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.
Dear Kate, I absolutely LOVED this soup!! The flavors from roasting the cauliflower make this soup stand out from any other cauliflower soup! Keep up with your amazing recipes!
Thank you for sharing this. One of my favourite soups to make. :)
Loved this soup. I added a little hot sauce to my bowl, perfect!
I love this soup! I love flavor so the 2nd time I made this I roasted the onion with the cauliflower with a sprinkling of tumeric & smoked paprika. I added basil pesto, roasted garlic & lemon sections before blending.
Lots of flavour that packs a punch! We roasted the garlic together with the cauliflower, and it was delicious Thanks for sharing!
Hello! I am trying to eat more of a plant based diet and my hubby is a huge carnivore. Could you suggest some type of dish that I can serve on the side or as topping that he could have with this soup? Thank you so much!
Hey Lizzie! If you’re not avoiding cheese, this grilled cheese would be quite nice. For a more redeeming option, try my arugula and wild rice salad or farro and kale salad (if you are avoiding cheese, check the recipe notes on those for substitutions). Hope one of those sounds good!
It’s great with bacon crumbles on top. You can use the bacon fat instead of oil with the onions then.
we loved the soup. it was great. upon looking at the values i did see that it has a high potassium count. i’m not supposed to have so much. too bad for me.
This is my favorite of all time. So simple and delicious. Doesn’t even require the butter to be good
OMG this is delicious! I actually had cauliflower soup at a high end restaurant that didn’t hold a candle to this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Just made this delicious soup. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I always come back to Cookie + Kate for soup recipes and once again I was NOT disappointed. This soup is phenomenal. Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious! I’ve made this soup a few times now…the butter and roasting the cauliflower really adds flavour! I made Parmesan crisps for the garnish. Love it!
Really good
I just finished making this and this is definitely one of the most flavourful soups I have ever made! I never know what to do with cauliflower, other than roast it in the oven and was looking for something different and I’m so glad I came across this recipe! This is definitely going in my favorites folder!
This soup was so good and so easy!! We topped ours with a bit of truffle oil and it was delicious. This soup will be a staple in our household.
Oh my goodness! This soup was beyond delicious!!! My hubby was not initially excited that I was making cauliflower soup for dinner but literally 2 spoonfuls in he was demanding I make it again ASAP. He was actually scraping the sides of the blender for every last bit…lol. He went Vegan a year ago in an effort to dramatically reduce his cholesterol so we’re always on the hunt for adaptable and delicious recipes and this was absolutely a home run. I used Vegan butter instead and I’m certain it lacked none of the richness and deliciousness of real butter. You have just earned yourself a forever fan Thank you so so much!!!
I assume the 4 c. of vegetable broth goes somewhere in Step 5?
Hi! It’s added in step four.
Comments are always helpful……when someone has taken the time and trouble to actually read the recipe. ;)
Can I make this creamy cauliflower soup with with asparagus or broccoli instead
Hey Carole! I’m actually publishing a broccoli soup tomorrow, so stay tuned. I haven’t tried with asparagus. I’m not sure it would be as creamy and thick as cauliflower.
Another winner from Cookie + Kate!! Very creamy & filling; nutmeg was a nice touch. I would only suggest getting an extra big cauliflower and saving several pieces for each bowl (rather than just one piece per bowl). Soooo good.
What are some ways to decrease the sodium that’s listed in many of the recipes on the website? They look terrific until I read the sodium content.
Hi Carol, you can substitute water for vegetable broth, and then use less than the specified amounts of salt.
I LOVE this soup. To think it could be this delicious with no cream OR cheese – you are joking! Please make the croutons, they are a game changer and add a yummy crunch. Same with lots of her other recipes, I have made this multiple times and it never disappoints.
Whoops the crouton recipe is the cookbook!
Excellent easy soup to make with good flavour and creaminess (without the cream). I put the onion (in big chunks) and the garlic (whole) in with the cauliflower to roast to make it even quicker and easier
Great soup! Added one can white beans, marsala wine & dried thyme, hummmmmmmmmmmm topped with a little parm cheese.
This is without a doubt THE best soup! Rather than using the butter, I dice a Yukon gold potato and roast it with the cauliflower, for creaminess. And I use an immersion blender. I could LIVE on this soup.
I just made it and it was delicious! And much more filling than expected. I love all your recipes so much, it seems we have exactly the same taste! I try out something new from your website every week :)
I love that you use the blog so much! Thank you for commenting and letting me know you like this one.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.. it is truly delicious. I through in some cashews when blending.. so so creamy!
Mine did not come out as thick as yours looks but was delicious regardless. For soup with so few ingredients and so easy to make it packs quite a bit of flavor.
