Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy, vegan cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with Thai curry paste. This healthy, comforting soup recipe is perfect for chilly days.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 14, 2024
Did you survive Thanksgiving? Good. Me too, barely. While in Oklahoma, I ate German chocolate cake for breakfast (more than once), overdosed on queso (entirely necessary) and cheered on the karaoke singers in a smoky Oklahoma City dive bar. Now itโs Monday, which means itโs time to get back into the swing of things. Iโm going to need another cup of coffee for this.
Which reminds me: Iโm out of half and half for my coffee. Iโm also out of fresh greens and produce, so my lunch options are looking bleak.
I really wish I had more of this Thai-spiced, roasted cauliflower and coconut milk soup. Itโs a fun, dairy-free spin on classic cauliflower soup that is loaded with good-for-you vegetables and spices. Itโs exactly what my body needs after all that chocolate and cheese.
I made this soup with the help of some beautiful wooden tools from my sponsor over there in the sidebar, Earlywood Designs. The rock-solid ironwood cutting board, jatoba ladle and maple sautรฉ stickโall Earlywood. All handcrafted by Brad in Red Lodge, Montana. They are gorgeous heirloom pieces that I look forward to cooking with for the rest of my life, and Iโm happy to have the chance to promote a sustainable small business.
A note on cauliflower. Even if you are not a big fan, I beg you to try roasted cauliflower. I still donโt love raw or steamed cauliflower (Iโm a broccoli girl) but I absolutely love roasted cauliflower. Roasted cauliflower with a little bit of salt is, like, French fry good. Totally irresistible. And when you blend it up in a soup, it just makes the soup more creamy and hearty. Try it!
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy, vegan cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with Thai curry paste. This healthy, comforting soup recipe is perfect for chilly days. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large head of cauliflower (2 to 3 pounds), broken into small florets
- Up to 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste* (depending on the brand and your preferred spice level)
- ยฝ teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: ยฝ cup unoaked white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)**
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
- 1 to 3 teaspoons rice vinegar, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Optional garnishes: ยผ cup chopped green onions or chives, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (preferably Thai), or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower with enough oil to lightly coat it (up to 3 tablespoons). Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes.
- Wait until the cauliflower is done before starting the soup (this is a good time to prep the remaining ingredients). In a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is turning translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the curry paste and lemon zest and stir to incorporate. If youโre using the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, pour it in, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add half of the cauliflower florets and all of the stems to the pot. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering for 5 to 10 more minutes to meld the flavors, reducing the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Let the soup cool for a few minutes. For the creamiest results, transfer the soup in small batches to a blender, blending until each batch is smooth. (Donโt fill your blender past the maximum fill line; beware of the steam escaping from the lid.) Or, use an immersion blender and blend well.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup needs more acidity, stir in 1 to 2 additional teaspoons of vinegar (it will taste fantastic once youโve added enough). Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each with ยผ of the cauliflower florets and a sprinkle of green onions, basil, and pepper flakes (if using). Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Adapted from The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook.
*Thai red curry paste: I used Thai Kitchenโs red curry paste for this soup, which is vegetarian (some other Thai curry pastes contain shrimp). Itโs pretty readily available in grocery stores these days and shouldnโt cost more than a few dollars. Look for it in the Asian food section, near the coconut milk.
2025 recipe edits: I revisited this recipe and made a few edits/notes. I omitted the sugar, increased the broth, verified that the soup is great without the wine, and tweaked the roasting time.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Earlywood Designs. Opinions are my own, always.
I made this last night and it was AMAZING. It didnโt make quite as much as I expected (I think that might have been more of a statement about my appetite at the timeโฆ), but it was super flavorful and delicious. We actually ended up making your cranberry pear crisp after dinner as a treat, too! So good.
Thanks for posting all of these wonderful recipes. You truly are my โgo-toโ for reasonably uncomplicated and delicious vegetarian food.
Gwyn, Iโm so glad you enjoyed the cauliflower soup AND the cranberry pear crisp! Thank you for your encouraging words about my recipes, they really brightened my day.
Roasted cauliflower is definitely one of my favorite preparations! This soup sounds unbelievable, too!
I made this last night for dinner, it is delicious!!! And leftovers for lunch, canโt wait!
Thanks, Emily! Iโm so glad you enjoyed the cauliflower soup!
Iโm thinking of making this for a family gathering, but would like to make it the night before so I donโt have to cook while trying to entertain. Do you think I would sacrifice any of the taste or quality?
