Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup recipe is the BEST! Roasted cauliflower makes it taste amazing, and a little butter (instead of cream) makes it luxuriously creamy.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 1, 2024
Behold! Lusciously creamy, yet cream-less, cauliflower soup. This cauliflower soup recipe will absolutely satisfy your craving for warm, creamy soup—no cheese required.
I know “cauliflower soup” might not sound super appealing if you’ve never had it before. Trust me, it can be so delicious! Today, I’m sharing my favorite cauliflower soup recipe, and I can’t wait for you to make it at home.
My friend Tessa introduced me to cauliflower soup a few years ago. I loved it so much that I developed my own recipe for my cookbook, Love Real Food.
As the temps and leaves have dropped this fall, I’ve had a hankering for warm, creamy soups. So, I thought I’d share a slightly simplified version of my cauliflower soup for everyone to enjoy. Let’s make some!
Why You’ll Love This Cauliflower Soup
This soup calls for basic ingredients but yields amazing flavor. If you have a head of cauliflower in the fridge, you probably have everything else you’ll need.
This cauliflower soup is the perfect accompaniment to salads and sandwiches. This traditional cauliflower soup will go with just about any other fall or winter flavors, including butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and greens like arugula and kale. It’ll warm you up without weighing you down!
This soup freezes well for later. This recipe doesn’t yield a ton (about 4 medium bowls), but if you have extra, just freeze it!
This creamy soup is special diet-friendly. It’s gluten free as written. Check my recipe notes to learn how to make this soup vegan/dairy free by using cashews instead of butter.
How to Make the Best Cauliflower Soup
1) Roast Your Cauliflower
Behind that creamy beige exterior, you’ll find loads of irresistible roasted cauliflower flavor. Roasted cauliflower is key here—cauliflower develops caramelized notes with a greater depth of flavor as it roasts in the oven.
2) Build Flavor
Once your roasted cauliflower is almost done, you’ll sauté onions in a soup pot until tender, then add garlic and vegetable broth. Then, add your roasted cauliflower and simmer the mixture on the stove for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
3) Add Butter for Creaminess
You’ll transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and add butter. Butter is an easy way to add mega creamy, luxurious flavor and texture without any cream (I borrowed this technique from my butternut squash soup). If you’re like me, you always have butter in the fridge, but rarely heavy cream!
4) Blend Until Completely Smooth
I recommend blending this soup in a stand blender, rather than an immersion blender, because stand blenders yield the creamiest results. Fortunately, the ingredients used here are fairly soft, so even an inexpensive stand blender should work well (I used my fancy Vitamix, affiliate link). The final texture, in my opinion, is absolutely worth dirtying the blender bowl for.
5) Season with Nutmeg and Lemon Juice
We’re using small, subtle amounts of nutmeg and lemon juice here. You probably won’t be able to pinpoint them while you’re sipping your soup, but they offer a certain je ne sais quoi factor. They take this soup from great to fantastic!
6) Sprinkle Something Fresh on Top
I tried garnishing my soup with fresh parsley, green onion and chives. I loved them all and couldn’t pick a favorite, so use whichever you have on hand!
Watch How to Make Cauliflower Soup
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I really love hearing from you.
Having a moment with cauliflower? Here are some more of my favorite cauliflower recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Roasted Cauliflower (Four Ways!)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
- Lemony Roasted Cauliflower Risotto
- Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks with Marinara
- Roasted Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Feta and Avocado
Craving more soups? Don’t miss the other eight soup recipes in Love Real Food! You’ll also find quite a few more soups here on the blog.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup recipe is the best! Roasted cauliflower makes it taste amazing, and a little butter (instead of cream) makes it luxuriously creamy. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Fine sea salt
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more if needed
- Scant ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- For garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If desired, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- On the baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly and evenly coated in oil. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized on the edges, 25 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Once the cauliflower is almost done, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the broth.
- Reserve 4 of the prettiest roasted cauliflower florets for garnish. Then transfer the remaining cauliflower to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
- Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, working in batches if necessary. (Do not fill past the maximum fill line or the soup could overflow!)
- Add the butter and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and nutmeg and blend again. Add additional salt, to taste (I usually add another ¼ to ¾ teaspoon, depending on the broth). This soup tastes amazing once it’s properly salted! You can also a little more lemon juice, if it needs more zing. Blend again.
- Top individual bowls of soup with 1 roasted cauliflower floret and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, green onion and/or chives. This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Use cashews instead of butter. Soak ¼ cup cashews for 4 hours, then drain and rinse them (if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can skip this). Add the cashews when you would add the butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is the 3rd recipe I’ve made and loved from your site in recent weeks so I had to comment to say thank you! This soup was really delicious and the texture just perfect. My kids loved it after school on a rainy autumn day!
