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.
Delicious! And so simple to make. Thank you!
Hi Kate!
For the “1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets”
Is the weight of the cauliflower head (precut) 2lbs?
Our grocery store has had insanely small cauliflower heads this year, so I just wanted to see if I double up based on the intact head weight or the weight of my cut florets!
Hi! You will measure the whole head, so pre cut. I hope that helps!
This recipe is delicious!!! I can’t say enough good things about it. Easy to prepare, not many ingredients, delicious, healthy. Love it! Thank you!I
Could you use vegan butter instead of cashews?
You could try it. Let me know what you think, Alli!
It tastes nice, but the flavour is influenced by the taste of the ready-made vegetable stock. Go easy with nutmeg and lemon, I used the juice from half a lemon and it was a bit too much.
I made this tonight. Transferred most of it to the blender. Blended it until smooth, then started pouring it into the first bowl. I was so proud at how smooth and fragrant it was…then the bottom fell out of the blender. Soup everywhere.
Oh Nooooooo…!!
This is a keeper. I forgot to add the butter at the end but it was delicious even without it! My husband had two bowls and is a meat and potato kind of guy; definitely a soup for dinner man. Next time I think I’ll saute the onions in butter instead of evoo. Thanks.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it, Sharon.
Great recipe! I added 2 teaspoons of curry to the soup – it brought it to another level!
Tried it today and was so pleased! No strong cauliflower odor or taste. I did add one diced carrot with the onions and garlic.
Absolutely delish! Saved some time by roasting my cauliflower in my air fryer, which made this a quick and easy lunch.
If I replace the vegetable broth with water will it still taste good?
You may need to adjust your seasonings. Let me know what you think!
This soup is AMAZING! I love the flavors and recommended topping. Thank you Cookie and Kate!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Kathy! I appreciate your review.
Just made this tonight, YUM!!!! Thank you will be making again :)
That’s great to hear, Mary!
I made this with the soaked cashews and substituting celery for the onions and garlic. Still delicious.
Could the recipe be updated to include the adding of the broth?
I roasted a head of garlic with the cauliflower and it was good but it seemed the soup was missing something.
I’m sorry to hear you were missing something, Audrey. I appreciate your feedback.
Followed recipe to a tee and it was delicious! Warm and comforting on a cold, winter day.
This soup was amazing, easy, so tasty and perfect for company!!! Added a few pumpkin seeds on top for a crunch.
Great to hear, Sher! Thank you for your review.
This soup is so good I wanted to lick the bowl!
I followed the recipe except I didn’t have any lemon and didn’t feel like I missed anything. I also used half broth and half water to cut the salt. This is a new soup in my favorites.
Thank you for sharing!
Great to hear, Bernadette! Thank you for your review.
Tried it and absolutely loved this soup! I came across while I was looking for a change to my usual cauliflower soup. Even my bf likes it and he`s not a fan of cauliflower.
Wow made this today and it was awesome! The green onion garnish and flavour was the cherry of this recipe. Highly recommend. My new favourite soup
Wonderful to hear, Jay! Thank you for your review.
This recipe is delicious!!! I can’t say enough good things about it. Easy to prepare, not many ingredients, delicious, healthy. Love it! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Susan!
I made this soup three weeks ago and have made it once a week since then! It is absolutely THE BEST soup ever!! My family loves it and always asks for it! Thank you SO much for introducing this delicious, creamy, healthy soup to my family!!
You’re welcome, Lori!
Delicious though I found I’m not a huge lover of lemon. I doubled it. Blended 3/4 of it but left a little chunky in it by not adding to blender. I also added some cayenne to kick it up a notch. Amazing how butter alone creams it so well. Delicious!
This is absolutely delicious and I will definitely make it again. I followed your recipe to the letter and couldn’t be happier with the result. I think roasting the cauliflower really enhanced the flavor. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jeannie!
This is the best cauliflower soup recipe I’ve tried. I roasted the minced garlic along with the cauliflower, and used an immersion blender to make it even easier. The lemon juice and nutmeg really make the difference! Easy & delicious!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Kim!
This is one of the best soups I’ve ever had. Worth the roasting, simmering, blending!
Everyone always loves this! Made it for various events and dinners over past few years. So delicious!!
Excellent soup! I skipped the salt and used low sodium vegetable broth. Used only 1 tablespoon of butter. Also I didn’t have nutmeg so skipped that. Loved this soup, so EASY and will make again! Thanks so much for posting the recipe.
You’re welcome, Valerie! I appreciate your review.
Sounds delicious!
Can this soup be frozen?
Sure! This is a great freezer option. I hope you enjoy it, Linda.
This was so delicious. Followed recipe exactly
Thank you
Great to hear, Esti! Thank you for your comment.
