Cauliflower Soup

This cauliflower soup recipe is rich and creamy...without any cream! Warm, comforting, and SO flavorful, it's the perfect meal for a cold day.

Cauliflower soup

This roasted cauliflower soup recipe is rich and creamy…but it doesn’t call for any cream. Instead, the blended cauliflower creates its luscious texture—no dairy required!

I’ve had this cauliflower soup recipe in my cold weather rotation for years now. Even though all the ingredients are plant-based, it’s just as comforting as any soup made with heavy cream, milk, or cheese. On a chilly winter night, it absolutely hits the spot! It’s also super simple to make, so there’s lots to love here.

Cauliflower soup recipe ingredients

Cauliflower Soup Ingredients

You only need 10 basic ingredients to make this creamy cauliflower soup:

  • A head of cauliflower, of course! It gives the soup a silky texture without any nuts or dairy.
  • Garlic and shallots – You’ll roast them along with the cauliflower. Once they’re tender and caramelized, they add rich, nutty flavor to this cauliflower soup.
  • Fresh thyme – For fresh, earthy flavor.
  • White miso paste – It adds savory, umami flavor that tastes fantastic with the roasted cauliflower, shallots, and garlic.
  • Dijon mustard – For tang.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
  • Vegetable broth – Make homemade vegetable broth, or use store-bought.
  • Fresh lemon juice – It makes the soup nice and bright.
  • And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Cauliflower florets on a baking sheet

How to Make Cauliflower Soup

I like to think of this cauliflower soup recipe in three easy steps: roast, simmer, and blend.

First, roast the veggies. Break the cauliflower into florets and chop up the cores. Peel and quarter the shallots. Wrap them in a piece of foil with the unpeeled garlic cloves, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Recipe Tip

Don’t have shallots? Replace them with half a yellow onion, chopped. Use the onions just like you would the shallot—add them to the foil along with the garlic!

Spread the chopped cauliflower florets and core in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and toss them with oil, salt, and pepper. Add the foil packet to the sheet, and roast until all the vegetables are tender and the cauliflower is browned.

Roasted vegetables on a baking sheet

Next, simmer. Bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Peel the garlic cloves, and stir them into the pot along with the cauliflower, shallots, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Broth and roasted vegetables in a blender

Finally, blend the soup. Allow it to cool slightly. Then, transfer it from the soup pot to a blender. Add the miso paste, mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Feel free to use an immersion blender for this step if you prefer!

Creamy cauliflower soup in a blender

Blend until smooth. Before you eat, season to taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, as desired.

Vegan cauliflower soup

What to Serve with Cauliflower Soup

When you’re ready to eat, garnish your bowl with micro greens, fresh parsley, and/or freshly cracked black pepper. This cauliflower soup would also be fantastic with homemade croutons on top for crunch!

Enjoy the creamy soup with focaccia, crusty bread, or a grilled cheese sandwich on the side for dipping.

It also pairs nicely with a side salad. Make a simple green salad by tossing mixed greens with Italian dressing, honey mustard dressing, or lemon vinaigrette, or try one of these 25 Winter Salad Recipes!

Enjoy!

Got leftover soup? Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’ll thicken in the fridge, so you might need to stir in a little water when you reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.

This cauliflower soup freezes well too. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to airtight jars or containers, leaving an inch for the soup to expand at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months!

Allow frozen soup to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Cauliflower soup recipe

More Favorite Soup Recipes

If you love this delicious soup, try one of these recipes next:

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Cauliflower Soup

rate this recipe:
4.93 from 259 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 6
This roasted cauliflower soup is velvety and rich, even though it's made without cream or cheese. The blended cauliflower creates the soup's amazing creamy texture - no dairy necessary!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Chop the cauliflower including the core pieces. Transfer to the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Wrap the shallot and garlic cloves, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, in a piece of aluminum foil and place it on the baking sheet with the cauliflower. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cauliflower is browned around the edges.
  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add the roasted cauliflower, shallots, peeled garlic, and thyme and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Add the olive oil, miso paste, mustard, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with ¼ to ½ teaspoon more salt and more lemon juice. Garnish with microgreens, if desired, and serve.

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280 comments

4.93 from 259 votes (106 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Julie
    04.15.2018

    Hi! I dont have shallots, could I substitute with onions?thank you!

  2. Megan
    03.30.2018

    Did you blend the core with the florets? Thanks!

  3. Andrea
    02.03.2018

    5 stars
    I just made this and plan to serve it tonight for a friend’s birthday dinner. It’s delicious. Thank you for not using cream! I love the miso and mustard additions! Question: do you have a recommendation for a good commercial broth or do you just make your own? Today I used a mix of water, aquafaba, a tsp of Better Than Bouillon along with the miso and it turned out well.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.03.2018

      Hi Andrea, I’m so glad you like the soup! I like Whole Foods’ 365 vegetable broth best – the regular kind, not low sodium.

