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.
I love this recipe! I have made this soup many times and I love it every time! It makes great leftovers too. It is easy to make! Thank you, Rhonda
Oh my, just awesome! Prep hint: take warning to not overfill blender. I lost some precious soup. I would say be conservative and only fill blender half way and start on low speed. You wouldn’t want to lose an ounce of deliciousness!
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
Just wow! I love making soup and have made countless tasty bowls over the years. That said, this recipe may be the best soup I’ve ever made. I still can’t fathom the complexity of the flavors considering the soup’s simplicity. I am headed to the store to buy more cauliflower! Thanks, Kate.
This recipe was awesome! I caramelized the onions and used white wine to deglaze the pan before adding the broth. I also didn’t have nutmeg and used cumin instead. Absolutely divine!
Excellent soup! I love the zing of the lemon juice. I halved the nutmeg, since I’m not found of the flavor. I couldn’t taste it, but it did enhance the flavor.
Excellent
So, I’m not a good cook. Most of things I make are simple, and edible, but not like I can’t stop eating them. This soup, I had to stop myself from downing the whole potful. I didn’t have unsalted butter, so I just used salted butter and didn’t add more salt. Also I had no lemons, I hate nutmeg, and didn’t have any other herbs to add. Nevertheless, it was delicious. I had to write this thank you, because even though I saved some in the freezer, the next day, today, I defrosted it and just ate the rest for breakfast. If I had any friends, I would serve it to them. It’s that good and easy to make.
Hi Kate, dontcha know? Another great recipe for soup, and Cauliflower soup it is!!! I’m wondering, can frozen Cauliflower be used? I’m going outta town and will be freezing a head but I’d love to make this soup when I get back. Thank you for your fantastic recipes.
I love making soups , but I’ve never tried making cauliflower soup before.
Wow this is lovely .
Delicious & filling
Thanks for a lovely recipe.
(I found mine quite thick when I came to blend it so I just put a bit of milk in to thin it out, perfect )
Thank you for this amazing tasting recipe. It’s my first time making this soup. It was a simple, easy to follow recipe.
Excellent soup but any suggestions to add more protein?
Use the cashews instead of butter. And use Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Bone Broth, but this might alter the taste.
I added a container of Silken soft tofu and blended it in. Added a bit more spice (I’m addicted to smoked paprika) and it was delicious.
Thank you ! Great ideas!
I added a cup of uncooked quinoa to the vegetable broth and cooked it while the cauliflower was roasting in the oven. It disappeared when I blended it.
I added some finely chopped leftover chicken. Delicious!
I added a can of chickpeas instead of the butter! I cooked them with the rest of the ingredients instead of adding at the blending step.
Yum! Cauliflower soup is amazing and I like how thick this came out. I love how butter adds to the creaminess. It was a perfect weeknight meal. The roasting takes awhile, but I did other chores while the cauliflower was roasting and the soup came together quickly after that. Another winner from C & K!!!
Made only half the recipe I only had 15 ounces cauliflower came out delicious made it with Vegetable Stock delicious came out delicious will make it again
My whole family raved about this cauliflower soup. Even the grandkids ate every drop.
I served it with cracked pepper, crispy garlic mushroom slices and chives. 5/5!
I forgot the butter and it still turned out very creamy, also crumbled a little Stilton on the top when serving, it was delicious.
I had a head of cauliflower in my refrigerator and wanted to try something nothing different. I tried your cauliflower soup recipe. It looked healthy, low calorie and no cream. It came out beautifully! It is delicious. I would recommend this recipe to everyone!
What do u think the calorie count is with the 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil in it? I that’s the only fat that is in there.
I was looking for an easy recipe to make cauliflower and leek soup as I needed to use them up. This was delicious I also cooked the vegetables in my airfryer for a quicker meal.
This soup is wonderful! I’ve made it twice and everyone in the family loves it. Both times I made it with croutons from GF sourdough bread- delicious!
I LOVE this soup and will never make cauliflower soup any other way. I roasted and froze 12 heads of cauliflower last fall, just to make this soup.
Absolutely delicious and easy peasy to make. It’s a keeper for me.
Have made this cauliflower soup twice now and it’s delicious, very creamy. So pleased I found this recipe
Can I use an immersion blender?
I just made it and used an immersion blender and it worked perfectly!
This was terrific. I’m not a huge fan of cauliflower, but this soups was very delicious. Thank you for a great recipe.
Easy to make and great flavor. I will be making this soup often.
The absolute best cauliflower soup I’ve made or tasted. Simple ingredients but WOW!
Love this soup on a cold winer’s day! It’s easy, healthy AND delish! I’m a repeat maker. Thank you!
Turned out great.
I tweaked the recipe a little. I added a little paprika to it. I used an immersion blender.
Just made this soup. Stuck to the recipe exactly and it turned out great. Thanks, I will certainly be making it again.
Yes, I have used frozen. It’s not as good as fresh but still great in a pinch.
Fabulous soup. I roasted the cauliflower then put it and the rest of the ingredients in my soup maker. I didn’t put the butter in as we are slimming. It was creamy and gorgeous. I will definitely be making this often.
