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.
This is the recipe that surprises everyone. It’s fancy restaurant quality and so good! I like to add an extra clove of garlic, use chicken broth if that’s what I have, and add 3 small potatoes.
I made this tonight and it was so simple and extra, super delicious. The whole family loved it.
Thanks so much. :^)
You’re welcome, Kathy!
I have been trying out soup recipes to use the leftover stems when I roast cauliflower and broccoli and I definitely do not need to look any further. This soup was so easy and so flavorful. I was planning on adding some shredded cheddar at the end for the flavor but I didn’t need to. The only thing I did different was add broccoli since I had the leftover stems. This soup is amazing! Thanks!!
I’m glad it turned out, Ellen! Thank you for sharing.
This soup is outstanding! I roasted the garlic cloves in their skins with the cauliflower and then squished them out into the broth. I used an immersion blender leaving the soup a little more ‘rustic’. The lemon heightens the wonderful flavour! Thank you for the recipe!
Ki Ora (greetings) from New Zealand.
Brilliant and delicious way to use home grown cauliflower when you get lots heading up at once. The kids went back for seconds and the wife loved the healthy goodness.
We love the recipe. I added some tumeric and tiles with some pieces of bacon for another layer of flavor.
Very nice soup. I did end up adding a little more lemon juice, cayenne pepper and roasted a small turnip with the cauliflower. It’s delicious. I might even try 5 cups stock vs 4 next time so not “as” thick. I also used a yellow cauliflower instead of white so kind of fun…wonder how a little cumin or curry powder would do with this. Fun and easy recipe!
Thank you for sharing how you made this! I appreciate your review.
This was SCRUMPTIOUS!! I couldn’t get enough! My picky kiddos were even willing to eat it!! This will definitely be one of my new favorites. I added a little parmesan cheese to my bowl and it was even more delightful!! Thank you for the lovely recipe!!
Can I have Instant Pot directions please?
Sorry, I don’t tend to cook with an insta pot.
Tried this and it is just the best!!! I added nutritional yeast for a bit of cheese flavor, was so good that I have made it again!!!!!
That’s great to hear, Sonya! I appreciate your review.
It’s probably just me but I scrupulously followed the directions and this is inedible
This soup was very tasty! Being lazy I roasted cauliflower, garlic, and onion all together. Brought the broth to a simmer and added roasted vegetables to broth and simmered as directed. I did add a handful of grated Parmesan cheese at the very end. Will definitely be making again
This is the first time I’ve ever made soup in a blender and it is SO GOOD!! Followed the recipe exactly. Added a little black pepper and salted to taste. Husband and I both loved it. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Phoebe! I appreciate your review.
Love this soup! Do you think you could add a little bit of coconut milk to the recipe and it would be good?
I prefer this as is. If you try it, let me know!
I made this soup and it’s good. But the color is ugly it’s brown like a gravy. Do you have any ideas on getting it more to the pinkish side?
Sandy
HI Sandy, I would suggest trying a different vegetable broth. That can rally impact your results.
This is SO GOOD!!! It’s my new favorite recipe! I went to our local farm stand and they had a sale on Cauliflower- so I bought 2. I came home and found your recipe, and doubled it. We are having it for dinner, then freezing the rest to enjoy later. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Cindy! I appreciate your review.
I love this recipe and I’ve probably made it a dozen times. My picky toddler loves it, so I make a big batch and freeze it in silicone muffin trays to have on hand for his lunches. It’s great as written, but I’ve done a bunch of variations, and I think the key things that make this recipe so good are the browning of the cauliflower and adding plenty of lemon/acid.
I blend up the soup with an immersion blender (just after it’s fully blended, it really emulsifies and gets creamy, so don’t stop blending too early!). Next I gradually add salt and lemon at the end while stirring and tasting, and you can really tell when you hit the right amount — the flavor goes from good to amazing. I usually use a whole lemon for a batch made from one medium cauliflower.
Some variations I’ve done that all turned out well: apple cider vinegar instead of lemon when that’s all I had on hand, adding white beans or potatoes or both (to boost the protein/calorie density for the picky toddler). I actually forgot the recipe calls for butter until I just re-read it, so I don’t usually use it, but I probably use more than 2 tbsp olive oil roasting the cauliflower.
I’m always looking for a way to speed up the roasting step, so I’ve tried smaller pieces, cutting the cauliflower up in slices so there’s more flat surface area, as well as browning it in the stovetop dutch oven I make the soup in rather than in the oven. The stove is a little faster, but requires more monitoring than the oven, so it’s a toss-up.
I usually use yellow onion because that’s what we keep on hand, and I don’t love nutmeg so I leave that out (but often add some white pepper).
Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you for sharing how you make this, Tanya! I appreciate your review.
This recipe sounds delish! I’m trying to watch my cholesterol. What can I sub for the butter so I still have the creaminess? Thanks!
Hi Tracey, you can omit if you need to. It will still be delicious.
Grew the Cauliflower myself. What a great recipe to pay respect to a lovely veggie and our Keto diet.
Omg! This is SO delicious!
I made it just now omitting the butter altogether and it tastes amazing!!!
Another winner Kate! Xoxo
That’s great to hear, Annarose! I appreciate your review.
The first time I made this I didn’t have nutmeg so used half the amount of pumpkin spice — tasted great!
Months later, made it again but double the quantity. This time, used soaked cashews and an immersion blender. Fantastic consistency! Immersion blender saved so much time. I added some unchopped whole sage at the end of the simmering (took out before blending) and I think that added some sweet earthiness too.
