Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: The simple step of roasting the cauliflower adds so much depth to this roasted cauliflower soup recipe. It’s creamy and delicious, without any heavy cream.
How long it takes: about an hour
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan, large saucepan or Dutch oven, immersion blender or traditional blender
Servings: 4
A lot of cauliflower soup recipes are kind of one-note and I think I know why: the cauliflower is simply simmered in the broth.
Cauliflower doesn’t have much going for it in the flavor department; it’s one of those veggies that’s all about what you add to it (see my air fryer Buffalo cauliflower bites and Parmesan roasted cauliflower) or the method you use to cook it.
Building on this idea, I started this soup recipe with roasted cauliflower which becomes nutty and delicious in the oven. Success! It still has that luxuriously creamy texture but roasting the cauliflower first makes this soup so much more flavorful.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
No heavy cream required. Not even half-and-half, yogurt, potatoes, cornstarch, or any of the other tricks to making a creamy soup without cream! The cauliflower and butter are enough to achieve the perfect level of smooth creaminess. (If you do want to try the potato trick, I recommend my Instant Pot cauliflower potato soup.)
Easy to make. Roasting the cauliflower first does add an extra step but nothing about this recipe is difficult and most of the time required is hands-off. You can even roast the cauliflower ahead of time if you want.
Lots of depth. Instead of just tasting like boiled cauliflower puréed smooth, this soup has nuance and layers of flavor, especially if you add the optional garnishes!
Cooking Tip
Roasting the cauliflower does darken it which means your soup won’t look like the snowy white cauliflower soup you’ve probably had in the past. The flavor is absolutely worth it though!
Ingredient Notes
This is a quick overview of what you’ll need for the soup and how to make it. Be sure to refer to the recipe card below for measurements and complete instructions.
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower heads come in all sizes, so look for one that weighs about 2 pounds to get the consistency of the soup just right. If you’re planning on garnishing the soup with roasted cauliflower, buy a little extra.
- Olive Oil: I use olive oil for roasting the cauliflower in the oven. It’s flavorful, healthy, and has a fairly high smoke point.
- Kosher Salt and Coarse Ground Black Pepper: If you use regular (not low sodium) broth, add a touch less salt and then season to taste.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter is made with cream, so adding butter gives the roasted cauliflower soup some of that rich, dairy flavor.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic: These savory ingredients are commonly used to build flavor in soups.
- Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Store-bought is fine but be sure to choose a quality brand that doesn’t taste tinny.
- Cayenne Pepper: I like to add a pinch of cayenne for a little bit of heat. Freshly ground black pepper is great, too.
- Optional Garnishes: Fresh chopped chives, sliced green onions, chili crunch oil (my favorite!), extra roasted cauliflower, shredded white cheddar cheese, or red pepper flakes.
How To Make Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Prep the cauliflower. While your oven is preheating to 425ºF, wash and cut the cauliflower into evenly sized florets. Spin the florets dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
Roast the cauliflower. Drizzle the cauliflower florets with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. You can do this right on the sheet pan or in a large bowl. Once the oven is preheated, put the sheet pan in the oven and roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes or until browned and tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
Sauté the onions and garlic. When the cauliflower is almost done, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more.
Cook the soup. Add the roasted cauliflower and broth to the pan with the onion and garlic. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the cauliflower is very soft, about 10 minutes.
Purée the cauliflower soup. With an immersion blender, carefully purée the soup right in the pan until it’s very smooth. Tilt the pan slightly while you’re puréeing it. If you prefer, transfer the soup to a regular blender and carefully blend in batches.
Serve. Add cayenne and season to taste, adding extra salt and pepper, if needed. You can add more water or broth to adjust the consistency. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegan. Omit the butter; substitute extra olive oil or vegan butter.
- Add roasted garlic. A head of roasted garlic adds even more depth and a light sweetness to this roasted cauliflower soup. You can roast the garlic at the same time as the cauliflower. Squeeze the cloves into the soup when you add the cauliflower.
- Add herbs. For a more subtle flavor, add sprigs of thyme or rosemary to the pan of cauliflower while it roasts. If you prefer a stronger flavor, add sprigs of herbs or dried herbs to the soup as it simmers. Remove fresh sprigs before pureeing.
- Don’t care for cauliflower? Try my Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup (it can be made on the stovetop, too), butternut squash soup with roasted garlic, or healthy creamy tomato soup.
Because it isn’t made with cream, this roasted cauliflower soup is excellent for making in advance and freezing. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Larger amounts can be reheated on the stovetop over medium heat .
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #91. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds, untrimmed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Optional garnishes (choose 1 or 2): fresh chopped chives, fresh sliced green onions, chili crunch oil, extra roasted cauliflower (see note), shredded white cheddar cheese, or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Meanwhile, wash cauliflower and cut into bite-size florets. Dry well.1 head cauliflower
- Place cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet (sheet pan) and drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat cauliflower with seasonings, and then arrange in a single layer. Place pan in oven and roast for 30 minutes or until browned and tender, stirring halfway through cooking time.2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, more to taste
- When the cauliflower is almost done, begin the rest of the soup. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook while stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup diced yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Add the roasted cauliflower and broth. Bring to a boil , reduce to simmer. Simmer until cauliflower is very soft (about 10 minutes).4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Purée soup with an immersion blender until very smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup to a blender in 2 to 3 batch batches and purée until smooth, returning the soup to the saucepan.
- Add cayenne, if desired, check seasonings, and add more water if necessary to adjust the consistency of the soup. Keep soup warm over very low heat until ready to serve.⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Serve the soup with desired garnishes.Optional garnishes (choose 1 or 2): fresh chopped chives, fresh sliced green onions, chili crunch oil, extra roasted cauliflower (see note), shredded white cheddar cheese, or red pepper flakes
Notes
- Garnish: If you’d like to garnish the soup with roasted cauliflower, buy extra cauliflower. After you roast all the cauliflower, reserve a few florets for garnishing.
- Storage: Cool soup slightly and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cauliflower soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Vegan: Omit butter; substitute extra olive oil or vegan butter.
- Recipe retested and revised 4/2024.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
This was a delicious soup full of flavor! Will be making again!
I’m glad you like it! It’s one of my favorites too!
Can you freeze the Cauliflower soup and the copy Panera squash soup.?My family doesn’t eat it only me.
I think they would both definitely freeze well, thanks for asking!
This soup is delicious! I made it for the first time this evening and my husband and I both love it. I make soup frequently beginning this time of year, so this will be something I make regularly.
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!