Cauliflower Soup

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.

Cauliflower soup

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 recipe ingredients

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.

Cauliflower florets on a baking sheet

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.

Roasted vegetables on a baking sheet

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.

Broth and roasted vegetables in a blender

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!

Creamy cauliflower soup in a blender

Blend until smooth. Before you eat, season to taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, as desired.

Vegan cauliflower soup

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.

Cauliflower soup recipe

More Favorite Soup Recipes

If you love this delicious soup, try one of these recipes next:

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Cauliflower Soup

rate this recipe:
4.93 from 246 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 6
This roasted cauliflower soup is velvety and rich, even though it's made without cream or cheese. The blended cauliflower creates the soup's amazing creamy texture - no dairy necessary!

Ingredients

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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270 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Stacey O'Sullivan
    02.09.2024

    5 stars
    This soup is so easy and so delicious! It will be a go to for me in the future. Some chickpeas to put on top. I’m trying to be gluten-free, so I’m trying to come up with something salty, crunchy. That would be nice instead of croutons.

  2. Mary Ann CRISTIANO
    01.21.2024

    4 stars
    I love this soup! It’s so delicious. I add a little habanero paste to it to give it a little heat. Such a delicious and easy soup to make.

  3. coco
    12.21.2023

    5 stars
    I’m cooking it now and the house smells wonderful from the roasting with the garlic and thyme. Lovely aroma. I love anything that lemon is added to. I also roasted some chick peas for the garnish–I used olive oil, some cumin, and sea salt.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.21.2023

      That sounds delicious!

  4. Lynda Schwalm
    10.26.2023

    4 stars
    I ate some of the cauliflower as it was roasting and it was delicious! The finished product also tastes very good, but doesn’t look like your photo. HmmmMaybe I need a better blender. At least I will blend it again before serving.
    PS, blended it again and it is lovely!!

  5. Lynda Schwalm
    10.26.2023

    3 stars
    I ate some of the cauliflower as it was roasting and it was delicious! The finished product also tastes very good, but doesn’t look like your photo. HmmmMaybe I need a better blender. At least I will blend it again before serving. Maybe add some cream?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.27.2023

      Hi Lynda, if it’s a little too thick to get creamy in the blender, try adding a bit of water.

  6. Libby
    10.04.2023

    3 stars
    I only had dried thyme and i think I added too much. Any way to compensate for this? Also I may also have been too heavy haded with the mustard. Any fix? Thanks

  7. Tammie
    09.03.2023

    5 stars
    I made this soup today. It is so good! Thank you for the recipe. I made it just as you shared it. I think the lemon is a beautiful part of it.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.05.2023

      Hi Tammie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  8. Sarah
    06.11.2023

    5 stars
    Delicious! I made it as written, but with dried thyme instead of fresh. Simple and tasty.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.14.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  9. isabelle
    04.18.2023

    That soup is absolutely delicious. just perfect. I did substitute the white miso paste with soy sauce (half the amount), only because I literally never use miso p. and didn’t want it indefinitely in my refrigerator..

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.20.2023

      I’m so glad you loved the soup! Great to know that the soy sauce worked well.

  10. r
    04.06.2023

    Is there a substitute for the white miso paste?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.07.2023

      Hi, you could try adding some grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast instead. They wouldn’t be quite the same, but they would add a nice savory flavor to the soup.

    • isabelle
      04.18.2023

      yes, soy sauce. half the amount of white miso paste.

      • Renee
        04.18.2023

        Thank you both! i ended up doing a tamari/tahini mixture but the recommendation of using half the amount of soy sauces as you would white miso is helpful! I also like the idea of adding parm or nutritional yeast, i will try that next time!

  11. Fiona
    03.07.2023

    Absolutely lovely velvety texture and rich flavour, thank you!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.10.2023

      Hi Fiona, I’m so glad you loved the soup!

  12. Laurena Barlow
    02.22.2023

    I will leave a comment when I make it but I need Nutritional information before I eat it as I have CKD. Thank you it sounds very interesting
    Foxelade

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.23.2023

      Hi, unfortunately, we don’t calculate nutrition info for our recipes. To get a nutrition estimate, I recommend using an online nutrition calculator such as MyFitnessPal.

  13. Amy Maidenberg
    02.14.2023

    4 stars
    This is quite tasty and probably the best cauliflower soup I’ve made. But I realize that maybe I just don’t love cauliflower soup. This recipe is relatively easy, but does involve miso paste and roasting, so there was some extra shopping and steps. In comparison, the carrot ginger soup was very easy and totally amazing!

  14. Rebecca
    02.09.2023

    Looks delicious. I’m planning on making it for a dinner party, how far in advance can I make it? Thanks!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2023

      Hi Rebecca, this soup keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.