This cauliflower leek soup is easy to make, but you'd never guess it from the taste - roasting & blending the veggies makes it flavorful & satisfying.
Thank you all SO much for your ideas & suggestions of what to make with my giant cauliflower. You had so many creative ideas, and I just loved reading through them all.
Last night, we curled up on the sofa with this creamy roasted cauliflower & leek soup. (Note: I used cashews for the cream part – if you’re nut-free, check out this creamy vegan cauliflower soup recipe.) This process might look subtle, but roasting the cauliflower, leeks & garlic brings out some pretty big flavors… and in a surprisingly little amount of time. The short version of this recipe is this: Roast. Blend.
(But I promise, it tastes fancier than that).
Thanks to so many of you for commenting with the leek & cauliflower soup idea… I went with this cashew cream idea suggested by Alisa. With the “toss it all in the oven” method (and paprika addition) as suggested by Anouk.
Roasted Cauliflower & Leek Soup
- About 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 2-3 leeks, white and very light green parts, chopped (about 1 to 1½ cups)
- 2 garlic cloves
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- ½ cup raw, unsalted, un-roasted cashews, soaked overnight* (see note)
- 1½ teaspoons miso paste (or just salt if you don't have any)
- Leaves from a few sprigs of marjoram or thyme
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons more olive oil (to blend into the soup)
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika (or more to taste)
- Squeeze of lemon
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Splash of white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, at the end (especially if you made yours too spicy like I did)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the cauliflower, leeks, and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt & pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove when everything is starting to turn golden, but before the leeks are burning (if a few get too charred, it's ok, just pick them out later).
- Add to your blender the veggies you just roasted, drained cashews, marjoram leaves, miso paste, a squeeze of lemon and 1½ cups water. Blend until pureed. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, and the remaining 1½ cups water. Blend again. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Pour into a medium saucepan and heat just until the soup is warm. Stir in a little more water if it's too thick. Serve with bread on the side.
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It was delicious! We have loved it, only added chicken broth!
Hi Sarah, so glad you loved it!
Help! I love the taste of the soup but my texture did not come out smooth. I’ve been blending in my Ninja blender. Is this not powerful enough? I strained a little bit of the soup but lost most of the bulk of the soup. Any suggestions?
Hi Elissa, It’s probably just the blender! We love using a Vitamix for pureed soups like this.
Hi Jeanine!
I only have dried thyme on hand… any suggestion on amount to add?
Denise
Hi Denise, I’d do 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
Wonderful soup!
The paprika and miso added nice flavour too. I blended in some white beans for protein. Thanks!
This was delicious, the roasting brings out so much flavor, and makes it all so easy! I didn’t have cashews this time (but we’ll try next time), used homemade broth instead of water, and threw in a pablano pepper on the roasting pan and used my immersion blender. Rich flavor! I recommend it!
What’s the best way to thicken up the soup if it’s too watery? I didn’t have cashews, so I substituted coconut milk, but didn’t change anything else from the recipe. The taste is delicious, but a little loose for my taste.
I just made this soup and it was so delicious! I forgot to add the vinegar and chilli but was still delicious without. Fussy hubby enjoyed it too. Will definitely make again!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Can I substitute half and half for the cashews? I want to make tonight so no time to buy and soak the cashews.
Hi Sasha, I’d make this other (newer) cauliflower soup recipe! No cashews: https://www.loveandlemons.com/cauliflower-soup/
I cooked the cashews for 30 minutes or until they are very soft!
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