This cauliflower soup recipe is rich and creamy...without any cream! Warm, comforting, and SO flavorful, it's the perfect meal for a cold day.
This roasted cauliflower soup recipe is rich and creamy…but it doesn’t call for any cream. Instead, the blended cauliflower creates its luscious texture—no dairy required!
I’ve had this cauliflower soup recipe in my cold weather rotation for years now. Even though all the ingredients are plant-based, it’s just as comforting as any soup made with heavy cream, milk, or cheese. On a chilly winter night, it absolutely hits the spot! It’s also super simple to make, so there’s lots to love here.
Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
You only need 10 basic ingredients to make this creamy cauliflower soup:
- A head of cauliflower, of course! It gives the soup a silky texture without any nuts or dairy.
- Garlic and shallots – You’ll roast them along with the cauliflower. Once they’re tender and caramelized, they add rich, nutty flavor to this cauliflower soup.
- Fresh thyme – For fresh, earthy flavor.
- White miso paste – It adds savory, umami flavor that tastes fantastic with the roasted cauliflower, shallots, and garlic.
- Dijon mustard – For tang.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- Vegetable broth – Make homemade vegetable broth, or use store-bought.
- Fresh lemon juice – It makes the soup nice and bright.
- And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
I like to think of this cauliflower soup recipe in three easy steps: roast, simmer, and blend.
First, roast the veggies. Break the cauliflower into florets and chop up the cores. Peel and quarter the shallots. Wrap them in a piece of foil with the unpeeled garlic cloves, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper.
Recipe Tip
Don’t have shallots? Replace them with half a yellow onion, chopped. Use the onions just like you would the shallot—add them to the foil along with the garlic!
Spread the chopped cauliflower florets and core in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and toss them with oil, salt, and pepper. Add the foil packet to the sheet, and roast until all the vegetables are tender and the cauliflower is browned.
Next, simmer. Bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Peel the garlic cloves, and stir them into the pot along with the cauliflower, shallots, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Finally, blend the soup. Allow it to cool slightly. Then, transfer it from the soup pot to a blender. Add the miso paste, mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Feel free to use an immersion blender for this step if you prefer!
Blend until smooth. Before you eat, season to taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, as desired.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Soup
When you’re ready to eat, garnish your bowl with micro greens, fresh parsley, and/or freshly cracked black pepper. This cauliflower soup would also be fantastic with homemade croutons on top for crunch!
Enjoy the creamy soup with focaccia, crusty bread, or a grilled cheese sandwich on the side for dipping.
It also pairs nicely with a side salad. Make a simple green salad by tossing mixed greens with Italian dressing, honey mustard dressing, or lemon vinaigrette, or try one of these 25 Winter Salad Recipes!
Enjoy!
Got leftover soup? Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’ll thicken in the fridge, so you might need to stir in a little water when you reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.
This cauliflower soup freezes well too. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to airtight jars or containers, leaving an inch for the soup to expand at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months!
Allow frozen soup to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this delicious soup, try one of these recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, about 2 lbs.
- 2 shallots, peeled and sliced into quarters
- 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- Leaves from 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- ½ tablespoon white miso paste
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Microgreens for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the cauliflower including the core pieces. Spread the cauliflower on the baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper. Wrap the shallot and garlic cloves, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, in a piece of aluminum foil and place it on the baking sheet with the vegetables. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned around the edges.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add the roasted cauliflower, shallots, peeled garlic, and thyme and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Add the miso paste, mustard, the 3 tablespoons olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with ¼ to ½ teaspoon more salt and more lemon juice. Garnish with microgreens, if desired, and serve.
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I loved making this cozy cauliflower soup. I love how velvety smooth it gets when you blend it.
I did the recipe to the T. Never wavered once. Loved the different flavors of the different ingredients.
So delicious and creamy! My first time making cauliflower soup and its a keeper!
This recipe exceeded our expectations! Each time we ate it we used a different combo of toppings including harissa, shredded cheddar, pepitas, and parsley. You can’t go wrong with this soup!
Participated in cooking club this month and this was easy and delicious! Thank you!
I was one of the unlucky kids who only ever had raw cauliflower as part of some sad crudite tray with ranch dipping sauce. It wasn’t until about 8 or 10 years ago that I discovered cauliflower can actually be delicious, and I’m happy to say this recipe is a perfect example. We used an immersion wand instead of a full-size blender, and that makes the prep even easier!
Wow! I never would have thought to make cauliflower soup. So easy and absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for broadening my cauliflower horizons!
I am fairly new to vegan recipes and I thought this soup was filling and creamy without the need for dairy! I used a hand immersion blender so it did not look as smooth and velvety as the photo, but I will try to blend again today in the large blender. Still tasted great!
Unfortunately, my local grocery store did not have miso paste. Is there a good substitute for added flavor?
Update: I put it in a blender today and it is 10x better! Perfectly silky smooth consistency. I will definitely make this again.
I loved this recipe and it was so easy to make! The miso paste and dijon added interesting dimension to the flavors and great to discover a new way to use up the miso paste I have on hand for another recipe. I like a little texture in my soup, so I reserved some of the roasted cauliflower to use as garnish and served with grilled bread. Such a great dinner for a cold and rainy night!
I loved the soup. The miso paste was a great addition. I simmered the soup without covering it, so it’s a bit thicker, but still delicious!
This soup came out on top! 😋 Yum!
Yet another fantastic soup recipe — prep is so easy and everyone loved it. Add Jack’s Garlic Pretzel Knots (from Love and Lemons Everyday) made the soup even better!
Aw, what a good pairing! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup and the pretzel knots!
This soup is delicious; everyone loved it! So easy; really loved the addition of miso; so much so that I added extra!
We loved this recipe! My 12 month old devoured her bowl of soup!
Loved this recipe! Good way to get in my veggies. The mustard is a nice touch.
Easy to make! I didn’t have thyme. I topped the soup with basil,chives and croutons. Delicious!
I really like the favors of thyme and mustard combined! I found that combination a really special touch of your green bean casserole recipe, so I’m glad to find these flavors in this recipe as well. Yum, yum.
Wasn’t exactly sure what to expect with this soup but it’s so creamy, bright and surprisingly flavorful! Looking forward to making it many more times in the future.
I made this soup along with the Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Salad for my partner and I to enjoy with some wine. Both recipes were great and made one delicious dinner! 🙂 Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies to work with because of how creative you can be with it. Thanks for another cauliflower recipe, Jeanine!
We licked our creamy cauliflower soup bowls clean this evening. I served them up with a garnish of pea shoots and cloves of roasted caramelized garlic !😋😋 🥣 a new winter warmer go to. Thanks!