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.
First time making cauliflower soup and it’s absolutely yummy! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s sooo good. My new favorite soup.
You’re welcome, Erica! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
This is delicious! Can’t do cashews, so I made it dairy free by using some Earth Balance butter. I topped it with some roasted salted pepitas. So creamy, and tasty, I will definitely be making it again.
Thank you for sharing, Erin!
I made this tonight, I did tweek it a bit but overall the recipe gave me a good idea of what and how to do things. It’s very tasty!!! Thanks!!!
That’s great, Koren!
Delicious recipe! Very creamy. I had some leftover garlic infused butter that I used but I would be interested to try the cashew option next time.
Thank you for sharing, Nikki! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
This soup was absolutley delicious and simple to make, but would recommend doubling recipe. I added pepper flakes to enhance flavor, but overall very flavorful if you follow recipe.
Outstanding! I made the vegan version with cashews, and omitted the oil with the exception of a very light spray of the pan to roast the cauliflower. Thank you Kate for another amazing meal!
You’re welcome, Natalie!
I’m making two batches of this for a Soup Swap this weekend. Can’t wait to try it. I’m just curious – why do you use red onion instead of white or yellow? I don’t think I’ve ever seen red onion in a soup recipe before. Thanks!
I like the flavor of it best here with the other ingredients. I hope you love it!
Just made this. Really good!! Thanks.
Roasting the cauliflower made all the difference. I also added some chunks of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it cooked
Thank you for sharing, Karen!
Great soup recipe! I’m not a big fan of nutmeg, so I took the seasoning in a different direction and added cumin and coriander instead of nutmeg.
We loved this soup! We rarely cook with cauliflower. The roasted cauliflower tasted so good that I was tempted to eat it and not bother with making the soup. But, I was so glad I did because it turned out perfectly. I served it with a baguette and a kale salad. Delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Cheryl!
Delicious! I don’t have a vitamin so mine wasn’t QUITE as creamy as the picture, or maybe I didn’t simmer the cauliflower long enough, either way it still turned out flavorful, delicious and quite filling!! And omg so easy.
I’m glad you loved it, Rachel!
Delicious! Followed the recipe as written and it is the best cauliflower soup I’ve had. And no cream! That’s a huge bonus!
I’m glad you loved it, Sarah!
Very very yummy thank u :)
You’re welcome, Isaac!
So so delicious and creamy!!! Will definitely be making this again.
That’s great to hear, Salma! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe Kate. Absolutely gorgeous. So light and creamy without cream! Going to make another batch to freeze.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sally!
Really tasty! Thank you for this recipe! The only thing I did differently was to use 2 Tbsp butter at every step. 2 along with 2 Tbsp olive oil when sauteing the onions and garlic, 2 along with 2 tbsp of olive oil and seasonings to toss the cauliflower in, before roasting, and another generous 2 Tbsp of butter when blending.
I found bay leaves and 2 sprigs of thyme to be a delicious finale’ to garnish the finished soup!
Oh my gosh this was sooo good. I didn’t even need to add the butter. Absolutely wonderful recipe! Thank you for sharing! It certainly was much darker than your picture….more like an onion soup colour. I used chicken drippings (fat removed) from when I baked chicken thighs and added chicken broth to make up the difference.
I took a chance on this based on the reviews and my love of cauliflower. I just made it in hopes of having a vegetarian starter for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s going in the garbage. Maybe I have to be vegetarian to appreciate this recipe, but now I can’t even modify it because of the lemon. It’s like lemony cauliflower baby food with no texture and lacks any depth of flavor. I’m sorry for a negative review, but I thought it was only fair for readers to see both sides. Even the butter couldn’t help this soup. I’ll go back to a cheesy or creamy cauliflower soup- it’s just not flavorful enough without it.
Hi J, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe.
Hubby liked it more than I did. He said, “I could eat it again”, which is high praise from him. :) I would certainly try it again. I used chicken broth and added a few sweet peppers roasted. I used a Vidalia onion instead of red onion. I didn’t have pretty garnishes but we had buttered saltines with it. I would give it 3 stars with the chicken broth.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Julie
Hi Kate. Made this for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful. We do not have an oven, so pan roasted the cauliflower, and don’t think it detracted from the wonderful taste, smooth and creamy, perfectly spiced. Thank you for providing tasty, healthy recipes!
You’re welcome, Margarita!
This is probably the best recipe I’ve made so far from C&K. My family LOVES it. Creamy, the roasted flavors are so comforting and warming.
That’s great!
Hello. I really enjoyed making this very tasty cauliflower soup. I wanted to add just a little bit of extra flavour so I added some roasted parsnips to the recepie :) I did serve it with some croutons and cheese on top. It was so delicious
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Katalin! I appreciate your review.
The soup was a hit with my kids! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Seetha! I appreciate your review.
Delicious! I did add a splash of cream for extra-extra creaminess. ;-) Next I’m thinking of roasting a bunch of different veggies together (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, etc.) and making them into soup the same way.
Love this recipe. ❤️ Have made twice now and second time topped with crispy stir fried cavolo Nero and a few chilli flakes in with the roasting cauliflower but didn’t want to mask its subtle tones. Yum. Thank you
That’s great, Lulu! Thank you for your comment.
Too much lemon. I added less than recommended in the recipe, but found it to be the dominant flavour (and I love lemon).
