Cauliflower Soup

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As soon as the weather turns cool, I get obsessed with this easy cauliflower soup recipe! Even my kids love it. This roasted cauliflower soup is creamy, velvety smooth, full of flavor, and the hands-on cooking time is short, so I can prep the main dish for dinner while I wait.

If you’ve had any of my cauliflower recipes, you know that I’m a big fan of roasting cauliflower before using it in recipes. I love the extra flavor that roasting creates without adding much extra work. But if you’re looking for cauliflower soup recipes that don’t require roasting, try my cheesy cauliflower soup instead!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for roasted cauliflower soup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Cauliflower – You’ll need about 6 cups of raw florets, so choose a large head, or two smaller ones. If you have extra cauliflower, use it in a vegetable soup recipe next.
• Oil – I used olive oil for roasting the cauliflower and sauteing the garlic. Avocado oil works fine, as well. For extra flavor, you can also use butter instead of oil for sauteing the garlic, since this is quick and the butter won’t get the chance to burn.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves have the best flavor, but you can use 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic instead.
• Fresh Thyme – Adds flavor! Feel free to experiment with other herbs here; rosemary, chives, or Italian seasoning also work well. If you replace the fresh thyme with any type of dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs in place of 1 tablespoon fresh herbs.
• Broth – I use a reduced-sodium chicken broth to control the salt to taste. You can also use chicken bone broth, or use regular chicken broth and decrease the amount of salt in the cauliflower soup recipe. Vegetable broth works as well, for a vegetarian option.
• Cream Cheese – Makes this a creamy cauliflower soup! Cut the cream cheese into small cubes to melt into the soup more easily. If needed, you can use a vegan / dairy-free cream cheese, or substitute coconut cream, though the flavor will be different.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Make Cauliflower Soup

This section shows how to make roasted cauliflower soup, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Season the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower head into florets. Place them in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Roast the cauliflower. Line a large baking sheet with foil (or parchment paper) and grease lightly. Roast the cauliflower in the oven, until tender and browned.

3. Saute the garlic and herbs. Heat more olive oil in a large saucepan, pot, or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme. Saute until fragrant.
4. Simmer the cauliflower soup. Add the chicken broth and roasted cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to let the flavors develop.

5. Blend until smooth. You can use an immersion blender to puree the cauliflower. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in batches in a regular blender, and then return to the pot.

TIP: If you like, you can reserve some of the florets before blending, to add back to the soup later.

To do this, use a slotted spoon to remove some florets before pureeing, then return to the soup afterward. They add an extra burst of flavor and texture!

6. Make it creamy. With the soup on low heat, add the cream cheese cubes. Use the immersion blender again to help the cream cheese melt into the soup, until smooth.
7. Season to taste. Adjust taste with salt and pepper if needed. I like to garnish cauliflower soup with fresh thyme leaves, sometimes a drizzle of olive oil, and extra freshly cracked black pepper.

Variations Of Cauliflower Soup

I kept this cauliflower soup recipe simple, with just six ingredients, but you can also change it up by making additions or changing the cooking method:

• Bacon – If you have already cooked bacon in the oven, air fryer bacon, or microwave bacon, you an simply chop it up and add it to the soup. If you don’t have any ready to go, you can cook raw bacon in the dutch oven on the stove, before sauteing the garlic. You can also chop the raw bacon and add it to the cauliflower when roasting, like I do for bacon brussels sprouts.
• Veggies – Try onions, carrots, or celery. Saute them first, before adding the garlic and thyme. If you don’t want them pureed, remove them before adding the cauliflower, then add back in at the end.
• Lemon – Add a teaspoon of lemon zest or a splash of lemon juice at the end.
• Vegan – To make this cauliflower soup vegan, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and choose a vegan cream cheese (or sub coconut cream).
• Spicy – If you like heat, add a kick with crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
• Slow cooker – Make this recipe for cauliflower soup ahead with your Crock Pot! Roast the cauliflower and saute the garlic and herbs (like above), then combine everything in the Crock Pot and cook for 3-4 hours on Low. Add the cream cheese at the end using an immersion blender.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Meal prep: You can definitely make this cauliflower soup recipe ahead of time. Alternatively, you can also roast the cauliflower ahead of time, so that the day you make it, all you have to do is simmer and blend.
• Reheat: Warm the soup on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave. If it separates, puree with an immersion blender again to bring it back together.
• Freeze: You can freeze roasted cauliflower soup for up to 3 months. If you’re making it with the intention of freezing it, I would recommend leaving the cream cheese, which can separate when thawing (you can add it in after thawing and reheating). Alternatively, if you need to freeze leftovers, you can do so even if you added cream cheese, and just plan to run it through a blender before eating. Either way, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating.

What To Serve With Cauliflower Soup Recipes

Cauliflower soup recipes make a comforting starter before just about any main dish, or serve them with a healthy salad for a meal. Try these serving ideas:

• Croutons – These add a nice crunchy contrast on top. You can use regular ones if they fit your lifestyle, buy gluten-free ones, or make low carb croutons yourself.
• Salad – An artichoke salad perfectly complements the flavors in roasted cauliflower soup, but you can also make a bright Mediterranean salad with chickpeas or a winter salad full of fall and winter flavors. For a classic soup-and-salad meal, the simplest option is a chicken Caesar salad.
• Chicken – Serve cauliflower soup as an appetizer to asparagus stuffed chicken, cornish hens, or for a sweet twist, honey garlic chicken over rice (or cauliflower rice if you have a lot of cauliflower to use up). Or, make a complete meal of Instant Pot chicken and rice.
• Fish – After a comforting bowl of soup, serve a light meal of buttery pan seared salmon or flaky baked tilapia with some sauteed vegetables on the side.

More Easy Cauliflower Recipes

Looking for more ways to enjoy cauliflower? Here are more easy, flavor-packed cauliflower recipes to try:

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower Potato Salad

Cauliflower Casserole

Easy Cauliflower Rice

Recipe Card

5 from 78 votes

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Cauliflower Soup (Creamy & Easy!)

Make this easy roasted cauliflower soup recipe with just 6 simple ingredients! It's creamy, thick, and will warm you up on a cold day.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 5 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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• 1 large head Cauliflower (cut into florets, ~6 cups florets) ▢
• 3 tbsp Olive oil (divided) ▢
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt (divided into 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp) ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic ▢
• 1 tbsp Fresh thyme ▢
• 4 cups Chicken broth, reduced sodium (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option) ▢
• 8 oz Cream cheese (softened at room temperature, cut into cubes) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper (to taste) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line an extra large baking sheet with foil and grease lightly.

2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) sea salt. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until browned on the edges and very soft.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.

4. Add the chicken broth and roasted cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Use an immersion blender to puree the cauliflower, until smooth. (If desired, you can use a slotted spoon to remove some florets before pureeing, then return to the soup after.)

6. With the soup on low heat, add the cream cheese cubes. Use the immersion blender again to help the cream cheese melt into the soup, until smooth.

7. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (2 g) and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, adjusting to taste as needed.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 286

Fat 24g

Protein 6g

Total Carbs 12g

Net Carbs 9g

Fiber 3g

Sugar 4g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keywords: cauliflower soup, cauliflower soup recipe, cauliflower soup recipes, roasted cauliflower soup

Calories: 286 kcal

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