      • Andrea
        02.05.2018

        Oh great. Haven’t tried it but I will! Thanks again for the luscious recipe.

  4. Jan
    11.24.2017

    Made this today, and it was delicious! The creamy taste, without cream, was a nice treat. Thanks for another tasty recipe.

  5. Melissa from savoredgrace.com
    10.27.2017

    5 stars
    Wow, I just made this and it tastes perfectly like cauliflower, but also rich and creamy. Can’t wait to serve it for dinner!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.28.2017

      I’m so glad to hear that!! I hope you enjoyed it for dinner 🙂

  6. JCB from Wordpress
    10.20.2017

    Can’t have oil. Has anyone made it without oil? Otherwise, sounds delicious.

    • Paulette
      10.05.2020

      Check out Better than Bouillon. I am also oil free so I saute’ with broth and use it all the time.

  7. really have to commend you on the creativity here with cauliflower, really interesting balance of flavors too with miso paste, dijon, garlic, etc., thank you for this recipe!

  8. Cressie
    03.11.2017

    Any recipe for making the vegetable broth? I really struggle to buy that where I life so a basic recipe would be great!

    • Laura
      02.16.2018

      5 stars
      Some people save vegfies scraps in a 1 gallon freezer zip bag- ends of celery onions mushroom stems carrot peels and when the bag is full, simmer in water with bay leaf and some herbs/garlic for an hour. Strain. Freeze again if not using it all up.

      • Nora
        02.11.2021

        Or, use your instant pot. Add veggies, then warm water to the max line, usually about 6 to 8 cups. 15 minutes on pressure cook high and that’s it! Makes the most delicious veggie broth. I do this all the time with my scraps. I don’t use brassicas much in the broth though, as they can be overpowering. Mainly onions, carrots, celery, sometimes a little tomato paste and it’s so Yum!

  9. Claire
    03.06.2017

    5 stars
    Delicious! Added the suggested red pepper flakes and the four garlic cloves used were extra large. Great flavor and very creamy.

  10. Kylie Patrick
    01.28.2017

    Just made this soup. Delicious and so easy!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.28.2017

      yay, so happy to hear that!

  11. Anya from stuffnfings.com
    01.26.2017

    I am looking forward to trying this one! Thanks for sharing x

  12. Martha Kiley
    01.09.2017

    Is the miso necessary? I can’t find it locally. Should I put in something else ?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.09.2017

      You can skip it but miso is very salty so you might want to season more aggressively with salt and pepper. Coriander, cumin and/or smoked paprika all go well with cauliflower if you are looking to add more flavor after you taste it. Hope that helps!

  13. This looks delicious! I’m stockpiling healthy soup recipes to keep us going through the coldest months here in Boston and I’m adding this one immediately. The last (and only) time I made a cauliflower soup, it somehow ended up being pretty…dare I say…chunky. I didn’t have the best blender, and I’ve got a better one now – so hopefully that doesn’t happen again!

  14. Beth Ann Fischberg
    01.04.2017

    5 stars
    Fantastic for a chilly night! Store didn’t have thyme, didn’t miss it. I confess I did add a touch of cashew cream! So flavorful and super easy. Thank you, made my day! ? Sorry, for some reason computer would not let me leave 5 stars.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.05.2017

      Yay, I’m so glad you loved it!

  15. suzi
    01.04.2017

    5 stars
    wow. this is the most delicious cauliflower soup I have ever made/had!! so incredibly savory and so rich, yet nothing in it to make it “fattening” or over the top. The flavors are balanced perfectly. this one will be my “go to” from now on. YUM!! sprinkled of red pepper flakes on top of my bowl before I devoured it, moaning the whole time. so embarrassing, right?

    • Beth Ann Fischberg
      01.04.2017

      5 stars
      suzi, nice idea about the pepper flakes.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.05.2017

      Hi Suzi, I’m so glad you loved it!!

  16. annie from kitchenwindowclovers.com
    01.04.2017

    This soup looks so simple and lovely. Just the thing to cut through the winter chill.

  17. Cauliflower is such an amazing vegetable… I love how it can be used in so many ways! 🙂 Cheers, Jeanine!

    • Bobbi Goldstein
      02.02.2021

      5 stars
      This soup is heaven! It was very simple with little clean-up. I chose to top with a slice of avocado nestled between a ‘branchette’ of thyme! Unlike a cream soup, it is not too heavy and has the perfect flavor. I didn’t need to add anything additional with the exception of a grind of fresh pepper.
      So happy to share this with my family of vegans! 😉

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.