This cauliflower soup is boldly flavored with warming Mediterranean spices like cumin, turmeric, and paprika. Made with whole milk, it’s nice and creamy but not heavy. Make this light, fresh, and flavorful take on roasted cauliflower soup for a cozy night in.
Cauliflower takes on flavor and texture like a champ, which makes it the ideal vegetable for pairing with big flavors. Why waste an opportunity to throw a flavor party?
For my vegetarian cauliflower soup recipe, I first roast the florets in the oven, which carmelizes the edges to bring out some of its natural sweetness. Next, I add cumin for warmth, paprika for a mild kick, sumac for citrusy balance, and turmeric for an earthy, peppery undertone. Typical cauliflower soup is often loaded with heavy cream, which I don’t think it needs. Whole milk adds enough creaminess without dulling the flavor.
While, roasted cauliflower soup is one of my favorite recipes to make when the weather turns, this sturdy vegetable is also incredible when roasted whole for a vegetarian centerpiece or cut into cauliflower steaks and topped with Chermoula.
Don’t forget the finishing touches! This might sound surprising, but a splash of lemon juice and a handful of fresh dill bring balance and brightness, which makes this soup that much more exciting.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for this Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Cauliflower can take a lot of seasonings and spices to really shine. Warming spices and fresh aromatics give it a nice warming kick and super savory, comforting flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make this cauliflower soup recipe:
- Cauliflower: Look for firm, tight cauliflower heads with no browning.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I like a medium-intensity oil here, like our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. Drizzle some over top of each bowl for extra richness.
- Aromatics: One yellow onion and five garlic cloves give this soup a sweet and savory depth of flavor. You can substitute the onion with white onion or 3 shallots if you’d like.
- Spices: Basic pantry spices of Spanish paprika, cumin, and turmeric bring a comforting savory flavor. Sumac gives some tartness for balance–you can learn all about this Mediterranean wonder spice in our guide, order online, or substitute with a grating of lemon zest just before serving.
- Broth: A low-sodium vegetable broth brings a nice umami flavor, or you can substitute with store bought or homemade chicken stock.
- Whole milk: Milk is a lighter option than heavy cream, and it makes the soup perfectly creamy without overpowering the spices. You can also leave it out to make this soup vegan, or replace it with an unflavored, unsweetened plant-based milk.
- Lemon juice: Lifts the hearty, creamy soup.
- Fresh dill: Gives the soup a fresh herbal element. You can substitute with any tender savory herb, like chive or parsley.
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
This roasted cauliflower soup is a beloved family meal for a reason: It’s easy to make, feeds a crowd and is on the healthy side. Here are the steps:
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Cut 2 cauliflower heads in half from top to bottom through the stem. Use the tip of your knife to slice off each individual floret, discarding the stem. Slice any larger florets into smaller pieces so all of them are about the same size.
- Season the cauliflower. Transfer the cauliflower to a large sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toss to coat, then spread evenly without overlapping–use two sheet pans if you need to.
- Roast the cauliflower. Roast, turning at about 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and deeply browned in some parts, about 45 minutes in total. Remove from the oven.
- Prepare the aromatics. While the cauliflower roasts, chop 1 onion and 5 garlic cloves.
- Sauté the onions. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon sumac, and ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Simmer. Add ¾ of the cauliflower (reserve the remaining for later). Stir to coat well with the spices, then add 4 cups of broth and 1 cup of water. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cover part-way. Simmer until thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. While it boils, prepare 1 cup of chopped dill, discarding any tougher stems.
- Blend. Uncover and remove from heat momentarily. Use an immersion blender to blend until you achieve your desired smoothness–I keep mine a bit on the chunky side. You can also transfer to a blender or food processor, just be sure to leave plenty of room at the top and blend with the steam cap off.
- Finish and serve. Return to a medium heat and stir in 2 cups milk, the juice from ½ lemon, and reserved cauliflower. Cook briefly so that the soup is all warmed through. Test and adjust salt as needed. Finally, stir in the dill and serve hot.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Soup
If you have leftovers, let the roasted cauliflower soup cool completely, then store covered in your fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, warm in a saucepan set over medium heat, stirring often. Take care not to let it come to a boil, and add a splash more water or broth to thin as necessary.
Can You Freeze Cauliflower Soup?
Yes, with a caveat: Soups that contain milk or cream tend to develop an unappetizing grainy texture and separate when defrosted. If you plan to prepare this soup ahead of time and freeze:
- Don’t add the milk. Allow to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container with some room at the top to allow for expansion.
