Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my roasted cauliflower soup recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Cauliflower – You’ll need about 6 cups of raw florets. Sometimes a large head is enough, but I usually grab two small or medium ones to get this amount. If you have leftover roasted or air fried cauliflower, feel free to toss that in, too.
• Broth – I prefer the flavor of chicken broth here, but you can use vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian option. I’ve also used chicken bone broth and it gives a richer flavor. Keep in mind that the amount of salt in my cauliflower soup recipe is based on reduced-sodium broth, so if you use regular, you may want to start with less.
• Cream Cheese – My secret ingredient to make this a creamy cauliflower soup without cream! You can substitute a vegan / dairy-free cream cheese or coconut cream, though the flavor will be different. Heavy cream or half and half can work too, but the soup won’t be as thick.
• Garlic – I recommend fresh minced garlic cloves for the best flavor, but have swapped in 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic when I was short on time.
• Fresh Thyme – 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.
• Oil – I used olive oil for roasting the cauliflower and sauteing the garlic. Avocado oil works fine, as well. Sometimes I saute the garlic in butter instead for extra flavor — since this step is quick, the butter won’t get the chance to burn.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Make Cauliflower Soup

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

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. Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a large baking sheet (this is my favorite) lined with parchment paper or foil. 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 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. I use my favorite immersion blender, but if you don’t have one, you can blend the soup in batches in a regular blender.
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. If you used a regular blender, you can add the cream cheese in there instead.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to garnish this cauliflower soup with fresh thyme leaves, sometimes a drizzle of olive oil, and extra freshly cracked black pepper.

Recipe Variations

I kept this cauliflower soup recipe simple, with just 6 ingredients, but you can also change it up in these ways:

• Protein – My go-to way is to add leftover shredded Instant Pot chicken, but you can also cook ground beef or turkey in the same pot in the beginning. Since this cauliflower soup gets blended, I remove the meat before cooking the soup, then add back in at the end. You can also use the method from my creamy chicken soup recipe instead.
• Bacon – If you have already cooked bacon in the oven, air fryer bacon, or microwave bacon, you can sprinkle it over the roasted cauliflower soup at the end. If you don’t have any ready to go, you can cook raw bacon at the start, and then use the bacon grease to saute the garlic. Another option is to 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.
• Spicy – If you like heat, add a kick with crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
• Slow cooker – While it won’t have the same roasted flavor, you can toss all the ingredients in a Crock Pot to make it even easier. Cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low, until the cauliflower is tender, then blend until smooth.

More Cauliflower Soup Recipes

Cauliflower is one of my favorite additions to soup, because it adds veggies and bulk without changing the flavor. Try one of my other cauliflower soup recipes next:

Cheeseburger Soup

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Vegetable Soup

Celery Root Soup