Hi Kara, I think you could definitely make the soup the night before with great results. I really enjoyed the leftovers! After you reheat the soup, you might add a splash of lemon juice if the flavor needs to be brightened up a bit, but I think itโll be good as is.
Thanks Kate! Canโt wait to try it out tonight.
Hi Kate, I want to make this for our family Christmas gathering but there will be probably 12 of us. Am I insane? Do you have any tips for sizing up the soup? Will putting all that through the blender make me want to cry or will it be worth it? :) Thanks!
Laura, Iโm so sorry. Your comment slipped by me. I hope your Christmas dinner turned out wonderfully.
Saw this recipe on Pinterest. Just finished cooking & itโs delicious.
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Nikki. Thank you for commenting, and Iโm sorry I didnโt respond sooner!
Amazing. I added roasted kabocha and garlic and subbed honey and balsamic vinegar dot the sugar and rice vinegar. Worked great! Thanks for hooking me on roasted cauliflower!
Sarah, Iโm so glad you enjoyed the soup! Iโd like to try your version with kabocha.
Love cauliflowerโฆso this is already a winning recipe for me, but I donโt use wineโฆ.so I imagine some type of broth would work well as a substitute.
DELISH! Loved the fresh flavor with the lemon zest and red curry. This is going in the rotation for sure. I doubled the recipe and used 3 total tablespoons of the curry paste. The spice was there and added a nice flavor, but it wasnโt overly spicy. I also was very pleasantly surprised that the lite coconut milk made this a pretty healthy dish!
Thanks, Kylee! Really glad to hear that you enjoyed the soup so much.
This. Is. Fantastic! How can a soup like this taste so guilty/indulgent!? This is lick the spoon and burn your mouth so good. The lemon really brightens it up. I never used curry paste (only powder) and youโve converted me. I have allergies to msg and other enhancers so I stayed away; however, the one I used didnโt have it. Canโt wait to try more of your recipes.
Thank you for commenting, Shannon! Curry paste is delightful and the Thai Kitchen brand doesnโt have any terrible ingredients in it. My mom is sensitive to MSG, too, so I avoid ingredients that contain it!
Iโve made this three times already for company and every single time it has been a hit. The complexity of flavor is amazing. I have a feeling that this will become one of my default dishes!
Tanya, thank you for commenting! Iโm so glad you and your company have enjoyed the soup!
I love your recipes and have made this soup twice now already! Once for myself and once for my boyfriend whoโs in medical school and was in need of healthy comfort food. I am planning to make it again soon โ do you think it would freeze well?
Kelly, please forgive my slow response! I think the soup will freeze well. Iโd probably just mix in all of the roasted cauliflower instead of reserving it as a garnish.
I made this last night and I love it! I couldnโt find red curry paste at my grocery store so I used green instead (about 1.5 TBSP) and it turned out great! I also didnโt add the 1/2 TSP of sugar since I felt the onion/coconut milk brought a sweetness to the soup already. This recipe will definitely go in the repertoire!
thanks!
Thank you, Laura! Now Iโm eager to try the soup with green curry paste. I bet it turns the soup a fun green color.
This soup is absolutely amazing! I havenโt really used cauliflower till now but it is definitely welcome from now on :) I didnโt put wine or sugar into the soup and turned out to be delicious btw. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks, Dorina! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
This is PHENOMENAL! I just threw out my other vegan cream of cauliflower soup recipes โ this is the only one I need! The color is gorgeous, sort of like a lobster or shrimp bisque. If youโre not familiar with Thai Red Curry Paste, start with the lesser amount. 2 Tb. gives a pleasant โcatchโ in the back of your throat. If you really donโt like spicy heat, try just 1 Tb. You can always add a little more and simmer another 5 minutes before pureeing.
Pat, thank you! Delighted to hear that you enjoy the soup so much!
Iโm running out to buy a cauliflower just to try this recipe tonight. This is a must share!
Hope you loved the recipe, Maggie!
Sounds good. Could chicken bone broth replace the vegetable broth?
I donโt see why not! Iโm a vegetarian so I donโt use chicken broth, but chicken broth and vegetable broth are generally interchangeable.
Iโve already made this soup 3 times and Iโm making it again tonight. Iโm OBSESSED. Itโs my favorite new recipe. I canโt stop!!
xo
maria anne
Thatโs so great! Thanks for letting me know, Maria Anne!
I made this soup tonightโฆ.DELISH!! thanks for the recipe! followed it exact and it is perfectโฆ
Thank you, Carol! So glad you enjoyed the soup!
