This recipe for creamy, roasted & vegan cauliflower soup is full of flavor and made with fabulous herbs & spices. It's very creamy without any cheese or cream being added, and it’s Whole30 compliant, super hearty, and delicious.
This cauliflower soup is going to become a staple in your kitchen. I like to make it year round, and it also does very well frozen in batches in the freezer.
My daughter loves, it too. I give it to her cold straight out of the refrigerator, and she gobbles it right up from her little cup.
It's incredible how much flavor you can get from cauliflower after it spends some time caramelizing and roasting in the oven. All of those juices really make magic, let me tell you.
I am so ready for fall and winter here, as I am happy to make this soup year round, but it's going to taste even better when I am feeling cold and want something warm to cozy up with that will also make my stomach very happy! 😉
Why this creamy cauliflower soup is so good
It's very versatile. The soup is warm and comforting without feeling heavy or too filling. If you do eat animal protein, feel free to add grilled chicken, shrimp or another favorite protein on top / inside a bowl.
The soup is vegan, paleo and Whole30 compliant. I've provided instructions for all of these dietary instructions, woo!
This makes a great meal prep for the week: less time spent in the kitchen equals more time doing absolutely anything else that you love!
It is so easy! You are going to love how creamy the vegan cauliflower soup becomes after going into the high-speed blender. That is going to do a lot of the work for you, and you'll be left with something so lush and delightful.
Tips:
1. Roast the cauliflower. The cauliflower will take on warm and buttery notes as it spends time caramelizing in the onion. However, if you are short on time, I recommend checking out this creamy cauliflower soup recipe instead (no roasting required!)
2. Add butter, ghee or coconut oil for thickness & creaminess. All three of these ingredients will immediately improve the texture and taste of the soup. If you are using coconut oil, be sure to add (2) tablespoons of nutritional yeast in addition (see the recipe notes section!)
3. Taste for seasoning after blending. We all have different salt/pepper preferences, in addition to preferences about acid and heat.
After you finish blending the soup, taste it for additional seasoning (salt, pepper, lemon juice, cayenne, etc.) Add as little or as much as you'd like until it reaches your desired taste.
4. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top. Fresh herbs really heighten the flavors in this soup and bring out an extra dimension. Chop up fresh parsley, chives, green onions or cilantro, and don't be shy adding them.
How to make vegan cauliflower soup
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a rime baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add cauliflower florets with half of the oil to the baking sheet. Toss well until the florets have all been lightly coated. Season lightly with salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the florets are fork tender and browning. Be sure to flip and toss them about halfway through the cook time.
Once the cauliflower has about 5-7 minutes left of cook time, warm a small stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the rest of the oil for 1 minute.
Add onion and salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft and almost translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant but stirring frequently.
Add broth and roasted cauliflower florets to the pot. Increase the heat to medium high until the mixture reaches a hard simmer. Reduce the heat to low so the soup is now gently simmering.
Cook, stirring here and there, so the flavors all begin to marry together for about 15 minutes. If you'd like the soup to not be as chunky, feel free to add 1 cup of filtered water.
Transfer the soup mixture into the high-speed blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds or so.
Add butter, lemon juice, and spices. Do not add any additional salt until the mixture is blended through and you taste it. Blend on medium until everything has been well incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt. I ended up adding another 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons.
Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with pancetta (omit for vegan) and fresh parsley.
This creamy vegan cauliflower soup would be the perfect accompaniment to any homemade meal.
You can top it off with additional protein sources (if you are not vegan), and you will be completely full and satiated.
You can eat it by itself, too-just pour yourself a nice and big, hearty bowl.
I actually ended up eating this soup for breakfast, alongside some crunchy potatoes and eggs- it was a match made in heaven.
More healthy recipes like vegan cauliflower soup
Dairy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
Creamy, Roasted & Vegan Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon grass-fed butter, ghee, or coconut oil split in two
- ½ large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 head of cauliflower washed, dried and cut into florets
- 32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons sea salt split in two, see notes
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or nutritional yeast, if vegan
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice see notes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 ounces pancetta cubed and cooked, for garnish (omit for vegan)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a rime baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add cauliflower florets with half of the oil to the baking sheet. Toss well until the florets have all been lightly coated. Season lightly with half of the salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the florets are fork tender and browning. Be sure to flip and toss them about halfway through the cook time.
