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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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!
Blend until smooth. Before you eat, season to taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, as desired.
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.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this delicious soup, try one of these recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, about 2 pounds
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 shallots, peeled and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- Leaves from 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ tablespoon white miso paste
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- Microgreens, for garnish, optional
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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This soup is so yummy. My daughter avoids dairy so we were excited to try this and we were not disappointed. Definitely recommend!
Great, quick, and easy recipe! (amazing leftovers, too)
Miso gives the soup an interesting twist – hard to identify the cauliflower ! (Although my cauliflower was quite roasted, truth be told).
Good texture and quite hearty.
Decided to make this for dinner last night as it is the featured recipe for February for the Love & Lemons cooking club and I am so happy I did. The flavors were so rich and nutty and the miso and dijon complemented each other harmoniously. I have made many cauliflower soup recipes before but have never roasted the cauliflower first; that was a game changer. I had to substitute dry thyme for fresh, and used an immersion blender since I don’t have a regular blender. The soup definitely wasn’t as silky as the pictures and also more brown-beige than off white (most likely from the veggie broth I used and extra color during roasting) but still a great recipe, cant wait to make it again!
This soup was delicious, and we paired it with your Super Seedy Crackers. Thank you for always having delicious recipes!
Creamy and flavorful yet easy to make! I followed the recipe with no additions and it turned out great. My fiancé doesn’t usually like cauliflower but he liked this soup! I made it last night and we are eating leftovers again tonight! Will definitely make again!
This soup is so easy and yummy! Perfect for a cold winter’s night!
It was delicious and simple. Loved it so much, thank you!!!
This recipe is SO yummy and simple with everyday ingredients. I’d love to add some spicy sausage or hempseeds for protein and chunks of potato to make it a more meal-filling soup. Love all of my recipes from Love & Lemons and so fun to make this one for the February challenge!
So easy, delicious, and comforting!
Really comforting subtle flavors – the miso paste adds great umami, and the roasted garlic brings a lot of dimension. It’s best served HOT!
SOOO DELICIOUS! could not recommend more! this is the first recipe from your website i tried and i will definitely try more
This was SO good, my 7 month old even enjoyed a few bites! Definitely will make this again.
This is somehow creamy and light at the same time. Delicious!
A bowl of yummy! So delicious! Thank you for this recipe. I especially liked the addition of miso paste and the garlic roasted.
One of my all time favorite soups. Amped up with some extra butter and fresh parsley. The kids ate this too!
Made the soup for Super Bowl Sunday paired with crudités hummus, salsa and homemade sourdough bread. Mine doesn’t look as creamy as yours, thus the 4 stars. My veggie broth was dark and I had some dark areas on my roasted veggies. Nice tangy taste. I also added some roasted leeks. Any suggestions for use of the Miso paste in other recipes?
I loved this recipe! Added extra lemon juice and garnished with fresh thyme leaves. I ate it with a crunchy baguette. Will definitely be making this again!
I made this soup for the first time and I can honestly say it was the best soup I have ever had!
The miso was a surprise ingredient but definitely gave the soup an added layer of flavour!
I’ll be making this again and again.
Thank you for such a lovely recipe.
Amazing dinner recipe!! I added some extra cauliflower and dill on top for a garnish. I would recommend this soup for any easy week night dinner.