I didnโt have any red curry paste, so I used the green curry paste I had. It changes the flavor but in a good way.
This soup is delicious exactly as presented! how unusual this is for me not to have to adjust/trim/add, etc. . . .
Yes! Happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup as written. Thank you. :)
Wowsa! This recipe is a keeper. I didnโt bother to puree, I prefer a chunky soup. I also added a handful of fresh spinach that needed to be used, otherwise followed the recipe as is. Fantastic and Iโll definitely make again!
Iโm so glad you enjoyed the soup, Jo!
This is delicious!!!! :-)
Thanks, Stephanie!
I loved the gorgeous photos so much, Iโve been waiting all week to try it. I made it tonight, with a few customizations. Loved it.
Thank you, Maribeth! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
This is a very rich and creamy soup. I blended the whole thing (because I donโt read directions well) and I didnโt miss the chunks of cauliflower, the smoothness was great. My trick for eating healthy during the week is to cook several dishes on Sundays and eat all week. I made several things including a pulled spicy chicken simmered slowly in diced tomatoes. Come Wednesday I topped the cauliflower soup off with the chicken, the two spicy dishes made an excellent match (added back the chunks)! And so delicious it inspired writing this review. Kateโs blog is my new favorite place for spicy dairy free veggie recipes for my Sunday cooking bonanza . Thanks KATE!
Terriah, so glad youโre loving the soup! Thank you for commenting to let me know!
Love this recipe. Not normally a fan of cauliflower soup. Adapted it with I had in the larder: green thai curry and miso paste (instead of veg broth). Definitely making it again.
Thanks, Bela! Iโm glad you enjoyed the soup. Now I want to try your version.
I made this soup and used veggie faux chicken broth and a bit more curry powder. It was awesome! Thanks for all these veggie recipes. I will for sure be sharing this site.
Thank you, Penny! Iโm so glad you enjoyed the soup. Thank you for sharing my site with your friends!
This was delicious! My husband wanted the soup to have more texture so I didnโt blend it.. Totally yummy!
Karen, thank you for commenting! Glad the soup turned out well for you!
Kate,
My husband and I made this soup tonight. I added 4 cloves of garlic and used regular coconut milk because thatโs what I had and it was fantastic. My husband is still raving several hours later. You can bet that we will make this again and try some of your other recipes, too. Thank you. Susan
Susan, thank you for commenting! Iโm so glad you both loved the soup (Iโm sorry for not saying so sooner!). Hope you love my other recipes, too!
Another winner!!! I have always shied away from curryโฆ.. thinking I didnโt like it, but this was amazing! It has also opened me up to roasted cauliflower. YUM!
Thanks, Amber! Happy to hear that youโre a fan of roasted cauliflower and curry now!
This looks so delicious! Iโm definitely going to try it!
I have had my eye on this soup for weeks! And with fall approaching, I think it is time to test it out. How long do you think this soup would keep if I made it on Sunday for the week? Looking for a good, comforting soup I can prepare on Sunday and munch on through Friday if possible. LOVE THIS BLOG SO MUCH! You are such a talent!
Hey Allison, thank you very much! :) Iโm not sure if any soup will be fantastic five days later, but this one is probably a good candidate. Hope you love it!
AMAZING! My taste buds are still doing a happy dance! Iโve always loved this type of soup in Thai restaurants, but since going vegan, I could never order it since it is always made with chicken stock. I canโt thank you enough. This made my day!
I did add lime leaves to it since I have a lot of them, frozen. And next time will add mushrooms and possibly tofu.
Thanks for all the time and talent you put into the blog. Thanks to Cookie too for letting you do some cooking and bloggingโฆIโm sending her a virtual ear rub for being such a good, cute girl!
Yay, thanks Ellen! So glad you enjoyed this soup. Cookie says hi!
This was so delicious! Totally go for the 3 full tablespoons of curry paste. Next time I may add some greens like spinach or kale and maybe some chopped pan fried tofu like another person mentioned so it can stand alone as a full meal. AMAZING as is tho!
Thanks, Tricia! All those ideas sound great! Glad you enjoyed the soup.
Sorry to be the lone naysayer. But I didnโt care for this soup at all. I have tried several recipes for curried cauliflower soup. But this is the first one that called for coconut milk. I thought between the coconut oil and the coconut milk, it gave the soup an oily flavor and left an oily film on my tongue. I think you could have created a vegan soup with just the vegetable broth. Thatโs how I make all my vegetable based soups. I wonโt be making this again.
