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.
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Active time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4, 4 bowls
- Difficulty
- Medium
Ingredients and Constraints
Ingredients
Ingredient watchpoints5 watchpoints
Short requirements and tradeoffs to check while gathering ingredients; detailed source notes stay expandable.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Red Onion
1 medium red onion, chopped
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Garlic
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Nutmeg
Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Flat-Leaf Parsley
For garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or green onions
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Additional ingredient notes
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).
Method Overview
Structured method notes that are separate from the step timeline.
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!
Method Timeline
Prep
ActivePrep
15 min
Prep time from the source recipe card.
Cook
ActiveCook
55 min
Cook time from the source recipe card.
Total
PassiveTotal
1 hr 10 min
Total time from the source recipe card.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If desired, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
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 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
medium heatStep 4
Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the broth.
Step 5
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.
Step 6
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!)
Step 7
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 1/4 to 3/4 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.
Step 8
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.
Handling and Storage
Reviewed hold, storage, make-ahead, and service-timing guidance.
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.
Learn More
Extra cooking notes, tests, and source details kept out of the step-by-step method.
Why this works
Quick kitchen reasons behind the main choices.
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!
Article photos
Photos used with the article notes.
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Testing notes
Useful tests and side-by-side notes after the method is clear.
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.
The final texture, in my opinion, is absolutely worth dirtying the blender bowl for.
Testing photos
Photos that support the article's cooking notes.
Source: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Recipe structure
Components and intermediate outputs created by the method.
Main recipe
Recipe card ingredients and steps.
4, 4 bowls
Garnish
Source step 5 creates or uses garnish.
Mixture
Source step 5 creates or uses mixture.
Extra useful notes
Short source-backed recommendations and facts that do not need a step.
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE/VEGAN: Use cashews instead of butter.
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.
Recipe Utilities
Account actions, source details, export, and reporting stay available without interrupting the cooking flow.
Source and Origin
Origin declaration
Adapted from source
Imported from the cookie-and-kate page for dev review.
Copy risk: Unchecked
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Article
View source
My Kitchen Actions
Login is required.
My Kitchen keeps saved recipes, private notes, adaptations, cooking logs, imports, and exports tied to your account.
Export
Public recipe exports include only approved public content. Personal backup exports require login.
Export history
No exports yet.