- Label the soup. Write “Add Milk” along with the date on a piece of tape and stick it to the lid. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Defrost, finish, and enjoy. Defrost in your refrigerator overnight, then heat over medium, stirring often until the soup is hot. Add the milk and stir until warmed through, then enjoy hot.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup is hearty enough to stand on its own, you really need nothing more. If you’d like some sides, go with a classic soup and salad combination with bread for dipping.
For my family, nothing is better than some crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside focaccia bread or a rustic crusty bread. I sometimes add a salad like my orange beet salad or lemony arugula salad.
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Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cauliflower (about 4 pounds)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups whole milk or unseasoned, unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower in half from top to bottom through the stem, then use the tip of your knife to slice off each individual floret. Slice any larger florets into smaller pieces so all of them are about the same size.
- Season the cauliflower. Transfer the cauliflower to a large sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toss to coat, then spread evenly without overlapping–use two sheet pans if you need to.
- Roast the cauliflower. Roast, turning at about 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and deeply browned in some parts, about 45 minutes in total. Remove from the oven.
- Sauté the onions. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, sumac, and turmeric and and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Simmer. Add ¾ of the cauliflower (reserve the remaining for later). Stir to coat well with the spices, then add the broth and 1 cup of water. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cover part-way. Simmer until thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Blend. Uncover and remove from heat momentarily. Use an immersion blender to blend until you achieve your desired smoothness–I keep mine a bit on the chunky side. You can also transfer to a blender or food processor, just be sure to leave plenty of room at the top and blend with the steam cap off.
- Finish and serve. Return to a medium heat and stir in the milk, lemon juice, and reserved cauliflower. Cook briefly so that the soup is all warmed through. Test and adjust salt as needed. Finally, stir in the dill and serve hot.
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Notes
- Store, covered in your refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat over medium, stirring constantly and adding a splash more water or broth as necessary. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or the milk may separate.
- If you’d like to freeze this soup, do not add milk. Allow to cool completely before transferring it to freezer safe containers, leaving some room at the top. Cover and label with the date and an “Add Milk” note to self. Freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost in your refrigerator overnight, then reheat over medium and stir in the milk once the soup is hot.
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You can skip the step of sautéing the onion and garlic. Just mix them with the cauliflower, spices and oil. Roasts all together and is easy and doesn’t mess up another pan!
This soup is spectacular, even for non fans of cauliflower! The roasted flavor just oozes out of this. I make all my soups with homemade chicken or bone broth and it worked great in this too!
Can Greek yogurt be used in this recipe instead of whole milk? Thank you in advance for your reply.
Hi, Paige. We have never tried, but think it would be fine. The flavor profile might just be slightly different, since yogurt has some tanginess to it.
A fantastic soup indeed. I will definitely make it again and again. I would however recommend going easy with the lemon juice and dill garnish. I think 1 table spoon of lemon is sufficient and a 1/4 or 1/3 cup of dill is sufficient. I also baked the cauliflower with the 4 spices and it came out good.
Thanks for sharing, David!
You are making me look way too good at home. Every single recipe is so good and has so much flavor. This soup was absolutely delicious!
I love your blog! I have made soooo many recipes and they have all been wonderful! Can I use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth for this recipe?
Thanks!
Sure! It might change the flavor profile slightly, but it'll still be delicious!
This soup is so good! Must make it again. The flavors and spices really meld together to such a treat. Never would have tried cauliflower in a soup before. Thanks Suzy!
Bland bland bland. All the spices are moot because you can’t even taste it. I added some Rao’s marinara and Parmesan which helped it a little, but overall… not worth the work. Who writes these things???? So many mediocre recipes, so little time.
Why so harsh? Perhaps just a simple, "I didn't care for it" would suffice next time.
You added marinara? What in the world for?? Should have added more of the spices, cumin, tumeric, salt, pepper. Lemon definitely.
Ha! Nuff said. You cant fix this, Patty. Just give up. 🙂 Thank you for coming down to our level and setting us all straight. Your'e such an inspiration. (rofl).
Just another delicious recipe! That roasted cauliflower adds a lovely taste along with the mediterranean spices. Topped it off with homemade croutons which add a nice crunch.
Thanks, Werner!
Can I use yogurt instead of the half and half?
Thank you! 🙂
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.
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.
Could I used dried dill? When to add and how much?
Hi, Dawn. I really recommend sticking with fresh dill for this one.
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.
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. 🙁
Hi! This recipe looks so good. Our family loves roasted cauliflower. To save on some $ could you use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh?
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.
This was yum - thanks!