Im not vegetarian and didn’t have vegetarian broth around so I used chicken broth instead but I am sure it would have been just as good. I am trying to eat less meat this year and I have been trying a lot of your recipes in these past few weeks and haven’t found one I didn’t like. Can’t wait to keep trying more.
Delicious base recipe……tastes so rich despite a small amount of butter! I added roasted garlic, poblano pepper and carrot for extra flavor.
Hands down best soup I’ve ever made! Wildly tasty and super easy, adding this to repertoire 100%.
This is an amazing base recipe….such a rich flavor despite very little butter/cream. I added roasted poblano, roasted garlic, roasted carrot and roasted shallot – delicious!
Truly the best I’ve ever made. Thanks!
Hi! I’m making this soup tonight for dinner and realized I do not have any nutmeg. Is there anything you would using as a substitute or is it ok to forgo altogether? Thank you!
Oh no! Nutmeg really helps make this. I would just forgo and adjust the other seasonings by taste as you see fit at the end.
Loved thé easiness of the recipe. I didn’t have enough veg. Broth so used 1/2 chicken. Roasting the cauliflower really makes a difference. I added a wee bit more lemon, and it makes it a fresh taste. Topped with ground black pepper. Yum. Will keep this recipe handy for sure
Delicious! Love all your recipes and have recommended your website to many family and friends.
Thank you, Carolin! I’m glad you love this one.
Wow. I had a cauliflower that needed using. This recipe is amazing. My kids both had seconds! So easy to make too. I’ve shared it with several people who are all saying they’ll try it
I’m going to try your broccoli soup tomorrow although I have only one broccoli
Thanks
You’re welcome, Stef! Thank you for your review.
I made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I used home made chicken stock instead of vegetable stock, and it worked really well. I served it with whole grain grilled cheese sandwiches and we dipped them in to the soup. So simple but delicious! This recipe is a keeper!
That’s great to hear, Claudia! Thanks so much for sharing.
This was easy and really delicious!
Thank you for sharing, Martine!
This was a success! i used cashews (all i had were the salted roasted ones) in place of butter, and the broth that I used were leftovers from veggie hotpot (which had a bit of miso)- pleased with the results :)
Kate, This is delicious…I must admit though, I was skeptical of the lemon, but it works! Also, you are correct, an immersion blender does not do the job.
Amazingly delicious!!!
I’m excited you loved it, Cat!
Yummy soup with easy ingredients…even the kids like it!
When adding the butter to the blender does it matter if it’s cold or room temp?
Nope, doesn’t matter!
Awesome. I’m making roasted broccoli soup right now that I’m stealing this trick for! I’m keto and am always looking for ways to add more fat into my meals.
This recipe is heavenly! My mother who has been vegetarian since she was a teenager has always been a cauliflower hater. I told her she had to try this soup and after eating it I have turned her into a cauliflower lover. This is my all time favorite soup paired with grilled cheese.
Hi Katie! Looking forward to making this, however, i dont have a blender at the moment. Is there another way to “blend” this?
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry, you really need a blender to achieve a creamy texture for this soup. You might have some success with a food processor.
What a brilliant recipe! I had never roasted cauliflower before and was amazed at the caramelised flavour. The nutmeg and lemon add extra layers of taste. Thank you. Clare, Exeter, UK
Great recipe! I used a stick blender and it came out nice and creamy. I added a little extra nutmeg and garnished the soup with salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) – yum!
Great recipe!Hubby loved it and it is rather easy to make. Have not come across a recipe that was not a keeper. Thank you.
This recipe is so tasty, flavorful and easy to make. A definite keeper in my recipe box.
Just made this and it is incredible!!! Will make this one over and over again. Thank you for amazing recipes. Will try the Classic Tomato Soup recipe next!
This soup is WONDERFUL! It is so creamy, flavorful and satisfying. Thank you!
Thank you Kate for this recipe… I’ve made it several times and the last time I also roasted white & green onions, a bell pepper and a Jalapeno pepper with the cauliflower. Once it was all blended up this gave the soup a nice zing and my family loves it. :)
What if you do not have vegetable broth?
You could try to use another broth you may have on hand. Or, potentially water. I haven’t tried it with water and likely want to increase your salt to make up for not having vegetable broth. I’m testing it in some other soups, but haven’t tried this one yet.
SO Good! on heavy rotation at our house this winter
This is a wonderful fast recipe! I love roasted veggies- and this is a nice twist. Instead of red onion, I used a leek- it needed to go in something. I haven’t added any butter, but that will happen with individual servings. I can see this with a little dairy on the top- yogurt, sour cream, cream or creme fraiche to doll up ;-) for a dinner party. Also, for those worried about sodium, do a half water / half stock- and that should still boost the flavor while controlling sodium.
Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing this. Absolutely loved it, it’s in my top ten soups of all time
Honestly, I followed the recipe and found it to be very bland, even after adding more spice. I really don’t think it’s worth all the work.