Hey Lauren, Iโm sorry to hear that you didnโt enjoy the soup. I usually try to offer suggestions to make the recipe better, but it sounds like coconut milk-based soups just arenโt for you.
I loved the mouth feel of this soupโjust got done having a batch that had been frozen. Tonight I added some arugula to it since I wanted to use it up.
I liked that the soup had body to itโthink it would have been thin/weak/blah with just veggie broth.
Thanks, Ellen! I appreciate it!
This is delicious! I added all of the cauliflower to the pot and skipped the wine. Fantastic. Itโs taking all of my willpower to not devour the entire batch right now.
Thanks, Jen! Glad you enjoyed it!
Never thought much of cauliflowerโฆ revising now after seeing this recipe! Thank you for sharing :)
This is a great recipe. Love the roasted cauliflower in conjunction with the spicy curry paste. I substituted coconut milk with a quarter cup of evaporated milk ,it was the only alternative i had available. Turned out fabulous !
Thanks, Diana! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
This is BY FAR one of the best soups iโve made!!! Iโm so lazy, so I didnโt even roast the cauliflower..:) and I only added half a can coconut, just to reduce fat a bit.. and the last thing I changed was add the lemon grind after cooking (and before blending). I didnโt even have vinegar..And still โ was fantastic!!:)) love your blog, keep the oriental flavors comingโฆ:) great job!!! love u!!:)
Thanks, Yael! Glad the soup turned out great with your substitutions!
Made this soup tonight with few alterations, it was aaaaaamazing, thank you!
Awesome, thanks Lauren!
Just made this today and I absolutely loved it!!
Let the record show: I am, by zero means, gifted in the kitchen. The stove is so loathsome to me (or me to it?), that I usually pass the cooking buck onto my boyfriend, preferring to do the post-meal clean-up instead. My problem is serious.
Howeverโฆ
I came across your recipe yesterday afternoon. It hit all the buzzwords I was seeking for that eveningโs meal: spicy, creamy soup, curry, coconut milk, etc.
So, I gave it a shot, figuring, why not. And it turned out GREAT! Thank you for sharing a recipe simple enough for me to follow, yet super scrumptious and satisfying. The best!
Hooray! Thank you, Stefania. So glad you enjoyed this soup. (Iโll let you in on a secretโIโm a pretty lazy cook so I work really hard to simplify my recipes!)
Hi! I made this last night for my family. So yummy! I made a couple of tweaks, though. I thought I had red curry but only had green. I added a couple of cloves of garlic because, well, garlic. And the big one โ I peeled and cubed a small sweet potato and roasted it with the cauliflower. I was able to omit the sugar that way and still get sweetness and added nutrition.
Hey Erin! Thank you for sharing your substitutions and additions. Your soup sounds marvelous!
This was wonderful. So creamy and satisfying, especially on a cold winterโs day! I made without the wine and sugar, and also had to use red wine vinegar because I didnโt have the rice vinegar. I made with 1.5 TBS of the red curry pasteโฆjust to seeโฆbut next time I will definitely up it to 3. I might even add some chicken next time to get some additional protein.
Thanks, Shannon! So glad you enjoyed the soup.
Just found this recipe today and decided to give it a try. Could have eaten all of the roasted cauliflower before it got any where near the soup! So delicious :) Somehow I managed to restrain myself though and (most of) it went into the soup. Gorgeous, spicy, warming, winter soul food :D
Thank you, Graeme! Glad you enjoyed it!
This looks amazing and I plan to make it tonight! Can I substitute broth for the white wine?
Amanda, sorry, you can just skip the wine!
I loved the soup! I didnโt add the wine, less Thai red curry, a whole cooked and mashed acorn squash and cilantro rather than basil and chopped green onions (because that is what I had on hand). The acorn squash added creaminess so I didnโt blend the soup. I will defintely make this again. Next time I may include some chopped granny smith apple and omit the vinegar.
Thanks, Elaine! Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this soup tonight and it was easy and fantastic!! It will be one of our go to favorites on cold winter nights from now on. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Thank you, Cathy! :)
The roasted cauliflower definitely adds a whole new flavor profile to soup! Perhaps it was the red curry paste that I purchased, but the heat and pungency from the red curry overpowered the subtle flavor of the cauliflower, which is the hero of the dish. Any suggestions to make it a non-curry soup?
I have an intolerance for chili but love curry, so I used garam masala with some extra cardamom and cumin. Superb!
Great idea! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
this was amazing!! i would suggest doubling it because youโll want that much
Yay, thanks Lexie!