If you're looking for a comforting meal that is simple but tastes, dare I say, "fancy," this cream of cauliflower soup will deliver! With no cheese added, this soup is still plenty creamy. But what makes it extra special are it's rustic nature and a rich combination of flavors that will surprise you in the best way possible! Be sure to see the video for how to make this cauliflower soup (below.)
Nutrition-packed cauliflower is quite cerebrated for its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. But, on its own, cauliflower can taste boring--I'm not one to eat it plain, boiled, or steamed (I mean, I will, if I really have to.)
Luckily, there are many fun ways to dress it up. Three of my favorites: roasted cauliflower and chickpea stew; herbed couscous with roasted cauliflower; and one of my favorite side dishes ever, roasted cauliflower with lemon and cumin.
Adding to the list, today's cauliflower soup.
Why this Cauliflower Soup Recipe works?
This is not a cheesy cauliflower soup as you might expect. But even with no cheese involved, this soup is plenty hearty and creamy. What makes this soup extra special are two important things:
1- This cauliflower soup has a decidedly rustic texture. It begins with perfectly roasted cauliflower. I like to roast the cauliflower on high, long enough to achieve super tender, and nicely caramelized (even charred) florets. Once combined with the liquid, I briefly used an immersion blender to mash the florets (this allows me some freedom to control the texture...I can go super creamy, or keep the soup chunky.) I keep some roasted florets aside to be added at the very end for great texture and presentation!
2- Another thing that makes this cauliflower soup amazing is the rich flavor profile. We've already started the flavoring process by roasting the cauliflower. When we're ready to build the soup, we start with aromatics in the form of onions and garlic. Then, a foursome of earthy Mediterranean spices--turmeric, cumin, sumac, and paprika-- take things up a ton of notches!
A surprising finish, highly recommended, is a splash of lemon juice and a handful of fresh dill. They bring balance and brightness that makes this cauliflower soup so much more exciting!
Can this Cream of Cauliflower Soup Recipe be made dairy-free or vegan?
The main liquid in this cauliflower soup is simply low-sodium vegetable broth. But the creamy nature comes from unsweetened, fat-free half and half (or heavy cream, if you prefer), stirred in towards the end.
If you're looking to make a dairy-free or vegan version of this cauliflower soup, simply swap that out for an unsweetened, plant-based creamer or milk such as cashew milk or coconut milk. The flavor profile will change slightly, but the spices in this soup will still work beautifully.
How Long will this Cauliflower Soup Keep In the Fridge?
Now, this cauliflower soup will yield about 6 good servings. If you have leftovers, let the soup cool completely, then store in the fridge in tight-lid glass containers for 3 to 4 days (always use common sense, if it doesn't smell great to you at some point, don't eat it. )
Warm over medium heat, stirring often. Do not boil.
What about freezing the leftovers? Remember, soups that contain milk or cream won't hold up so well in your freezer. They tend to develop a weird grainy texture and separate when defrosted.
If you plan to prepare this soup way ahead for any reason, you will need to do two important things:
1) Under-cook the cauliflower
2) Do not add the cream.
Watch how to make this cauliflower soup:
More recipes to try:
Mediterranean Bean Soup with Tomato Pesto
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Cream of Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Paprika, Cumin and Fresh Dill
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
This cream of roasted cauliflower soup is decidedly rustic in texture and boasts a rich Mediterranean flavor combination that will surprise you in the best way possible!
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
- Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 ½ tsp Sweet Spanish paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground sumac
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups fat-free half and half (or heavy cream, if you prefer)
- ½ lemon, juice of
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place cauliflower florets on a large sheet pan (use two sheets if you need to.) Sprinkle cauliflower with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat. Spread evenly on sheet pan. Roast in 425 degree F-heated oven for 45 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender and caramelized in some parts, turning over midway through. Remove from oven.
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven like this one, eat 2 tablespoon olive oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and saute onion, over medium heat, until translucent. Add chopped garlic and spices. Stir for a brief few seconds until fragrant.
- Now add ¾ the amount of roasted cauliflower (reserve the rest of the florets for later.) Stir to coat cauliflower well with the spices, then add vegetable broth and water.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Cover part-way and let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Uncover and remove from heat momentarily. Using and immersion blender, blend cauliflower and liquid until you achieve desired smoothness (I keep mine a bit on the chunky side).
- Return to a medium heat and stir in the fat-free half and half (or heavy cream, or plant-based milk), and lime juice. Then stir in the remainder of roasted cauliflower florets you reserved earlier. Cook briefly so that the soup is all warmed through. Test and adjust salt as needed.
