Cauliflower Soup

When you’re craving something warm and comforting but need to add some veggies to your diet, a bowl of this Cauliflower Soup is sure to do the trick!

overhead close up of cheesy cauliflower soup with fresh thyme


 

Turning cauliflower into some totally unexpected dish is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. You take something that might not be the healthiest (like mashed potatoes for instance) and swap the carbs out for a veggie to make Creamy Mashed Cauliflower– how genius is that??

The texture of this cauliflower soup is very similar to that of a potato soup. And while this recipe still does have potatoes, we’re getting the majority of our texture from the cauliflower.

spoon digging into cheesy soup

Ingredients

The ingredients for this cauliflower soup are fairly simple. Just lots of veggies and basic spices that you probably already have in your spice cabinet. Let’s walk through them together.

  • Cauliflower – This might sound like a no brainer, considering it’s in the title of the recipe. We’ll be using an entire head to maximize on texture.
  • Potatoes – Because this soup is very reminiscent to a potato soup (just a little healthier) we do still add in some potatoes for both flavor and texture.
  • Carrots and celery – Adding in these extra veggies not only ups your vegetable intake, but they provide some color and a nice crunch to your cauliflower soup.
  • Onion and garlic – You can never have too much garlic, that’s my motto! But seriously, a nice yellow onion paired with some fresh garlic really adds a great flavor to the soup.
  • Olive oil – In order to make sure the onion and garlic have maximum flavor and achieve the softness we’re looking for, we sauté them in olive oil before adding them to the soup.
  • Chicken broth – We need our soup to be, well, soupy! Chicken broth helps to thin it down a bit so that it’s the perfect slurp-able bowl!
  • Herbs and seasonings – For this cauliflower soup, I like to use fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, sea salt and black pepper for seasoning.
  • Butter, flour and milk – The combination of these three ingredients when whisked together over heat is called a roux. This acts as a thickening agent to the soup.
  • Sharp cheddar cheese – Adding cheese to your roux not only adds the best cheesy flavor, but it also help to thicken the soup as well.
crusty bread in a bowl of cheesy soup

Topping ideas:

The ideas for topping this cauliflower soup are endless, however we do have a few great suggestions!

  • Extra cheddar cheese
  • Bacon
  • Green onions
  • Fresh herbs
  • Croutons
  • A side of crusty bread
bowl of creamy cauliflower soup with fresh herbs

How to Make Cauliflower Soup

You won’t believe how easy it is to make a warm and comforting yet healthy bowl of soup! Let’s walk through the steps together.

  1. Sauté onion and garlic. We want the garlic and onion to be soft and fragrant before adding to our soup. Sautéing in olive oil over medium heat will help us achieve that.
  2. Add in cauliflower, broth, vegetables and seasoning. After the onion and garlic are soft, it’s time to add in the cauliflower, celery, carrots, potatoes and seasonings to the same pot. Stir those until combined, and then add in your chicken broth and allow it to simmer until everything is soft.
step-by-step of how to make cauliflower soup
  1. Make the roux. Melt butter in a pan and slowly whisk in the flour, milk and cheese until a thick paste forms. Add this to the soup pot.
  2. Blend. Blend half of the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Combine with the rest of soup and let simmer for another five minutes.
  3. Top and enjoy! Top your cauliflower soup with any of the toppings suggested above, or come up with some of your own!
step-by-step images of how to make cauliflower soup

Storage and Reheating Cauliflower Soup

The great thing about this cauliflower soup is that it freezes well. You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or simply freeze until you’re ready to enjoy it again. Just make sure none of the toppings are added when doing so.

When you’re ready to eat it, simply warm it up in a pot on the stove, top with your favorite toppings and enjoy all over again!

cauliflower soup recipe for pinterest

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close up of cheesy soup with thyme
square image of cauliflower

Cauliflower Soup

5 from 5 votes
When you're craving something warm and comforting but need to add some veggies to your diet, a bowl of this Cauliflower Soup is perfect!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Cauliflower Soup:

Toppings & Pairings:

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot, add the olive oil, garlic and onions. Saute until onions are soft, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the cauliflower, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until soft.
  • In a medium pan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until it forms a paste. Slowly add in the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the cheese and continue to whisk together until the cheese is completely melted and a slightly thickened roux forms.
  • Slowly add the roux to the soup and stir until combined.
  • With an immersion blender, blend half of the soup together just until it has a thick and creamy texture. You could also transfer half of the soup to a blender or blend with a handheld potato masher. Stir until the soup is completely blended together. There will be small chunks and the soup will thicken. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Top the soup with more shredded cheese and serve with fresh bread or toasted baguette slices. Enjoy!
  • If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Nutrition

Calories: 198 kcal, Carbohydrates: 16 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 23 mg, Sodium: 340 mg, Potassium: 574 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 2978 IU, Vitamin C: 44 mg, Calcium: 148 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Author: Kathryn Donangelo
Calories: 198
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cauliflower soup, easy soup recipes
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

Read More About Jessica

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    This soup is so good! All of the seasonings are spot on. It’s just the bowl of creamy comfort soup I needed right now!

  2. 5 stars
    I love that this soup has lots of veggies in it. It turned out so yummy, and perfect for this cold weather we’ve been having!

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve been trying to add more homemade soups into my recipe rotation and this looks like a perfect addition. Can’t wait to try this out for dinner next week!

  4. 5 stars
    I have been obsessed with cauliflower this winter so I knew I had to make this recipe. It hit the spot! Thank you!