- Once the cauliflower has about 5-7 minutes left of cook time, warm a small stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the rest of the oil for 1 minute.
- Add onions and the rest of the salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft and almost translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant but stirring frequently.
- Add broth, roasted cauliflower florets, and fresh herbs to the pot. Increase the heat to medium high until the mixture reaches a hard simmer. Reduce the heat to low so the soup is now gently simmering.
- Cook, stirring here and there, so the flavors all begin to marry together for about 15 minutes. If you'd like the soup to not be as chunky, feel free to add 1 cup of filtered water.
- Transfer the soup mixture into the high-speed blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds or so.
- Add butter, lemon juice, and spices. Do not add any additional salt until the mixture is blended through and you taste it. Blend on medium until everything has been well incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt. I ended up adding another 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons.
- Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with pancetta (omit for vegan) and fresh parsley.
Notes
- You can top it off with additional protein sources (if you are not vegan), and you will be completely full and satiated.
- You may need additional salt depending on whether or not the broth you used was low sodium / unsalted. Taste for seasoning at the end.
- Start by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add another after trying it if you'd like. I ended up using about 1 ½.
Melinda says
Love this!! I'm living with CKD and cauliflower is one of my favorites that I can eat. I took out the salt and added more lemon 🍋. Thank you for sharing!
Cate Damboise says
I have made this many times and love it! My sister is Vegan, so I follow your vegan instructions but add the pancetta garnish to mine. 🙂 Thank you for offering BOTH vegan and non-vegan options!
Emily says
Who knew vegans were so bad at reading?! Not vegan myself, but I thought it was very clear how to make the recipe vegan if I felt so inclined!
Katie says
This has been on my recipe rotation in fall, winter and spring since released. Depending on what kind of diet my family currently needs (sometimes dairy is OK sometimes it's a no go) this recipe is perfect. The last time I made it I topped with some crispy fried chorizo and it was magical. I can't wait to make again.
Omg yum Katie... fried chorizo? SIGN me up!!!!!
michelle says
LMAO what is the fucking point of putting 'vegan' in the title than clearly not make vegan ingredients. Just don't say vegan at all..?? ..smh just trying to get clickbait. next
Hi, goodness... so sorrry to have upset you. If you look at the ingredients, instructions, and notes, you will clearly see how to make it vegan. I mention oil, vegetable broth, etc. It is completely vegan if you follow my instructions.
Brandie says
Wow an F bomb on a cooking site. Michelle, you are a CLASSY and illiterate lady! SMH. Maybe take the time it took you to write this rude comment and actually read it. Smh.
Side note: added some mushrooms to this recipe and it was a delightful little add. Thank you for the recipe, Monica... And ignore the haters... Tell them to make their own effing recipes! Lol.
Ashley says
Hi! I just made this for tomorrow and I’m having people over and I tried to double it but it’s way too liquid - thin. I’m so bummed. How can I thicken it up some ?
Chrissy says
I’ve made this soup multiple times and it is still one of my favorites! It is light but filling, tastes great, and fits my healthy lifestyle! I definitely recommend you trying this if you haven’t already!
THANK YOU! 🙂
haley says
i love to take soup in winter. and this seems too tasty and wonderful. i like your recipie and try it as soon as possible. and i know very well the vegetable soup is aslo yummy. so i try it. and then tell you.
Yes, please!
JOANNA says
Honestly, people are so fussy, grumpy, and take things way too seriously. This recipe is simple, healthy and FREE ! If you don't like the ingredients look for an other recipes, that's all.
There's so much work put into creating a recipe, taking the picture and answering questions. If you don't see how professional the website is, and you don't even take the time to read the notes before jumping on the comment section to talk sh**, I think you need to get a life !
Thank you Monica for this beautiful recipe ! You go girl xoxo
This literally made me SOOOO happy. Thank you for taking the time to type all of this out. You are incredibly kind, caring, gracious and SWEET. I am so happy you like this recipe! 🙂
Cheney says
Hello. I don’t know if you realized it but vegans don’t eat any animal products so things like ghee are out. I was looking for a healthy soup but so many are heavy on butter and cream so I look for vegan ones. It was disappointing to think I found one and see ghee listed as an ingredient.
