Cauliflower is definitely having a moment right now in the global health food scene. What can’t you do with this humble gobhi — from making “rice,” using steamed cauli to bulk up smoothies, making vegan mac and cheese, or roasting it to perfection — this versatile veggie is everywhere!
It’s one of those vegetables that work well both in creamy and crunchy preparations, with a balanced flavour that can easily take on other spices and vegetables. I love making this cauliflower soup because it’s such a simple comforting recipe, and it’s great even if you don’t happen to be a huge cauliflower fan. Adding a flavourful spice like turmeric, or curry powder, or even Moroccan spices is a great way to mask the inherent cauliflower flavour, and trust me, it’ll taste delicious.
I start by cooking some onions and garlic in a bit of butter. I use an entire head of cauliflower (even the stem!) and just one potato to add a bit of body, and cover it in stock (use water if you’re in a pinch). Let it simmer covered so that the steam allows the veggies to become completely tender. Using a blender, I blend the soup until its completely smooth and season with some nutmeg and dijon mustard for flavour.
This cauliflower soup is so velvety and rich — it blends into a purée so creamy that you’d swear it included cream or milk. I also like to roast a few cauliflower florets until they’re golden brown, crispy, and slightly charred for my topping, but you can totally skip this step. This is a great pantry-staple recipe to keep on your soup rotation all winter long, especially because seasonal cauliflowers are in abundance in the market.
VARIATIONS
Make it spicy: Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes to give it a kick.
Fresh herbs: Thyme tastes wonderful in this soup.
Indian-ish: Flavour with roasted cumin and turmeric for an Indian-inspired flavour.
I like to keep it simple, and served my creamy cauliflower soup with roasted florets, sliced green onions, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.
Happy souping!
- 1 tablespoon butter/ghee (or substitute olive oil)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium head cauliflower, florets and stem roughly chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and diced
- 4 cups homemade vegetable stock
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- To serve (optional): roasted cauliflower florets, sliced green onions, olive oil, additional pepper
- In a deep-bottomed saucepan, heat some butter. As it starts to melt, add the onion and garlic and cook without browning until soft, for a couple of minutes.
- Reserve a few cauliflower florets to roast for the topping (optional), and add the remaining cauliflower as well as the potato to the mix. Cook for 5 minutes, and add 4-5 cups broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat it and let it simmer covered for 25 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and fall apart.
- Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium heat, stirring and adding more stock or hot water to thin out soup if desired.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg, some Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Optional: To make the cauliflower topping, toss the reserved florets in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 200°C oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and charred around the edges.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with roasted cauliflower, green onions, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and some cracked pepper.
Did you make this creamy cauliflower soup recipe?
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