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.
would you have the nutritional facts? I’d like to make this but am watching carbs.
Hi Michele! The nutrition information is below the notes section of all recipes. You need to click to expand and then ensure you allow cookies in your browser as this feature is a plug-in. I hope this helps!
Delicious! Light but creamy
Cauliflower soup look wonderful and comforting. Do you make your own vegetable stock? Recipe? Any recommendations for brands I can buy at local grocery store? I’m making this recipe for Sunday dinner with friends!
Best,
Briana
I made this last weekend and it was really good! It was very thick, so almost like puree, as opposed to soup. However, the flavor was wonderful and the breadcrumbs were perfect with it. I may have had it a bit above a simmer, so the broth probably reduced down more than I prefer. I’ll definitely make it again, but next time I might add a wee bit more veggie broth.
Tastes lovely, velvety cauliflower. Maybe I roasted my cauli for too long? but rather than a buttery yellow, it was beige, pale brown, so didn’t look quite as appetizing!
Great recipe. I always sprinkle turmeric over my cauliflower when roasting, give a great clour, not to mention the health benefits
I made this soup with all fresh ingredients I had bought that day, however I froze it and it’s gone bright green :/ can anyone help? X
Oh No! Bright green? That doesn’t seem right. There isn’t anything in this that should turn it green.
Wonderful! So rich you’ll think it has cream in it, but no. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Ora!
I making some now. This is my 3rd time making this soup. I can’t get enough.
I love hearing that, Nancy! Thank you for your review.
Bought a cauliflower for 10p in the shop today so made this in desperation as wasn’t sure what to do with my bargain cauliflower – amazed at how completely delicious it was. Delighted and surprised. Will actively buy full priced cauliflower next time!!
I’m glad you found this recipe and you loved it! I appreciate your review, Sarah.
Hi Kate,
I prepared a vegan version of your roasted cauliflower soup last night,(with a few cashews, cooked for 4 minutes with the rest of the ingredients in the Instant Pot). Brilliant! I am a long time fan of your blog. I trust the integrity of your ingredient combinations, proportions, preparation, and instructions. I purchased your cookbook and am enjoying that as well. It was through your healthy granola recipe that I originally discovered your work. Thank you so much for all that you do!
Thank you, Karen! Means so much that you trust my recipes. I work hard so that is the case!
Hi,
I am really keen to try this soup however I am allergic to lemon and lime. Would Apple cider vinegar work instead. I find that is usually a good substitute.
Thank you.
Hi Jill! That could work. Or, you could omit altogether.
I made this the other day. It’s soooo goood!! Really easy to make and the texture is fantastic! All I have is an immersion blender which worked fine. If I ever get a stand blender I’ll have to make this again with it. Thanks for sharing this!
You’re welcome, Nicole!
Thank you this is delicious and started my obsession with roasted cauliflower!
I ended up throwing it away. It was truly disgusting. I followed the recipe to a T. What I ended up with was an awful beige-y grey soup with the texture of diluted glue. My house reeked of cauliflower for a day or two. Thank goodness for the holiday scented candles.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this one, Lisa. I appreciate your feedback.
So good, and so comforting on a cold winter day! (Also, totally worth pulling out the blender, for sure) I hate nutmeg, so substituted Hungarian hot paprika and it was fantastic. Definitely going on the regular menu rotation. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thank you for trying it and letting me know what you thought.
I added turmeric also. I couldn’t quite understand why the garlic wasn’t roasted so I did that as well. Good winter soup. Thanks for the recipe!
If I don’t have lemon on hand or lime, can I use orange?
Excellent – complex, rich flavour, it really does taste like “fine dining” as another commenter put it.
Thank you for your rave review, Samantha!
I made this tonight. I think I slightly over-roasted & over-simmered. I also didn’t have any ground nutmeg or butter (forgot the cashews), or anything to top it with e.g. green onions, chives, parsley… but it was STILL nice!! I’m going to try it again closer to the recipe and leave a rating then :)
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Can you freeze this soup?
Yes! This soup freezes well, Kathy.
Made this with my Ninja Foodi and roasted the garlic, as well, as the cauliflower in 20 minutes. Garnished with black pepper and hint of Tabasco. Yum! Even my husband and 11YO loved it! Easy to make, simple ingredients, and punch-a-pact flavor. This is a keeper.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you enjoyed it and that is was a hit with your family.
Quite good! Some of Kate’s recipes will basically change your life with their incredible-ness, and I didn’t experience this to be quite up to that usual (mind-blowing) standard, but still very good. I’d make it again, and maybe include a bit of heat this time – maybe some paprika?
I made this soup today and it was sooooo incredibly good that I sent the recipe to my sisters and nieces. The only change I made was I added a couple of dashes of caynne. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome!
What is the difference between using red onions and sweet or regular onions in these dishes. See it is changed for cauliflower. Why?
Thanks, Love the recipes, will let you know about these. Martha
Hi Martha, it is about the flavor combinations as there are variations. I hope this helps!