This soup turned out amazing. I didn’t use the lemon but did everything else. I will definitely make again
Thank you! Made it for dinner tonight – delicious! Added a bit of ginger while cooking and served with quinoa.
A fabulous recipe Got lots of compliments such as best soup you ever made Well I followed the recipe to a tee so the compliments should go to you Thanks
Oh wow, this soup has gone straight to the top of my staple soup recipe list! So creamy, and easy to make… plus it didn’t separate in the freezer like some other homemade soups do. I didn’t have nutmeg so substituted with ginger and it tasted great. Will be making this all winter :) Thank you xx
Great to hear, Angela! I appreciate your review.
Yum! My cauliflower was more carmelized and I carmelized the onion too (yellow onion) so the soup was light brown. But oh my, it was delicious.
I made it vegan by adding a hand full of curried cashews. The cashews added a nice amount of spice and thickened the soup. I used a vita mix blender to cream everything together. I used two vegetable bouillon cubes instead of boxed broth and added five cups of water.
This was so good!!! I usually am not a fan of cooked cauliflower, but building the flavor by roasting it, and letting it simmer in the broth? Game changer.
Thank you for helping me get my veggies in!
I’m glad you loved it, Shruit! I appreciate your review.
Late to the party here, but agreeing this is really good!
Maybe b/c it’s right after thanksgiving, but purple cauliflower was all my local market had in stock. THEN, i typically make veggie broth by throwing veggies i have in my fridge into water. Okay, my process is a tad more nuanced than described, but i do it all the time with what i have in the fridge. This time it turned out really brown, almost red? Combined with the purple cauliflower it almost looked like i blended in a beet in or something. Purple soup ftw!
Put the acid of an entire big lemon in. I don’t use but butter often, but it really helps to emulsify this soup. Thank you!
so tasty. very easy to make. its a keeper
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Debbie! Thank you for your review.
Ohhhhhhh, killar soup! The very best cauliflower soup I’ve made! The lemon and nutmeg. Muah! No cream or cheese, who needs it! Bamb awesome recipe! Thank you!!!!!!!!
Beautiful
I was skeptical about this recipe–creamy? Really? Then I made it, and OMG it is fabulous! Your technique works perfectly, and I’ve now tried it with broccoli, too. This creamy cauliflower soup is quite amazing, and perfect for our Wisconsin winter nights. Thanks!
I love your recipes. Any thoughts of using Brussel sprouts instead of cauliflower for this soup?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
As an avid soup maker, this has made it to the top of my rotation. Perfect recipe as is. Also easy to cater to taste and available ingredients. Though primarily vegetarian, I usually stick with chicken stock in my soups for flavor. The butter really does the trick for creaminess. Also works as a cold soup!
Wow what a great soup all my kids loved it as well!
How does this freeze? I want to make it ahead and serve it for Christmas. Any suggestions welcome. Thank you!
Hi! This soup freezes well. I hope it is a hit.
This is the best cauliflower soup I have ever eaten. Love all your recipes.
I’ve made other cauliflower soup recipes, and they don’t compare to this recipe. This is absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing…throwing the other recipes for this soup away :)
I’m excited you love this recipe, Jennifer! I appreciate your review.
Since I had mushrooms on hand that needed to be used sooner than later, I turned this into a mushroom bisque and it turned out pretty pretty good.
I used chicken broth instead of veggie (all we had). Then added: 8oz (? one standard package) mushrooms, and one chopped and roasted potato.
Add these elements after cooking the onions for a couple of minutes, then follow the recipe as is. Tasty as can be!
I love this recipe! I double it so I have baggies in the freezer for future days. I start it at night, transfer to my crock pot and leave on low until morning. This time I used my stand blender instead of the immersion, and I added the nutmeg. Good decision! I added the lemon as always and a dash of tabasco. I give it 10 stars!!
That’s great to hear, Beverly! I appreciate your review.
Delicious, thank you. Instead of butter, I used coconut cream and added cumin, curry powder, and turmeric to keep it vegan-ish with a slight curry flare. I will definitely utilize this recipe again and try it with squash. My first attempts at soups, awesome!
Hi! I make this constantly and wind up devouring half of the soup in my Vitamix! I can’t figure out what would be a good follow-up, though. I can do a simple side salad, but I need a main course. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi! I love this with myFavorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a salad too.
Oooh — yummers! You had me at “cheese,” and who doesn’t love grilled cheese? Plus, I already have all these ingredients! Could I BE any more excited? Nope!
I highly recommend this soup. I made it exactly as the recipe indicated except I added one ingredient for a little kick…roasted poblano peppers (2). My husband & kids are foodies and love homemade soup. They raved! Making it again today.
Absolutely love this recipe. Quick, easy, cheap and delicious. Even my fussy eater loves it
Damn. I rarely tolerate (not like/enjoy!) cauliflower recipes but this BLEW MY MIND! So simple and yet sooo good! Thank you!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Tina. I appreciate your review.
Possible the best ever soup I’ve made and tasted!!! …. and I’m a big soup maker and fan – made it vegan just by the butter substitute and didn’t have nutmeg so swapped for all spice – added a little extra garlic cos that’s what i like.
Awesome, thank you
Hooray! I’m excited you loved it, Ruthie.
This recipe is very good! Love the taste and texture!
I’m excited to hear you enjoyed it, Sue! I appreciate your review.
Hey just wondering if Ii could pre-roast the cauliflower for an even faster prep and work time?
Hi, I’m not sure what you are referring to a this calls for the cauliflower to be roasted.
We loved this! Didn’t have red onion so used a sweet white one. Added about 1/8 tsp each of ground pepper and chili powder because we love zing.