This roasted cauliflower soup is creamy and velvety smooth. It’s made with simple ingredients yet is packed with loads of flavor. Roasting the cauliflower, onion and garlic brings out their natural sweetness which pairs well with the warmth of cumin and the fresh thyme. It’s a satisfying soup that will keep you coming back for more.
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Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that makes soup naturally creamy without needing any extra cream or dairy. When you blend the roasted cauliflower, the texture turns naturally velvety smooth and creamy giving this soup a light comforting taste.
Cauliflower is also super versatile in the kitchen. Whether you roast, steam, cook or stir-fry it, cauliflower always brings something tasty to the table. A simple ingredient that can make any meal shine.
And it pairs perfectly with other flavors and ingredients, like in a chestnut and cauliflower soup or as cauliflower rice flavored with lime and cilantro. On top of all that, it’s low in carbs and calories making it a great choice if you’re keeping things light.
Roasted cauliflower soup ingredients
- Cauliflower: Choose a large, firm cauliflower head with tightly packed florets and without any brown spots. For this cauliflower soup recipe, remove the green leaves, but don’t toss them as they are great for roasting or adding to other dishes.
- Onions: Use yellow or white onions for a mild, sweet flavor base.
- Garlic: You’ll need a few cloves of garlic. Roasting them unpeeled transforms their flavor into a rich, caramelized aroma that adds depth to the soup.
- Thyme: A few sprigs of fresh thyme. Use dried thyme as an alternative.
- Cumin: A teaspoon of ground tumin adds warmth and a gently earthy note.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil helps the vegetables roast while adding a subtle fruity richness to the soup.
- Stock: I have used vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian, but feel free to use chicken stock.
- Seasoning: Flavor with salt and pepper to taste.
Why roast the cauliflower?
You can definitely make a tasty cauliflower soup without roasting, just simmer the vegetables in vegetable stock and blend. But roasting the cauliflower brings out a deeper, richer flavor. The natural sugars caramelize in the oven, adding a subtle sweetness and mild nuttiness to the soup.
So while it’s not essential, roasting really takes the flavor of this roasted cauliflower soup recipe to the next level.
How to make cauliflower soup
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 355℉ or 180℃
- Cut the cauliflower: Remove the outer green leaves. Cut the head into florets and chop the stem into small chunks. Rinse the cauliflower if needed and pat thoroughly dry before roasting. Spread the florets and chopped stem on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they are in a single layer.
- Add the other ingredients: Peel and roughly chop the onions, then add them to the baking sheet along with the cauliflower and unpeeled garlic cloves. Season with salt, pepper and cumin, then drizzle with olive oil. Place the thyme sprigs on top.
- Roast the vegetables: Place the baking sheet in the middle of the preheated oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the cauliflower is golden brown and soft.
- Blend the roasted ingredients: Transfer all the roasted ingredients to a blender, but keep a few florets aside for garnish. Don’t forget to first peel the garlic. Add the vegetable stock and blend on high for about 1 minute. Add more stock if needed.
- Warm the soup: Pour the soup in a large pot or Dutch oven and heat through for a few minutes. Serve with fresh thyme, parsley or finely chopped roasted cauliflower.
Useful tips & tricks
You can make this roasted cauliflower soup using frozen cauliflower florets. There’s no need to thaw them, just roast straight from frozen. Spread the florets out in a single layer on the baking sheet to help them roast evenly. You may need to add about 15 minutes to the roasting time.
What to do with the outer green leaves?
The outer green leaves are great to use in soup, stock or a stir-fry. Or chop the leaves and roast them with the cauliflower to make this soup. The color will turn darker, so don’t use them if you’re after a more light colored soup.
How to store
After blending, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This soup is also great for freezing. Store in a freezer safe container in smaller portions. Before storing, make sure the soup is cooled to room temperature.
More soup recipes to try
- Roasted tomato soup
- Mediterranean pepper and cannelloni bean soup
- Cream of zucchini soup
- Coconut curry pepper soup
- Fennel soup with star anise
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2½ cups vegetable stock
Garnish
- fresh thyme
- fresh parsley finely chopped
- roasted cauliflower florets finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355℉ (180℃).
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets and chop the stem into small chunks. Peel and roughly chop the onions.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the cauliflower, onions, and unpeeled garlic cloves. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss everything to coat evenly. Place the thyme sprigs on top.
- Roast in the center of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden brown and tender.
- Remove from the oven and carefully peel the garlic. Transfer the roasted cauliflower, garlic and onion to a high powered blender.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and blend on high for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add more stock if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Pour into a large pot or Dutch oven and heat through for a few minutes until warm. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and fresh thyme if desired.
