garlic, as I’m allergic to both. Its hard to flavor soups without. This sounds yummy.
Hi, Kathy. A mix of carrot and celery could be a good sub for the onions and garlic. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
excellent post thank you for sharing
This soup is amazing! I made it as written and added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. The resulting soup was not spicy but definitely had a spice taste that I loved! I didn’t add cream or coconut milk, but I’m sure they would be awesome additions as well! Will make again!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you loved this recipe, Cheryl. The cayenne pepper sounds like a delicious addition, thanks for sharing and thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
Do you leave the garlic whole in this recipe? Not super important, but I’m wondering.
Hi, Maria. You’ll mince the garlic. I’m sorry that wasn’t clear, I’ve updated the post!
This was very good! The addition of cream at the end tasted very nice.
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe worked out for you, M. Thanks for making it and coming back to leave a review and star rating, I really appreciate it.
The soup is quite good, but somewhat uneventful. I added dried thyme for flavor. Then, decided it needed a little girth, so added grilled chicken chunks and lima beans. After eating it, I decided it really is a “healthy” option to potato soup. So, next time I make it I will add bacon, cheese and chives instead. Glad I tried it and will make it again.
Hi, Keri! Thanks so much for your review, dried thyme sounds like a great addition. It’s definitely similar to healthy potato soup, I bet bacon, cheese and chives would be a perfect topping. Let me know how it turns out for you when you try it again!
Yes , looks delicious <3
Thank you!