I appreciate your feedback, Erica. I’m sorry you didn’t love it as written. You can always adjust next time.
Made this tonight and it is DELISH! Used home made turkey stock from our Thanksgiving turkey leftovers instead of veggie broth, and added 2 tbsp of tahini to add just a little extra something. Turned out so well! My husband doesn’t like cauliflower but he couldn’t get enough of this! Will definitely make again….I think it would go really well with some roasted portobello mushrooms. YUM.
Hooray! I love when that happens. Thank you for your review, KC.
This was yummy! I was looking for a cauliflower soup recipe that I tasted in an Italian restaurant in Ireland. I altered your recipe slightly…not because it wasn’t already good but because I was trying for the same taste I had remembered in Ireland. This did not disappoint! I just added some Italian herbs and 1/4c of fresh Parmesan when I put it in the blender. I was amazed!
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing, T.
What a great recipe. Easy and delicious.
I’ve made this twice. The first time with chicken stock ( I was out of vegetable stock) . Both times were very successful and satisfying. Thanks!
You’re welcome, John! I’m glad you loved it.
This was super delicious. I included 1 large eschallot while roasting the cauliflower & left out the nutmeg, otherwise followed the recipe as is. I over roasted the cauliflower but it gave it an even more caramelised flavour but obviously made it a darker colour. Whole family loved it! Thanks for the recipe
I just made this soup and it is fantastic!
I’m happy to hear that, Barbara! Thank you for sharing.
This was delicious -! made as per the instructions except for using kosher Telma chicken flavoured stock cubes which don’t actually have any chicken in them are the best stock cubes for everything!
I’ve just made again but this time adding the raw cauiflour leaves in with the florets as hate to waste them.
I agree to be careful not to go heavy on the lemon juice.
My first Cookie and Kate recipe and I will definitely try more
Thank you – sorry I don’t do Instagram
Wonderful recipe! I have made this delicious soup a number of times, and everyone loves it!
SO good. I made this as a quick lunch one day and was very happy with how easy it was. Your note on the soup tasting amazing once its properly salted is spot on! I added 1 cup cashews in the simmering step just to make it a bit thicker. I think next time I want to try this with some sauteed mushrooms added!
I just made this soup. Absolutely delicious!
I’m glad you love it, Lorraine!
Can I lave this soup on a hot late overnight like do my chicken soup?
This recipe sounds great, would it work with frozen cauliflower?
Hi Ruth! I think others have tried it and didn’t mind the result.
Very good! Creamy and savory and a little tangy.
We made it for lunch, and I originally thought we’d save half for another day, but OOPS! Ate it all.
:)
I’m glad you loved it, Angie! Thank you for your review.
Fantastic soup! Easy to make and so delicious!! We loved it – especially our picky 10byear okd who had 3 helpings! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome, Dee! I’m glad you loved it.
The best cauliflower soup ever! I’ll never try another recipe for this soup! Thanks! Love your cookbook too.
I’m glad you loved it, Patty!
Another really great soup recipe from Cookie and Kate! So delicious!
I’m glad you loved it, Sarah!
I’m stuck home and needed an easy soup while groceries are being delivered. I made this twice in three days and it’s absolutely delicious. I’m shocked at the level of flavor in such a few ingredients. Mine definitely looks like dark pea soup lol but my vegetable broth is very dark. I’ll add pistachios next time!!
I’m so glad you made it, Amanda!
I made this last night for dinner and the broth to cauliflower ratio made my soup very liquidy and not thick at all. I went back to the store and added another head of cauliflower and it was perfect. Err on the side of using two heads or reduce the broth being used for thicker soup. Good flavor.
A really tasty soup. Just one tiny thing though – you may want to add “blend cashews” before adding to the pot, in the vegan notes – for novice cooks or those who have never used nuts in this way it might not be obvious.
I’m glad you enjoy this recipe, Sunshine!
Can I use lime juice instead? I have no lemons
It will be a slightly different flavor. Let me know what you think! Or you can just omit.
Another fantastic recipe from Cookie and Kate! I added in a russet potato because I was short on cauliflower, plus an extra cup of broth. So good! Comforting but light. The lemon really adds brightness.
This is shockingly good!!! I cannot believe how creamy and flavorful it is!!! It is so simple and has mostly pantry staples! So so delicious!!!
The flavour was good. I chose to purée half of the soup and leave the other half chunky because I don’t really like puréed soup. For that reason, I probably would not make this soup again just because of personal taste but if you like puréed soups, this is a tasty one. I also agree with the person who commented that before pureeing the soup, it should be fairly cool. Even if you only fill the blender to the fill line, if the liquid is hot, it will make a terrible mess everywhere!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Karen. I appreciate your feedback.
This was perfect. I used smart balance “butter” to make it vegan instead of cashews like you suggested (i didnt have any) and it worked beautifully. Thank for giving me a perfect recipe with perfect measurements to add to my vegan recipe arsenal!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Faith! I appreciate your review.
This recipe was wonderful.Roasting the cauliflower first definitely gave it flavour. The only thing I did differently was to dice a potato and sauteed it with the onions. I had to use my immersion blender because my stand up blender is in my son’s college dorm! It came out creamy and was very tastey. I’ve sent the link to 3 people already.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you, Suzanne!