• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Marisa Moore Nutrition
  • Home
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Media
  • Recipes
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Marisa
  • Work with me
  • Media
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Recipes

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Published: Jan 2, 2015 · Modified: Sep 29, 2023 by Marisa Moore·

138 shares
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Roasted cauliflower soup is a comforting and hearty remedy for the cold winter nights ahead! Made with caramelized cauliflower, garlic, and a savory broth, this easy soup is ready in minutes. 

cauliflower soup in two gray bowls

With a deep roasted flavor, you might be happy to eat this as your meal. But I like to enjoy it as an appetizer or with a big piece of crusty bread and lots of soup toppings. 

Benefits of cauliflower

Cauliflower has a fairly bland flavor (raw) and is versatile in the kitchen. As a vegetable that’s great both raw and cooked, there are endless ways to enjoy it from these cheesy cauliflower bites to a hearty spicy peanut cauliflower stir fry.

It also has some major nutrition benefits. If anyone has ever told you to skip white foods, ignore them.

Like other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is chock full of glucosinolates, the compounds that might help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C, which we all need daily and especially during the winter season to support immune health.

Plus, it’s a good source of folate which may help with heart health and is especially important for proper tissue growth and development.

Tips for the best cauliflower soup

  • Roast the cauliflower. Yes. You could boil or steam the cauliflower for a faster finish. But roasting adds a sweet, caramelized flavor to cauliflower that is just incomparable.
  • Layer on the flavor. Starting with sauteed shallot and garlic in flavorful olive oil will build flavor to carry throughout the soup. I like to blend in some fresh herbs. Chives go well with cauliflower but you can also try fresh thyme – but only a little as it’s quite bold.
  • Add creaminess. Pureed cauliflower is a naturally creamy base. You can add a splash of half and half, whole milk, or cashew milk to add even more creaminess. To keep the soup vegan (and don’t have cashew milk), add a bit more olive oil to give the soup more body. This adds a silky, smooth texture similar to what you’d get with heavy cream. 

How to make cauliflower soup 

Break the cauliflower into equal-sized pieces for even cooking. Spread the florets and stalks onto a half sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Though it’s tempting to skip roasting, it’s essential for the flavor profile of this soup. If you boil the cauliflower, I promise it will not be the same.

Blend the soup with an immersion or stick blender to save one step. If you don’t have a stick blender, transfer the soup in batches to a blender to puree.

TIP: Use a full blender if you can. A blender will yield the best texture – whether a standard blender or an expensive Vitamix.

Once the soup is blended it will be silky smooth and easy to just slurp down. But it will also be quite boring to look at. 

Top the soup with chopped chives, fried or roasted garlic, or small pieces of roasted cauliflower and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The toppings make it fun and add some texture to the soup. Speaking of toppings, my vegetarian lasagna soup is loaded with a generous dollop of herbed ricotta and fresh herbs for a flavor just like what you get in the classic recipe. I think you should make that next!

Healthy soup recipes to make tonight!

Pumpkin Lentil Curry

Miso Ginger Mushroom Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Ancho Pepitas

Cauliflower soup in two gray bowls

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Marisa Moore, RDN
With a deep, roasted flavor, this soup eats like a meal. Garnish with leftover herbs, nuts and/or a little Parmesan cheese if you’d like.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 167 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 7 cups florets removed)
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (divided 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 3½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • ¼ cup half and half (warmed)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the cauliflower florets onto a half sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Roast the cauliflower at 400°F for 15 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven when done.
  • In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and thyme just until fragrant. Add the roasted cauliflower and broth to the stockpot. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender (about 20-30 minutes). Stir in the half and half.
  • Using an immersion blender (hand blender), puree the soup in the pot until smooth. If the soup is too thick, thin with hot broth, as needed. Garnish with leftover herbs, extra cauliflower, and extra olive oil. Serve warm.

Notes

TIPS:
  • Break the cauliflower into the same sized pieces for even cooking. 
  • Swap in a sweet onion if you cannot find shallots.
  • Go dairy-free or omit the half and half for a vegan recipe. The soup will still be creamy thanks to the cauliflower and oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 873mgPotassium: 481mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 575IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Recipes

  • Fig jam in a flat wide jar with a spoon inserted.
    Easy Fig Jam
  • Tiger figs with one sliced in half.
    Tiger Figs
  • Cooked cinnamon apples in a white bowl with a blue spoon.
    Easy Cinnamon Apples
  • Scored roasted squash halves in a casserole dish.
    How to Roast Butternut Squash Halves
138 shares

Filed Under: Blog, Recipes, Seasonal, Soup and Salad

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Vasu Manimaran

    January 07, 2015 at 10:48 am

    This looks great! Definitely want to try it out soon.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      January 07, 2015 at 10:54 am

      Thanks Vasu! It’s such a heart warming soup. Perfect for these cold days we’re having!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Marisa Moore in a yellow top in a white kitchen

MARISA MOORE

Hi! I'm Marisa, a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Atlanta, GA. I use this blog to share (mostly) vegetarian recipes, credible nutrition information and a peek into my Southern roots and travels!

Learn more about me →

Popular Recipes

  • Pear muffins on a blue plate
    Healthy-ish Pear Oatmeal Muffins
  • Flatlay of jar of peanuts, tangerines, tea packets, water bottle, nut butter packets, bags of pumpkin seeds and pistachios
    Healthy Airplane Snacks
  • Pumpkin Lentil Curry in a bowl with cashews in a gray bowl with gray napkin
    Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Spinach
  • CHickpea Pasta Salad in White Bowl
    Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Salad
  • Two filets of black cod in skillet with sauce.
    Honey Garlic Sablefish
  • Blood Orange Mocktail Overhead
    Sparkling Blood Orange Mocktail

Spring Favorites

  • Overhead shot of strawberry oatmeal muffins on brown table.
    Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
  • Roasted Broccoli and Walnut Pasta in a Bowl
    Roasted Broccoli & Walnut Pasta
  • Bowl of roasted cabbage with a spool of hone on the side.
    Easy Roasted Cabbage Wedges
  • Cheddar Cauliflower Bites on Marble with Chives in Background
    Cheddar Chive Cauliflower Bites

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Marisa Moore, MBA.RDN.LD. | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist | Media Contributor | Cookbook Author

Copyright 2023 · Marisa Moore Nutrition · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required