Cauliflower Soup

What Makes This Creamy Cauliflower Soup So Good

• Rich and creamy, without dairy. As is, this soup is gluten-free and vegan, with extra richness from raw cashews and nutritional yeast.
• Warm flavors. Cauliflower adds heartiness as the base of the soup, while the flavors of the garlic, leeks, and chili flakes shine through. White beans and nutmeg make the soup feel wintry, and all the ingredients come together in a comforting, cozy bowlful.
• Enjoy it all season long. I’ll eat this as a first course at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or curled up on the couch on a cold winter evening. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients you need for this warm and cozy vegan cauliflower soup. Make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact ingredient amounts. 

• Olive oil – Substitute another cooking oil, like avocado oil, if you'd like.
• Leeks – I love the mild, sweet flavor that leeks bring to potato leek soup, so I couldn't resist including them here. Be sure to clean your leeks well, as dirt gets in between the layers.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic has the best flavor. Otherwise, substitute one tablespoon of jarred garlic for each clove.
• Cauliflower – Choose a head of cauliflower that's creamy white, without any discoloring or soft spots. Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces.
• Nutmeg – For best results, use freshly-grated nutmeg.
• Red pepper flakes – Feel free to leave these out if you're sensitive to spice.
• White beans – Try to find organic white beans for this recipe. If you're using canned beans, make sure they’re drained and rinsed before you add them to the soup.
• Vegetable broth – This can be store-bought or homemade.
• Cashews – The cashews should be raw and not toasted.
• Nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast has a cheesy flavor that brings more depth and richness to cauliflower soup. Including it is optional, but recommended!
• Pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds – Optional, for garnishing the soup before serving.

How to Make Cauliflower Soup

Here’s how to make this decadent winter soup. It only takes 45 minutes from start to finish! 

1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a pot or a Dutch oven, then add the leeks and garlic. Cook until they’re soft, about 1-2 minutes. 
2. Cook the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower to the pot along with the nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. 
3. Add the broth. Pour the vegetable broth into the pot, along with the water and the white beans. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and put a lid on the pot. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes. 
4. Blend. Once the soup is done cooking, pour it into a blender with an open lid, and add the cashews. If the soup is too thick, add a little bit of water to thin it out. 
5. Season. Pour the soup back into the pot, and stir in the nutritional yeast if you’re using it. Taste the soup, and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and nutmeg. 
6. Serve. Serve the soup while it’s still hot, and top with the garnishes of your choice. 

Recipe Tips

• Use homemade broth. This hearty vegan soup will taste great with a store-bought vegetable broth, but you can bump it up a notch by using homemade stock. I recommend using my mushroom vegan bone broth, which is easy to make in the Instant Pot and makes this soup very rich. 
• Use a blender with an open lid. Very important! NEVER blend hot soup in an airtight blender. It creates a vacuum, which can lead to a soup explosion. Make sure to blend the soup using a food processor or blender with an opening in the top for the hot air to escape. You could also use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot.
• Blend in batches. The soup probably won’t all fit in a blender. To make life easier and to ensure that you get the smoothest soup, add it to the blender in batches. Taking a few extra minutes at this stage can make the soup a much nicer texture and save you some mess. 

What to Serve With Cauliflower Soup

When it's time to serve your cauliflower soup, have fun with the toppings! I love to top this soup with a nice glug of olive oil, with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds for garnish. But you can add whatever you like. This soup is great topped with croutons, crumbled tempeh bacon, fresh herbs, vegan creme fraiche, or even a drizzle of vinegar reduction.

Customizing the toppings is a great way to make this soup really stand out, especially if you’re serving it for a holiday meal. Follow it up with cornbread stuffing and mushroom and quinoa stuffed acorn squash, with herb-crusted baked tofu as a vegan alternative to turkey.

Any other day of the year, serve creamy cauliflower soup with an open-faced chickpea salad sandwich or a vegan chickpea tuna melt for a bistro-style lunch.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. This soup will last in the fridge for 5 days. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container.
• Reheat. To reheat, heat the soup on the stove over low heat until warm, or microwave on medium heat in 30-second increments until heated. If the soup is too thick, add a little bit of water before or during the reheating. 
• Freeze. This is one of my favorite recipes to freeze, because it makes such an easy weekday dinner. Freeze the soup in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or defrost in the microwave before heating. 

More Vegan Soup Recipes

• Tomato Bisque
• Roasted Pumpkin Soup
• Detox Soup
• Curried Cauliflower & Squash Soup
• Red Lentil Soup