Healthy Cauliflower Soup

Cozy up with this healthy Cauliflower Soup recipe for one seriously comforting meal! Cauliflower, onion, garlic, broth, and seasonings are cooked and puréed with raw cashews to create a velvety thick texture without heavy cream! This simple soup can easily be made vegan, and is the best way to warm up on a Winter night.

The hubby and I first enjoyed a bowl full of the inspiration behind this healthy cauliflower soup recipe when we were vacationing in Nashville for New Year’s Eve. 

Like many of the other recipes here on Evolving Table that were inspired by a restaurant’s dish, i.e. this Zuppa Toscana Soup or this Cream of Asparagus Soup, I quickly got to work recreating it as soon as I got home.

When I ended up making this cream of cauliflower soup…

not once,

not twice,

but FOUR times over the Christmas break…  I knew I needed to share it with you!

(And not to mention, I sent a snapshot of my scribbled down recipe to the hubby’s grandmother and mom after they insisted they could not wait for this post to go live!)

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this healthy cauliflower soup recipe include:

• Head of cauliflower. Make sure you choose a medium-large sized head to ensure you get at least 5-6 cups of cauliflower florets.
• Onion. Sweet onions are ideal but yellow onions will work as well.
• Broth. Water and Better than Bouillon with a chicken base is the preferred option. If you cannot find it, simply swap it for vegetable or chicken broth.
• Red pepper flakes. Adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like.
• Seasonings. Salt, pepper, and dried sage add a nice flavor. Feel free to use dried basil, thyme, oregano, or rosemary in place of the sage.
• Raw cashews. These are ABSOLUTELY necessary to create a thick and creamy consistency without heavy cream. Do NOT get salted or roasted cashews.

How to Make Cauliflower Soup

The basic steps for making cauliflower soup are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.

Wash and Cut

Cut the head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. It’s OK if they’re not all perfectly uniform, but you do want them pretty close to the same size.

(Learn all the tricks for the best way to cut cauliflower!)

Sauté the Vegetables

Drizzle oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 5 minutes before tossing in the cauliflower florets. Continue sautéing for an additional 5 minutes then mix in the crushed garlic.

Boil the Soup

Pour in the broth, spices, butter or oil, and raw cashews. Bring everything to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Make it Creamy

There are multiple ways you can purée and blend this healthy recipe to make it extra creamy and delicious. Here are a few kitchen tools and utensils you can use (in order of preference):

• Immersion (or wand) blender – Super easy clean-up and does not require you to transfer hot soup into another appliance. (This is the way I like to do it!)
• Vitamix or High-speed Blender – Another great option since the Vitamix is so large and can hold all of the contents at once. (Although, be careful of it splattering!)
• Food processor – Not the easiest way, but it definitely can be done. You will need to work in batches to ensure everything gets super creamy.

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Top and Serve

Garnish with fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese. You can also pair with any of the following:

• Baguettes – amazing with a touch of butter and garlic!
• Homemade croutons – for those of you that like a bit of crunch.
• Parmesan cheese whisps – a great alternative to the above for those of you on a low-carb diet.

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: The flavors get better with time, so completely make the whole recipe in advance!
• To Store: Bring it completely to room temperature then seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• To Freeze: Place in freezer-safe plastic containers and bring to refrigerator temperature first before freezing for up to 3 months.
• To Reheat: Add to a pot over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, or pop a bowl of it in the microwave.

Dietary Modifactions

The recipe you’ll find below is already gluten-free as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

• Vegetarian – Select vegetable broth instead of chicken.
• Dairy-Free – Choose plant-based butter or oil and Parmesan cheese.
• Vegan – Use vegan “butter” sticks or oil, Better than Bouillon Vegetarian base or vegetable broth, and a vegan Parmesan cheese. 

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Hot or mild. Use more or less red pepper flakes to fit your spice preferences.
• Switch the seasonings. Substitute basil, thyme, oregano, or rosemary for the sage.
• Make it simple. An immersion blender is the easiest way to purée the soup.
• Meld the flavors. Make the soup a day in advance for even better results.
• Double it up. Cook extra to keep in the freezer for future easy meals.

More Cauliflower Recipes

There are so many ways to enjoy cauliflower! Here are some of the best ways to eat it:

Cauliflower au Gratin

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Air Fryer Cauliflower

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

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