This is our favourite soup recipe hands down! We crave it and have to hold ourselves back from eating it all at once. So creamy and delicious. I put a bit more garlic in- 4 cloves- and let them roast while in with the cauliflower. Then they get blended in when I add the tray of roast cauliflower to the soup stock.
Delicious soup! So fabulous. I ended up using sweet onions and caramelized them first on the stove top. Added to the roasted cauliflower and proceeded with your recipe. I loved the roasted cauliflower and sweet onion combo. I made parmesan cheese crisps to go with the soup. It turned out great. Thank you for a fantastic recipe. I will look into more of your soups! Happy New Year.
This turned out very good. I roasted the cauliflower, onion and garlic plus threw in one carrot as someone mentioned in the comments. I didn’t have red onion on hand, but white worked. Used an immersion blender. Used 1/2 chicken and 1/2 veggie broth (Better than Bouillon) Topped with roasted chickpeas that I seasoned with zatar, salt, pepper and olive oil. Will definitely make again.
I got some cauliflower on sale last weekend and needed to use it up. I found this recipe and couldn’t be happier. Made it just as written. Delicious and so comforting on a cold night. Thank you!
This is delicious. I doubled the recipe and instead of the onions, I used three leeks, a fennel bulb and a carrot I needed to use up. For a boost of protein, I added a can of white beans. For extra tang, I added a tablespoon of Dijon mustard in the blender and topped with lemon, nutmeg, fresh parsley, dill, and mint. Stellar flavours, and fun to play with!
Kate does it again! We’ve made this soup every week for the past month.
I omit the nutmeg just because I’m not a fan and I add a little thyme instead.
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe :)
So good! My favorite new soup and it’s filling too!
Wow, delicious!
And it’s true that the regular blender makes it creamier than the immersion blender.
Thank you for this “keeper!”
Delicious! Simple & absolutely gourmet!
Made it with chicken broth and it turned out great. It’s a keeper! Delicious!
I will try today , But what makes this soup have 18 carbs is it the cauliflower ???
trying to keep it low carb
Thanx
I made this recipe today I used the whole cauliflower the core the leaves everything
It came out so delicious I was really surprised how good it was
I will definitely make this again
Such an easy and delicious recipe
Thanks do much
Love this soup. I’ve made it a lot, but….I do use my homemade turkey stock or bone broth (turkey) adds a very rich flavour.
Absolutely delicious!! This soup rates a full 5 stars. It’s quick and easy to make, and the flavour is amazing! Thank you for your recipes, they never disappoint.
Made the soup per recipe, tasted it, and it was delicious! After, made a few additions that worked great: topped with green onion as suggested, added cayenne bc I love spice, and also topped with some sautéed mushrooms to make sure it would be filling (mushrooms were delicious in it and I’d do them again, but the soup is filling on its own). I had 2 thoughts while I was eating this: first, this would be incredible topped with browned bacon; second, the texture of this is so thick, it would make an incredible puree. I kept thinking of it smeared on a plate with seared scallops on top and some acid and basil oil. Long winded way of saying this is a delicious and hearty soup, with so many possible twists!
Oh my word…this is delicious…creamy, comforting, satiating, and healthy all combined into one mug. Because of my daughter’s helping me transition from the SAD foods to a new and healthy lifestyle of wholefood plant based food plan 5 years ago, I’m continually on the lookout for yet more delicious recipes. A friend shared this recipe and your website two days ago, and if this soup is any indication of your other recipes, I’m confident that they’ll be winners as well. We did use the cashews instead of butter. Gratefully, Kathie
This soup was easy to make a delicious to eat. My husband loved the flavor and added it our must make again list.
Got this recipe from my SIL and LOVED it. Made pretty much as is, using 1kg frozen cauliflower! I reduced the nutmeg to a pinch, and it was perfect for me. Thanks! Will be making this again!
I made this today. We both loved it. I used black pepper instead of nutmeg and an emulsion blender. Served it w cheese and crackers.
So delicious and creamy! My husband loved it! Will definitely make this again! Yum!
This soup is DE-licious. I roasted the cauliflower in the pot with olive oil, then added the onions and did the rest as suggested (didn’t want to make a pan and a pot dirty :) … and I can’t imagine it being more delicious out of the oven. Make it!!!
Delicious! Had frozen cauliflower that needed to be used so I didn’t roast it and it turned out great. I don’t have a blender so used an immersion blender and it got nice and smooth.
This soup is very good and pretty easy to make. I used Chicken stock because that’s all I had. I also substituted cumin for the nutmeg and added some cream and little extra lemon. Yummy.
This is absolutely my go-to recipe for soup now! It is extraordinarily tasty. I’ve made it twice – most recently a double batch. Maybe a slight unintentional modification: I allowed the cauliflower to get slightly more charred than is shown in the photo – or maybe my oven (gas) allowed that to happen as I followed the recipe to the letter. I found it might have heighted the flavour? Thank you so much! The only thing I would like to have seen are the nutritional values, only because I have to do some math to enter the recipe into my keto app!
I’ve made this three times now and it turns out so delicious every time! I look forward the having the leftovers throughout the week. Thanks for another great recipe!
Enjoyed this smooth soup. Your secret ingredients were nice touch.
The lack of heavy cream in my refrigerator was what sent me searching and so glad I found this as I do always have these ingredients on hand.
Thanks for a great soup to add to my choices.