Made it last night, must have let it simmer too long IDK I ended up with something like a thick (Delicious) sauce. I thinned it with milk, then I read about the medical community petitioning the FDA to put warnings on dairy products to make people aware that dairy is linked to breast cancer and I thought there are so many milk substitutes, but are there any for butter?
Anyways I will make this again!!!
Great recipe! So fall!! The whole house smelled amazing!
Thanks!!!
Hi Jasmine, I’m not sure about that research. However, you can omit if you like.
We got 2 lovely cauliflowers in our CSA box–just the right amount to make this wonderful soup! I didn’t change anything in the recipe. My husband and I both loved this soup and are looking forward to having it again.
We got 2 lovely heads of cauliflower in our CSA box–just the right amount to make this soup. I didn’t change a thing in the recipe. My husband and I both loved it and are looking forward to having it again.
I just made it! I weighed my cauliflower to be sure I had the 2 lbs. It made it according to the recipe but I felt it wasn’t very creamy. I added about 3/4 a cup of heavy cream to the final product. It is amazing.
Absolutely delicious! This was easy to make and I kept it vegan by adding vegan butter instead of regular (super creamy and so good). I will definitely be making this again soon. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
You’re welcome, Jennifer!
I usually LOVE your recipes, but the stock in this one overwhelmed the soup. If I made again I would probably use 2 cups stock and 2 cups water to achieve more cauliflower taste.
I usually LOVE your recipes, but the stock in this one overwhelmed the soup. If I made again I would probably use 2 cups stock and 2-3 cups water to achieve more cauliflower taste and thinner soup.
Delicious, velvety smooth and no cream!
The flavor on this was lacking for our family. Followed the recipe exactly. I made a lot so will try adding some tempeh bacon or vegan cheese to see if that helps.
This is delicious! Only changes I made was to eliminate the oil and butter. No oil substitue, just baked them dry. Didn’t have cashews prepared, so added a splash of plant based creamer. Excellent!
I’m happy you were able to make it work for you, Betty! Thanks for your review.
yum! made a double batch, left out the nutmeg because not a fan. instead of butter used my new favorite thing found at Trader Joe’s (available elsewhere for more $), Miyokos cultured vegan butter made from plants (cashews & coconut). Super yum. Non vegan hubby couldn’t keep his hands off this soup. So rich & creamy.
I enjoyed garnishing the top with the parsley + plenty of cracked black pepper & minced celery greens too to give it a little edgy offset & freshen it up.
This is like warm hearty ice cream. Earth candy!
would certainly serve to guests.
So good! Made a couple of subs based on what I had on hand:chicken broth and rice vinegar. Nice and hearty!
My husband and I loved this. Great for the fall bounty of cauliflower and rainy days. I used shallots rather than red onion (didn’t have one of those).
Yes, I agree! Great soup for a dreary day. Thanks for your review, Mary!
I made this!!! Perfect ratios of all ingredients, and delicious! My toddler loves it! Will make it again soon! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Marissa!
Made it yesterday and it was amazing! I just used an immersion blender because I was too lazy to pour it into a blender, but it still came out amazing! It helped to pour the soup from the pot into a narrower container and then blend it within.
Thank you for sharing, Grace!
The soup is very hearty and with a salad it’s a complete meal. The seasonings are just right! It is delicious and easy to prepare.
This is such a comforting recipe!
Very easy and straightforward.
I added some cinnamon and ground cloves.
Absolutely delicious!
Dear Cookie and Kate; Yesterday I went to get organic cauliflower and they were out. So, today, I roasted double the broccoli and steamed the stalks and leaves. I roasted carrots and onions. I sauted garlic. I microplaned nutmeg and ginger. After blending in my vitamix and adding extra nutmeg and ginger I could have eaten the whole pot. Oh, how I love this recipe! Thank you so much. PS. I loved seeing the picture of Cookie with her stalk of broccoli on the Better Broccoli Casserole Recipe page. I cook with Henry the cattle dog and he eats kale stalks, romaine lettuce, carrots, apples and ……….<3
Just made this for lunch. I didn’t have a purple onion so I used white and it was excellent.
This soup was so flavorful and creamy. Used chicken broth and added a bit extra water to thin out the soup.
This turned out great! Nice and creamy. Delicious! I did add some turmeric and cumin to the cauliflower before roasting. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Debbie! Thanks for your review.
Just made this soup this morning… was easy to make, smells amazing (I roasted the garlic a bit also), and tastes pretty darn good!
Just nade this soup! It ridiculously, lip snacking good!! My 12 year old lapped it up too. Thank you for sharing it.
Fantastic, Marie! Thanks for your review.
A little too salty, perhaps lower salt broth would be better also I think one garlic clove would be better or perhaps 2 but roast them with the cauliflower first. That said, it still is delicious and I will make again but with the adjustments I’ve mentioned. Really creamy taste with no cream!
I’m going to make this soup but I would really like to know the calorie and carb content please.
Hi Jane! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. Click to expand and ensure you allow cookies in your browser.
