Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Make this roasted garlic cauliflower soup for a cozy night inside—it’s super easy!

Layered with spices and roasted cauliflower, this is comfort food at its finest without the high number of calories. Each serving is only 148 calories. Cauliflower is very nutritious in that it’s high in vitamins C and K, fat-free and an excellent source of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that helps with cell growth. There are many ways to cook with cauliflower, such as mashing, roasting and steaming. In many cases, it’s an ideal meat substitute due to its durability and ability to mingle with spices and flavors commonly found in meat dishes.

This recipe takes 40 minutes to prep, but the good news is that it keeps really well in the fridge and could also be frozen in batches to enjoy later.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup Ingredients

• Cauliflower: You’ll need three pounds of cauliflower. After the cauliflower is trimmed and cut into florets, it’s roasted to add to the soup.
• Olive oil: Use extra-virgin olive oil, which is unrefined and not processed using chemicals or heat. It also features a light peppery flavor.
• Onion: A medium-sized onion is needed for this recipe. You can use either white or yellow onion but yellow is preferred as it caramelizes nicely.
• Garlic: Take three garlic cloves and mince them very finely. The smaller the pieces, the easier they’ll disperse throughout the recipe.
• Turmeric: Often called a “super food” because of its cancer-fighting qualities and ability to relieve digestive disorders, this dried spice is derived from a plant in the ginger family. Its flavor notes are akin to ginger, pepper and citrus.
• Paprika: It’s okay to use either regular paprika or smoked paprika (especially if you want your soup to have a smoked flavor). Bright red-orange in color, this dried spice adds subtle sweet and spicy notes to a recipe.
• Cumin: Behind its pungent aroma is a spice that’s not as spicy as cayenne but still delivers subtle spicy notes. It’s also a healthy spice that stimulates digestion and increases antioxidant intake.
• Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a spice sold in two forms: either whole nutmegs you then finely grate or pre-ground in a jar. While often used for baking, nutmeg is popular in soup recipes because it adds a nutty flavor.
• Vegetable broth: If possible, try to use reduced-sodium vegetable broth as this is healthier and doesn’t taste any different than regular broth. But if you can’t find low-sodium, don’t worry  regular broth is just fine!
• Heavy whipping cream: This ingredient is what makes the soup creamy and velvety! Heavy whipping cream’s ingredients are milk and milk fat.
• Cilantro or parsley: You can mince either of these fresh herbs, your choice, to add to the soup.

Directions

Step 1: Chop the cauliflower

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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Taking the bunches of cauliflower, trim the stalks and chop the crown into florets.

Step 2: Roast the cauliflower

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Place the cauliflower florets on a greased 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized, for 35 to 40 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the onion

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Take the onion and dice it into small pieces. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot to medium heat. Add the chopped onion; cook until tender, for  four to five minutes

Step 4: Add the garlic and spices

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Stir in the garlic, turmeric, paprika, cumin, nutmeg and remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until fragrant, for 30 to 60 seconds longer.

Step 5: Add the cauliflower and vegetable stock

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Add the roasted cauliflower and the vegetable stock; simmer until cauliflower is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and the parsley. Puree these ingredients using an immersion blender until you’ve reached the desired consistency.

Editor’s Tip: While it’s totally fine to buy vegetable stock, you can also make your own vegetable broth.

Step 6: Serve the soup

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Serve the soup in bowls with freshly cracked pepper, if desired.

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup Variations

• Add red peppers: As with our roasted cauliflower & red pepper soup, two medium sweet red peppers are halved and chopped before they’re added to the recipe.
• Make it spicy: If you’re craving a curry-style soup, add a dash of dried curry spice.

How to Store Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Like all soups, this recipe is a piece of cake to make ahead of time and store for enjoying later.

Can you freeze roasted cauliflower soup?

Absolutely! As long as the soup is in resealable freezer bags or airtight containers it should keep for up to three months. Freezing in batches means you aren’t refreezing the soup (which is not recommended) and have a solo supper or a dinner for two within easy reach.

How long does roasted cauliflower soup last?

If kept in the fridge in a covered airtight container, the soup will keep for up to three to four days.

How do you reheat roasted cauliflower soup?

The best way to reheat soup is in a sauce pot on the stovetop at medium-high heat until heated all the way through.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup Tips

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What should I serve with roasted cauliflower soup?

Everybody likes the combo of soup and a crusty bread! You can use the bread chunks to mop up the soup in your bowl, too.

What’s a good meat to add to this soup?

Sausage is a nice pairing with cauliflower and the spices in this soup. Add the sausage to the onion and garlic when you are sautéing these ingredients. You can chop the sausage into chunks before or after.

How do I make this soup creamier and thicker?

The more heavy whipping cream, the creamier it will taste.