Roasted Cauliflower Soup

At a glance

What stands out: The simple step of roasting the cauliflower adds so much depth to this roasted cauliflower soup recipe. It’s creamy and rich, 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 we think we 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 our air fryer Buffalo cauliflower bites and Parmesan roasted cauliflower) or the method you use to cook it.

Building on this idea, we started this soup recipe with roasted cauliflower which becomes nutty and rich 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 reliable level of smooth creaminess. (If you do want to try the potato trick, we recommend our Instant Pot cauliflower potato soup.)

Straightforward to mix. 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!

What goes in

This is a speedy 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: we use olive oil for roasting the cauliflower in the oven. It’s flavorful, lighter, 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: we 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 (our favorite!), extra roasted cauliflower, shredded white cheddar cheese, or red pepper flakes.

How it comes together

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 soft, about 10 minutes.

Purée the cauliflower soup. With an immersion blender, carefully purée the soup right in the pan until it’s 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.

Ways to change it

• 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 our Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup (it can be made on the stovetop, too), butternut squash soup with roasted garlic, or lighter creamy tomato soup.

Make Ahead Ideas

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.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

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.

Browse Meal Plans

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 45 minutes
• Total: 1 hour

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

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Meanwhile, wash cauliflower and cut into bite-size florets. Dry well.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Add the roasted cauliflower and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer until cauliflower is very soft (about 10 minutes).
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Serve the soup with desired garnishes.

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.