- Finally, stir in the chopped dill.
- Serve hot with your favorite crusty whole wheat bread.
Notes
- Pro Tip. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor or a regular blender. So for step #6, you can carefully transfer the cauliflower and cooking liquid to a food processor or blender. Pulse or blend to achieve desired smoothness, and then return to the cooking pot and follow remaining instructions.
- Pro Tip for Dairy-Free or Vegan. If you're looking to make a dairy-free or vegan version of this cauliflower soup, simply swap that out for an unsweetened, plant-based creamer or milk such as cashew milk or coconut milk. The flavor profile will change slightly, but the spices in this soup will still work beautifully.
- Pro Tip for Storing Leftovers. If you have leftovers, let the soup cool completely, then store in the fridge in tight-lid glass containers for 3 to 4 days (always use common sense, if it doesn't smell great to you at some point, don't eat it. ) Warm over medium heat, stirring often. Do not boil. What about freezing leftovers? Remember, soups that contain milk or cream won't hold up so well in your freezer. They tend to develop a weird grainy texture and separate when defrosted. If you plan to prepare this soup way ahead for any reason, you will need to do two important things: 1) Under-cook the cauliflower 2) Do not add the cream.
- Recommended for this Recipe: from our all-natural and organic spice collections, sweet Spanish paprika, cumin, sumac, and turmeric. SAVE! Try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle or create your own 6-Pack of spices!
- Recommended for this Recipe: Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. SAVE! Try our Greek EVOO Bundle!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Cauliflower Soup, Cream of Cauliflower Soup, Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
More Recipes to Try
Lebanese Style Cinnamon Meatballs
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Barley
Sicilian Style Fish Stew Recipe
*This post was updated with new information for readers' benefit.
Michelle says
Can I use yogurt instead of the half and half?
Thank you! 🙂
Suzy says
Hi, Michelle. I have never tried, but I think it would be fine. The flavor profile might just be slightly different, since yogurt has some tanginess to it.
Mel says
I put this together in my instapot & it turned out great. The aroma that comes from the pot affirms how flavorful the soup is. The flavors of the spices were complimentary to the cauliflower. Very pleased with this recipe.
★★★★★
Dawn Willrodt says
Could I used dried dill? When to add and how much?
Suzy says
Hi, Dawn. I really recommend sticking with fresh dill for this one.
Theresa Sovereign says
I made a few mistakes when making this soup, I used only half the spices listed because I thought it would be too much and I over blended the soup to a cauliflower purée. Cauliflower is a bland vegetable, so after I puréed it, the soup had no flavor, so I added in all the spices I held back, I added white pepper, salt & the remaining roasted cauliflower, which gave the puréed soup the texture it needed. I made sure that I put the entire cup of dill in the soup and it was delicious. When making this soup trust the recipe, use the spices in the amounts listed in the recipe and make sure to add the dill, it’s a critical component to the flavor of the soup.
★★★★★
Laurie says
For the time and effort and end result, this absolutely was not my favorite cauliflower soup. Not at all.
I love all the ingredients and made it exactly as it said and really it just left me wishing it were different. What a disappointment. 🙁
★★★
Amy McRae says
Hi! This recipe looks so good. Our family loves roasted cauliflower. To save on some $ could you use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh?
Suzy says
Hi, Amy. Yes, you can probably use frozen cauliflower here. But note that frozen cauliflower has been blanched often giving it a softer texture, so adjust roasting time as you need to. For the very best results, I really recommend using fresh cauliflower for this recipe.
Lama says
This was yum - thanks!
★★★★★
Amber says
Hi could we put another vegetable like zucchini in here instead of another head of cauliflower?
Suzy says
I haven't tried that, Amber. It could work. But this being a cream of cauliflower soup, for us we usually load up on the cauliflower here.
Cat says
Recipe Ingredients say lemon, but recipe says lime. Which should it be?
Suzy says
Either will work here, Cat
Lisa says
That looks delicious!
Arti says
Hi, I made this soup,but it’s lacking in something— may be lemon/ lime juice?
Also,I did not add 1/2& 1/2,just regular milk.
I made a big batch & froze 1/2..
Wondering how I can make it as yummy as it looks or sounds.
I would like to serve again Thursday.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Suzy says
Hi, Arti! We enjoy this recipe as it's written, so it's a bit hard to advise here. You could always up the seasonings here to suit your taste.