Creamy Cauliflower Soup feels indulgent, but the thick, velvety texture isn’t from heavy cream—it’s all cauliflower! You’re going to make this flavorful, healthy, low-carb soup on frequent repeat.
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Why You’ll Love This Healthy Cauliflower Soup Recipe
- Quick and Easy. Some soups require a long, slow simmer, but not this cauliflower soup! You only need about 35 minutes of cooking time, but you’ll still get maximum flavor. (This Asparagus Soup is even faster, clocking in at just 30 minutes.)
- Rich Without Being Heavy. Cauliflower is pretty magical like that. You can whip it into Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and you can puree it into a supremely creamy soup without adding any heavy cream. Enjoy a big bowl of this cauliflower soup and walk away feeling full and satisfied—and not like you need to take a nap.
- Deliciously Low-Carb. If you’re searching for low-carb recipes that aren’t bacon (although Air Fryer Bacon and Baked Bacon are delicious crumbled on top of this soup), look no further than cauliflower soup. You won’t find any flour or potatoes in this recipe!
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
The Ingredients
- Yellow Onion. Instead of a traditional mirepoix, we’re starting with onion here, which adds all the flavor we need.
- Garlic. Three cloves! Garlic does a lot of heavy lifting in this soup, making it fragrant and flavorful.
- Broth. Use vegetable broth to make this cauliflower soup vegetarian, or low-sodium chicken broth.
- Cauliflower. Rather than going by size, I recommend weighing the cauliflower to make sure you have enough for a thick and creamy soup. Look for a cauliflower head that’s 3 pounds, or buy two smaller heads if you have to.
- Dried Thyme or Rosemary. Both of these herbs pair well with cauliflower.
- Lemon Juice. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice brightens up this cauliflower soup with a hit acidity.
- Dijon Mustard. Another ingredient that does a lot of work! It’s one of my favorites; its pungent, sharp flavor adds zip to our soup. (I also use it in this Broccoli Cauliflower Soup.)
- Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated melts smoothly into the soup.
- Toppings. A swirl of good olive oil and fresh thyme or chives are perfection.
The Directions
- Cook the Onion and Garlic. These aromatics are our flavor base.
- Add the Next Ingredients. Stir in the broth, cauliflower, and seasonings.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the cauliflower is tender.
- Puree. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth.
- Finish. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with olive oil and fresh herbs, if desired. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup. Follow my Roasted Cauliflower recipe; add the roasted cauliflower to the soup. (Or make this Cauliflower Chowder, which also uses roasted cauliflower.)
- Vegan Cauliflower Soup. Use olive oil instead of butter and skip the Parmesan cheese, add vegan Parmesan, or use nutritional yeast.
- Cauliflower and Leek Soup. Instead of onion, add the sliced white parts of 3 leeks. It’s like a low-carb version of Potato Leek Soup!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftover cauliflower soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
- To Freeze. Place leftover soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming according to the instructions above.
Meal Prep Tip
You can cut the onion and cauliflower up to two days in advance and refrigerate them in airtight containers until you’re ready to cook.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Soup
- Salad. For a light dinner, serve cauliflower soup with Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad or Winter Salad.
- Bread. No Knead Focaccia, baguette slices, or homemade croutons (follow the recipe from my Butternut Squash Soup) are fantastic pairings.
- Sandwich. Soup and an Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is my ideal lunch, but this Apple Grilled Cheese with Turkey is also excellent.
- More Toppings. Grate some cheddar over the top, add Roasted Chickpeas, or try some Brussels Sprouts Chips.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Dutch Oven. A roomy pot for all your souping needs.
- Immersion Blender. So much easier than transferring the soup to a blender in batches!
- Ladle. Because a wooden spoon just won’t cut it.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use a Quality Broth. It doesn’t have to be homemade, but it should taste good when you sip it. Bouillon cubes can be overly salty, while some canned varieties have a tinny taste to them.
- Cut the Cauliflower Into Even Pieces. That way, they’ll all be tender at the same time so you don’t have to wait around for the big pieces to finish cooking.
- Let the Soup Cool If You’re Using a Traditional Blender. It doesn’t have to be completely cool, but you don’t want to pour boiling hot soup into a blender either. Be sure to also vent the blender lid while pureeing to prevent pressure build-up; drape a kitchen towel over the top to catch splatters.
Cauliflower Soup
This easy creamy cauliflower soup recipe is rich and healthy! It's flavorful and low-carb, but full of comfort food goodness.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion 1/4-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into 1 1/2-inch florets (about 3 pounds)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or rosemary
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Good olive oil optional for serving
- Chopped fresh chives or thyme leaves optional for serving
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or similar large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and turning translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so the onion softens but does not brown. Add the garlic and cook until just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, cauliflower, salt and pepper, and thyme. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let simmer until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.
- With an immersion blender, or working in batches with a high-speed blender (be careful! hot soup splatters; leave the center portion of the lid open and cover with a towel), puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and mustard, then the Parmesan. Carefully taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
- The soup will thicken as it cools, but if you’d like it thicker right away, you can partially cover the pot and simmer it for 5 to 10 minutes more. Ladle into bowls. Serve with a drizzle of oil and chopped fresh thyme or chives.
Notes
- This soup is especially tasty with crusty baguette slices or even croutons. For protein, add chickpeas (or Air Fryer Chickpeas for bonus crunch).
- TO STORE: Store leftover cauliflower soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
- TO FREEZE: Place leftover soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 11gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 26mgPotassium: 1100mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 791IUVitamin C: 168mgCalcium: 202mgIron: 2mg
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Cauliflower is an absolute master at multi-tasking! Here are some more ways to put it to use.
I haven’t made this soup yet but definitely will!
I wanted to share that I have a cauliflower potato salad recipe. Delicious! It fooled my hubby. He had a hard time believing the ingredient was cauliflower not potatoes.
Hope you enjoyed it Susan!
Made the soup last night for the first time. We really enjoyed it! It’s really quick and easy to make…great for a busy mom like me. Instead of 1/2 cup of cheese I used 1 cup (I love cheese) and the flavor was really nice.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Judith! Thank you!