Thanks great taste full of flavor used the instant pot about 7 minutes almost bed can’t wait for lunch
Love this creamy roasted cauliflower soup and so easy to make. I roasted my head of cauliflower whole because it was easier to cut up after it was cooked.
Hi, Kate! This soup is another winner. Very yummy and nourishing and clean tasting. I echo everyone else who said the lemon takes it from good to great. Note re: substituting chicken broth- I did so, b/c it’s what I had on hand, and my husband felt that it detracted significantly from the recipe. It made it a 3.5/4 star for him because he said it tasted meaty, and he prefers that vegetable soup taste vegetable-y. Just in case that’s useful to anyone. :)
Thank you! I appreciate you sharing.
This is so simple and tastes luxurious! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lena!
Mmm! Was a big hit!!
Was wondering would it work if I put cheese in? Or would it curdle
(Love your dog by the way)
Hi Asher! I love this as is. You could possibly try topping each serving with cheese?
Blown away by this super easy soup! So so good. You nailed it with the recipe. I followed it to a T and it’s perfect!
Thank you, Cameron!
This soup is really amazing! I added cream just because :) But I will definitely add this recipe to my favorites!
I’ve made this cauliflower soup 3 x’s in the last month and it is DELICIOUS! I’m making the roasted butternut one next. Also you’re blog is fantastic Kate!
Thank you, Mary!
This recipe turned out so delicious! I can’t believe how good it is. So easy, too (which is a big factor for me). I will make this again and again. Another fantastic way to make cauli. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I am in love with this recipe! It’s my easy go to soup recipe! I even wrote it down in my recipe box as a forever keeper. Great job!
Thank you, Steff!
This soup is delicious and was easy to make. A blend of comfort with sophistication. Definitely a go-to recipe in the future. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Julia!
Hi Kate,
So glad I found your website the other night whilst looking for recipes to use the remaining cauliflour I had left.
I’d attempted to make soup before but it wasn’t great however your recipe for making the soup after roasting the cauliflour is so tasty. Will definitely make it again & now looking forward to trying more of your recipes!!
Thanks,
Chris
Kate, I made this amazing soup, made a couple of changes to it, however fantastic, my question to you is did you happen to put a drop or two of yellow or orange food coloring,my cauliflower looked more roasted than yours which was amazing however the color was quite dull, or did you put a dash of turmeric please let me know
Hi Tere! I didn’t add any coloring to this. It could be a variance in the vegetable broth. Also, if you made changes, that could be part of it.
Lovely, easy recipe. I had half a cauliflower left so used left over kale to bulk it out. It was pretty good, but think it would be even better with just cauliflower. W
I’ll definitely try again with just cauliflower, the butter trick was brilliant!
Thanks for sharing your variation, Kerry!
This looks awesome, I am not vegan and will make it today but will sprinkle crumbled cooked bacon on top and will possibly try adding a few tbsp of cream cheese.
I’ve made this a few times and started substituting it for cream sauce. Just used it for fettuccini Alfredo. It tasted just as good as what we had at Alfredo’s in Rome. My wife wouldn’t believe that it wasn’t made from heavy cream. It’s delicious.
Thanks for your review, Terry!
I made this and added a cup of shredded Gouda and some precooked shrimp at the end. It’s absolutely amazing. My daughter, who doesn’t like cauliflower, tasted it and said,”You didn’t make enough.”
Delicious!!! Made this yesterday. Will enjoy with some garlic bread. Thank you for another great recipe.
SO tasty!! Super creamy and full o flavor. Thank you!
I seriously cannot believe how good this soup was. I’ll be honest, I was dubious about roasting a whole cauliflower and then sacrificing it to the blender, especially when your kale, cauliflower & toasted almond spaghetti is so dear to me, but it was totally worth it. You are truly the soup queen- if you made a whole book of just soup recipes I would buy one for me and everyone I know.
Excellent flavor!!! I need 15 stars to rate this soup.
It actually is a lifesaver for me. My husband’s potassium levels are dangerously high and almost every one of my standard diabetic friendly recipes are now off limits. This recipe is the first “That’s delicious!” since he saw his doctor.
Loved this. I added some turmeric, doubled the garlic and added a few shakes of cayenne at the end. Very easy and quick. I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for the recipe!! So good. I’m on a very strict no fat, no dairy, no sugar diet and found this soup on a now cream veg soup search. We’ve made it three or four times now and just love it. Have friends coming for dinner tonight and can’t wait to serve it.
We omit the butter (the diet), add lots of pepper, half the nutmeg, and then serve it with chunks of pan-fried chicken breast. So tasty. I didn’t think my husband was going to like it because of the nutmeg but he does!
I look forward to making some of your other recipes now!
The stock turned the soup from white to brownish. Not as appetizing, but still delicious!
So, really good, added some white wine and used creme fraiche, chopped chives and toasted pepitas to garnish, the roasting is really nice, I used to simmer mine…kudos on getting a stunning picture of a cream soup, Rock on. ☝️