Hi there. Ah, I am frustrated that my vegan substitutions keep getting overlooked in this recipe. It says right next to ghee: "coconut oil for vegan" I try to make my recipes as versatile as possible so they can be enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans alike-- I hope you understand. I also hope you get to try the recipe... just look at the substitutions next to the ingredients listed 🙂
Meg says
This soup was awesome! Just wanted to point out that I think people might be getting upset because there may be a typo.... on the ingredients it says "chicken broth or chicken broth"... think that second one meant to say vegetable broth (-:
I feel so dang silly for doing that. Thank you for pointing this out to me 🙂 and I am SO happy you enjoyed it!
Bee says
Thank you for this recipe! I'm not feeling well today and I needed an easy soup with minimal effort... This was perfect! Due to what I had on hand, I used frozen cauliflower, bacon instead of pancetta, dried Rosemary and I cut the paprika down to 1/4 teaspoon just because nightshade's aren't my friend. Delish! I plan on making this even without bacon because it stands well on it's own. I'm not sure why some of the other readers couldn't see both the vegan and non-vegan options because it was very plain to me you had both instructions there. 😁 I've found a great new website!
Hi!! Your comment made me laugh and smile a lot. I try to provide options for as many people as possible so I appreciate it. It's one of my favorite recipes, and I am happy to hear you made it your own! 🙂
Jessica says
Why would you call this a vegan soup but include ghee, chicken broth, and pancetta really????
Hi Jessica. I'm sorry this has upset you... in the ingredients section, I have clearly marked to omit certain ingredients (i.e. the pancetta) for a vegan version- the Pancetta is simply an accompaniment, not a staple in the recipe. For the ghee and chicken broth, I marked to substitute coconut oil and vegetable broth. I try to make my recipes appealing to a wide range of folks reading... hope you understand!
Taylor says
I just made this and it is AWESOME! Seriously so much flavor and so creamy. Definitely will be a staple soup for me!
Julie says
Made it an loved it! Simple, healthy, delicious! Thanks!
Diane says
There is nothing vegan about this recipe as written. Butter and panchetta?
Sigh. I provided instructions for vegan and non-vegan versions.
Lynn Rogers says
I just made this soup using butter, but no meat. It is silky and delicious! I would definitely serve this as a starter at a dinner party. Tonight, it's the main course...
That is so awesome. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
krysten voss says
This recipe looked great, but when I made it I found it was verrrry difficult to eat due to how salty it is! Wow! I tend to like salty foods but this was just too much! I really didn't even want to eat it but also didn't want to waste the food so I managed to get it down.
Linda says
Wish you listed the coconut cream in the ingredients so I knew to buy it! Soup was good tho.
Amanda Verzello says
Made this! Sooo yummy! The fresh rosemary makes it. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome. I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Melissa Williams says
This soup is amazing
Thank you so much. I'm glad you loved it!
Rosemary Andreoli Xavier says
Pancetta? chicken broth? in
a vegan soup? lol
Hi there, thanks for reaching out. The recipe can be made vegan, and I've made notes to omit the pancetta for a vegan option and to use veggie broth... can you see that in the ingredients section?
Megan says
LOVE this soup. It's such a breeze to whip up and I love having it on hand for a quick meal, especially during the cooler months. It also freezes really well. Thank you for such a wonderful, easy, nutritious meal!
Megan, thanks so much for your sweet comment, and you are absolutely welcome!!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂
Elizabeth Waterson says
Love cawliflower soup, love that you garnished with pancetta!
Monica Stevens Le says
Yes. Pancetta is one of my favorite garnishes... 🙂 Thank you!
Monica says
The "banner" says "vegan" but the recipe has pancetta in it...
The pancetta isn't technically part of the recipe. It's a garnish, as stated in the ingredient list. Without the pancetta and if using coconut oil, the recipe is vegan 🙂
Trisha says
I have totally swooning over that bronze blender!! GAH! These pictures are gorgeous too!
Trisha, please don't flatter me. Just trying to make things pretty like you do 😉
Jessica says
Made this today!!! Mmmmmm!
Aw, well that's awesome. How'd it turn out? 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Oh man, that blender is GORG and so is this yummy soup!! Totally making this for dinner soon <3
Oh my gosh, you must Rachel... it is AMAZINNNN! Thanks for commenting, girl.
Mary T Perry says
Not vegan with butter or pancetta though.
Nope, not at all. But in the ingredients, it specifically says to omit the pancetta and use coconut oil instead of the butter. That way, it is 100% Vegan. I have both options listed.