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 256 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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276 comments

4.93 from 256 votes (104 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Caitlin Kearns
    02.28.2021

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! So simple and delicious!

  2. Marisa
    02.28.2021

    This soup was delicious! And super easy and minimal dishes which was perfect. My omnivore husband even loved it! It made great leftovers too, will definitely be making again!

  3. Jane
    02.28.2021

    This soup recipe is so simple and absolutely delicious!

  4. Mike
    02.28.2021

    4 stars
    Nice, and I learned new tricks: 1. foil-roasting garlic and shallot along with sturdier vegetables; 2. keeping mustard and miso on hand for adding on occasion to other thick soups.

  5. Michelle
    02.27.2021

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Full of flavor with little effort.

  6. Cecilia Caughman
    02.27.2021

    This soup was absolutely delicious! Microgreens made a nice garnish.

  7. Miss_SunnyJ
    02.27.2021

    5 stars
    So tasty on a cold February night!

  8. Aimee
    02.27.2021

    It’s not very ‘wintry’ here in San Diego but this soup still hit the spot! Light and tangy, but also rich. It was super yummy!

  9. Amy Rupple
    02.27.2021

    I had never tried cauliflower soup before and was pleasantly surprised!! This was so yummy and savory!!

  10. Colleen
    02.27.2021

    5 stars
    This recipe was delicious and so easy!

  11. Rebecca Ryan
    02.26.2021

    A perfect winter weeknight meal — quick and easy to make and delicious!

  12. Lori
    02.26.2021

    5 stars
    Delicious and so easy to make! We loved it! It’s creamy, light, yet still filling. I might have gone a little heavy on the Dijon mustard but it still tasted great.

  13. Aaron
    02.26.2021

    5 stars
    Just made it! Sooo so good! Followed it all exact and came out perfect!

  14. Bianka Zimny
    02.26.2021

    5 stars
    For such a simple soup it was very tasty. I topped this with homade croutons and ancho chili sea salt. Perfect for a winter night.

  15. Leslie M
    02.26.2021

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Great for a weeknight dinner and lunches the rest of the week. Loved the combo of dijon, lemon and thyme with the roasted veggies. Will definitely make again!

  16. Nilima Walunjkar
    02.26.2021

    5 stars
    I made this soup for Cooking club and I must say this is a great soup for cold winter evenings! And I used the leftover miso to make a bowl of ramen the next day 🙂

  17. Alaina M
    02.26.2021

    5 stars
    Incredible bright flavor, velvety comforting texture. You’ll be thoroughly satisfied it is so easy and so good.

  18. Amy
    02.25.2021

    Such a great recipe. My in laws are gluten free vegans so I struggle to come up with new meal ideas. This is sure to be a hit when they come to visit.

  19. Robyn Icks
    02.25.2021

    5 stars
    This is one of our staple recipes! Such a filling dish, so simple and minimal dishes.

  20. Haley Smith
    02.25.2021

    5 stars
    This was so easy and so yummy! I couldn’t get over the creamy texture and flavors. Will definitely make again.

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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.