I tried out this recipe for lunch today. It was amazing! I slightly tweaked the recipe by adding a carrot and tomato and a dash of cinnamon powder. The colour and fragrant was just gorgeous! It’s a fantastic recipe. Would definitely try this again. Thanks Kathryne!♡
Absolutely delicious. The lemon juice takes this soup to the next level. Absolutely will be making this again. Served with fresh croutons and maybe next time with some crispy bacon pieces. Yum yum. Thank you :-)
You’re welcome, Trudi! I appreciate your review.
Another great hit from cookie and kate! this soup was so simple and so awesome.somehow totally satisfies a craving for a beer cheese soup – without the beer or the cheese! so glad i found this healthy delicious alternative. Making stuffed acorn squash, maybe i’ll serve this on the side for an extra hearty winter dinner. Your rrcipies are the best Kate, thank you!
You’re welcome, Madeline!
Only had half a red onion, so I used half of a yellow onion as well, otherwise I followed the recipe… didn’t need to adjust anything at all. This is absolutely delicious!
I’m glad you loved it, Jenny!
Absolutely delicious. Had to sub normal onion for the red onion. My client is 96 years old and she was scraping the bowl clean ! Excellent recipe, thank you.
Great to hear, Tania! I appreciate your review.
I made this with chicken stock, everything else the same. Absolutely delicious I licked the bowl!
Love to hear that, Shari!
Excellent! I added some roasted butternut squash I had, and canned clams. Yum! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Cymantha!
OMG…This is absolutely delicious. Have tried other cauliflower soups and been disappointed but this is definitely going on the to be made often menu…did cheat and added a bit of cream cheese that needed to be used up but the taste test before the addition was still great. Thank you so much for this recipe. Just so you all know how good this is this is the first time i have ever felt the need to add my 2 cents worth.
Great to hear, Cath! Thank you for sharing.
Perfect taste!
I used a stick blender (dipped it into the pot) and this became an even easier 1-pot recipe!
Just made this recipe for the first time and it is the best roasted cauliflower soup I have tried yet.
Great to hear, Maria!
This recipe sounds great, do you think there would be any harm in roasting the cauliflower before-hand and freezing it, and then taking it out later to make the soup?
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, let me know how it turns out!
Thanks for this glorious soup recipe that lets the cauliflower shine. I checked some other recipes online, but there were too many ingredients which starts to mask the beautiful cauliflower itself. This recipe honors the ingredients and allows it to be what it is. I think most great chefs will agree, let the ingredients speak for themselves. Magnifique!
Great to hear, Anja!
This soup is perfection! The only thing I would change is to add the butter, nutmeg and lemon juice to the pot before blending. It really doesn’t make sense otherwise since you’re blending in batches.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Wonderful to hear! Thank you for your review.
Where does the 44% sodium come from? If I just don’t use salt & only lemon would this make it less? Thank you….sounds wonderful.
Hi Carol, More on my nutrition information. You can omit the salt and use low to no sodium added broth.
This is delicious! Thank you for the recipe! I had to use a pinch of pumpkin pie spice as I had no nutmeg. And halved the recipe as my cauliflower was on the small side.
Great to hear, Nita! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this soup several times and love it. I did find it needed something else at the end, besides lemon juice & butter, so I added a splash of Red Boat fish sauce. That kicked up the flavor very nicely!
Love your recipes.
Linda
Wow- this really packs a flavor punch! I wasn’t really expecting it since cauliflower can be a neutral flavor. I ended up tossing the cauliflower with a couple of shakes of smoked paprika and garlic powder before roasting, but totally forgot to add the nutmeg at the end. Next time since this recipe will definitely be part of the rotation. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Marisa! I appreciate your review.
Really liked this recipe. I used some left-over roasted cauliflower from an earlier meal and it turned out great. The lemon kicks up the flavor. I’ll try some toppings next time
Great to hear, JA!
Hi- I want to make this, can frozen cauli be used?
Sure, just be sure you thaw before you roast it.
I love this soup!
A few years ago, I could barely entertain the thought of eating cauliflower by choice! lol. It has a lot depth of flavor for a relatively quick soup.
I serve it with my home made whole wheat bread.
I’m glad you love this one, Angie!
This is one of my favorites and is easy to make. The most difficult tasks are chopping an onion and pulling the blender out of the cabinet. It is my go to on a weekend afternoon when I am into a good book because it takes about an hour but I can read in between steps. Today I had some crab meat so I added that and some corn. It is even better next day. I especially loved it after reading about how good cauliflower is for you.
Absolutely amazing! I did curry with some oregano and thyme instead for my subtle notes but it is hands down my favorite vitamix soup yet! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Laura!
Absolutely delicious
I overcooked the caulflower. I worried it might spoil the flaver so I looked for some strong seasoning. I used curry to season it and it tastes awesome. I’m definitely going to make this again.
All I can say is … DELICIOUS!! I roasted the onions and garlic with the cauliflower and saved that cooking step. I also added a little extra broth (maybe I had more cauliflower), but the flavor was just so good and the consistency incredibly creamy. Double thumbs up!!