For this easy cauliflower soup recipe, We roast a whole head of cauliflower until golden and then mix it with onion, Parmesan cheese and broth until silky smooth. This healthy soup is creamy, decadent and delicious!
Watch the video
How to make our favorite cauliflower soup
We love cauliflower. It’s so versatile, which is why we have so many cauliflower recipes shared on Inspired Taste. Some favorites include this herb cauliflower rice, these cauliflower tacos, and this cauliflower soup.
This roasted cauliflower soup is
- surprisingly easy to prepare,
- A much richer and more decadent taste than you think, and
- You can easily adapt to a vegan or vegetarian diet.
We do not add any cream to this recipe. There is a little butter, but not too much, and you can replace it with olive oil or vegetable butter if you need to. The cheese is also optional, but I have to admit that I do love the combination of cauliflower and Parmesan!
The soup starts by roasting a whole head of cauliflower. We don’t pay too much attention to how well we chop the cauliflower. I find cutting it into steaks or cauliflower slabs is the fastest way.
Then we toss them with olive oil, salt, thyme and whole cloves of garlic – you can leave the skin on for now. When the garlic is roasted in the oven, it softens and becomes sweet.
The cauliflower and garlic roast in a hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes, so it’s pretty quick. When the grilling is almost done, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a soup pot, cook coarsely chopped onion and celery in butter (or olive oil) until softened. After that, pour soup and add the roasted cauliflower. I use a rich vegetable broth, but chicken broth is also excellent.
The garlic will soften a lot. The soft garlic cloves can be easily squeezed so that the roasted garlic meat can be added to the pot.
Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, then blend it into a smooth, decadent soup. I like to add some fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese, but you can adjust the seasoning with fresh herbs, a different type of cheese, or leave it plain.
You can see from the pictures that our roasted cauliflower soup is super creamy. It’s so creamy without the addition of heavy cream! We love it so much.
Preparation and freezing instructions
This soup keeps in your fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze up to a month, probably more.
More delicious cauliflower recipes
Easy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- PREP
For this easy cauliflower soup recipe, we roast a whole head of cauliflower until golden and then blend it with onion, parmesan cheese, and broth until silky smooth. This healthy soup is creamy, decadent and delicious!
Serves 4 (makes 6 to 7 cups of soup)
Watch us prepare the recipe
you will need
1 large head of cauliflower, about 2 pounds
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
4 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
1/2 large onion, chopped, about a quarter cup
1 celery stalk, chopped, about 1/2 cup
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional for heat
4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more if needed
1/4 cup grated parmesan or cheddar cheese, plus more for serving, optional
directions
- Cauliflower and roasted garlic
- Prepare soup
Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking dish. We roast the cauliflower directly on the baking sheet, but for easy cleaning, line it with baking paper or a silicone baking surface.
Remove the larger leaves from the cauliflower, leaving the core intact. (You can keep the leaves for blending in the soup later).
Slice the cauliflower in half and cut it into 3/4 inch thick slices.
Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil on the baking sheet, then arrange the cauliflower on the oil.
Add the unpeeled garlic cloves (they will roast in their skins), then drizzle two more tablespoons of olive oil. Move the cauliflower slices around so that each one has a chance to touch the oil.
Roast for 20 minutes or until the bottom of each slice looks well browned. Turn each piece over and roast for another 5 minutes.
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a deep soup pot over medium heat. Then, mix in the onion, celery, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out of each garlic clove and place them in the soup pot. Throw away the garlic peel.
Transfer the roasted cauliflower to the pot, then pour the soup. If you saved cauliflower leaves from earlier, add them to the pot. Bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the cheese and two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Mix the soup until you get a smooth texture. An immersion blender is easiest, or you can use a blender. If you’re using a regular blender, it’s best to blend in batches rather than filling the blender as you normally would because the soup is so hot. We like to remove the center insert of the lid and cover it with a kitchen towel while mixing. This helps release some of the steam and prevents the blender lid from popping (which can be a big, hot mess).
If the soup is too thick, add 1/4 cup to 1 cup of water. Add enough water to achieve your preferred consistency. The water won’t diminish the flavor of your soup, but if you’re worried or have extra on hand, you can use stock or broth.
Taste the soup, then add more lemon juice, salt and pepper until the flavor pops – it should make you smile.
Serve with more cheese, a little grinding of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Adam and Joan’s tips
- Vegetarian adaptations: use vegetable broth, vegetarian-friendly cheese or leave it out.
- Vegan adaptations: use vegan soup, vegan butter and vegan cheese or a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead (my preference).
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts listed below are estimates. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag it #inspiredtaste — we love seeing your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition per serving: portion size 1/4 of the recipe (1 of 4 servings) / calories 288 / total fat 23.2 grams / Saturated fat 7.5 grams / Cholesterol 23.4 mg / sodium 686.7 mg / carbohydrate 18.1 grams / Dietary fiber 5.2 grams / Total sugars 7.5 grams / protein 6.8 grams