This was my first attempt at this kind of soup. I just got an immersion blender and this was the perfect way to try it out! I added cooked chicken, and roasted leeks AND sauteed baby red potatoes. I added another 2 cups of broth and after pureeing, I put it all in the crock pot.
The texture was perfect and it was a nice creamy base for a hearty rustic version.
This turned out beautifully. I made the vegan version, using 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds instead of cashews. The soup is creamy and smooth— would be perfect at a dinner party.
Great to hear!
Instead of butter or nuts, I use split red lentils to thicken and add a velvety texture to soups such as roasted butternut soup. This helps reduce fat and adds a bit or protein.
Add at same as cauliflower and cook for 15 to 20 min until then lentils are soft and mushy.
Best cauliflower ever!No cheese or cream needed. Thanks!
LOVED this. I actually omitted butter and/or cashews (I’m vegan and also currently doing Weight Watchers) and it was still so creamy and delicious, plus so filling. I’m going to try the recipe today using broccoli; will omit the nutmeg. Another winner, thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Susan!
Made this just now, and after I asked her to taste test it for me, my wife headed right to the cupboard for a bowl. Simple and comforting, especially this time of year—and as a bonus, the house smells wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Scott! Happy you loved it.
Hi Kate,
Is there a substitute for the onions?? Onion sensitivity is the issue.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Shaz
First time to make this soup and it was delicious. Made as written. Disappointed I didn’t make a double batch.
Question — can you please quantify about how many cups of cauliflower you should wind up with before you roast it? I wasn’t able to weigh the cauliflower before cutting it up. Thank you!
Hi Margaret, I’m not sure as I went with complete weight. You should have enough cauliflower to cover your baking sheet, like the process picture.
Fantastic soup! I actually added about 3 Tbsp of finely shredded carrots in with the red onion (just to bump up the veggie content a bit) and added 1/2 tsp of curry powder with the nutmeg. I love a hot creamy soup in chilly weather and this fit the bill perfectly!
Thank you for sharing, your variation, Carol!
I have made this 3 times now, its lush!! don’t overdo the lemon
Even my four boys loved this! It will definitely be made again!
Hooray! It’s a keeper. Thanks for sharing, Danielle.
I found this recipe when my mom was recovering from an oral surgery. Wanted somthing smoothe and delicious. It was enjoyed by everyone.Simple ingrediants that are delicious and wholesome. Anyone searching for great creamy recipes on this blog should check out the hummus and the ethiopian tahini advice. YUM
I’m glad you found something that would work for her! Good luck in a speedy recovery!
For vegans ~ can you substitute plant butter for dairy butter in this recipe ~ This cauliflower recipe looks awesome
Thank you.
This is the second time I’ve made this soup in a month. It is so so good. Today I added cooked bacon. I havent used any lemon in it yet. I think it still tastes really good and it has become a staple for Saturday football.
Just made this recipe with “cauliflowerettes” I had in my freezer, so I roasted them 5 minutes longer to get the roasted look of browned bits. I did not have vegetable stock but I had chicken consommé. Added 3 1/2 cups in case it was going to blend too thinly. Came out perfect except my blender top flew off mid blending! Curtains, counter, paper towels, you name it, covered in cauliflower!! Lol Added a bit less lemon than 1 T and that seemed enough. The nutmeg and lemon were yummy additions, the roasting was a great idea. I will make this again, I’m sure! Delicious. Thank you.
Thank you for letting me know! I appreciate your review, Carrie.
Delicious! I made the vegan version with the cashews, I am on whole food plant-based diet and this worked perfectly. Renee
Absolutely excellent.
This soup recipe was delicious! I have never liked other cauliflower soup recipes, but this one is soooooo creamy, I will definitely make it again. Perfect for a cold Canadian winter day. Thank you.
Delicious soup! Portions are very generous, so it make a nice low calorie midday meal!
I’m happy you enjoyed the soup, Elena! I appreciate your comment and review.
Hi Kate!
Thank you for your wonderful recipes, I like the way you cook.
I featured and translated the cauliflower soup on my blog (with link back to you) and I wanted to let you know you can check it out here: https://www.retetele-mele.ro/blog/supe-si-ciorbe/supa-crema-de-conopida-coapta/
Hi Anca! Thanks for sharing you love my soup. Unfortunately, I ask you not repost or recreate my recipe on your site as my content is copyrighted. More on my sharing policy here: https://capital-flux.pro/cookie-and-kates-photo-and-recipe-policy/%3C/a%3E. I appreciate your understanding!
What can i substitute the butter for to make it vegan?
Hi Bella! You could omit if you like.
My husband and I both loved this soup! Creamy and delicious comfort food for a cold Winter night in Montana. Thank you!
I was hesitant on the lemon and nutmeg once I tried the soup without it. But omg this is great lemon nutmeg and all!
Hooray! I’m glad you tried it all, Masa.