Cauliflower soup (no cream)

This easy, quick, one pot, comforting & creamy cauliflower soup is perfect to warm you up on a chilly winter day. It has no cream no milk, tastes so delicious and is naturally vegan & gluten free.

With few simple pantry ingredients, it takes very little time to pull together this healthy low fat cauliflower soup. Though it is lightly spiced but packs tons of flavours and great for busy days when you just want to make something quick yet nourishing.

You will be surprised how creamy this soup turns out without using any heavy cream, milk or cashews. It can be enjoyed as it is or with some crusty bread, sourdough, baked bread croutons or grilled sandwich for a cozy dinner. 

The cauliflower soup recipe shared here is:

• Nut free
• Dairy free
• Low calorie & Low Carb
• Made without cream or milk
• Easy and quick one pot recipe

I tried the soup 3 ways- one by simply boiling cauliflower until tender, second by roasting it in oven and the third way is the one I have shared in this post. The first method tasted a bit bland, the second one was tasty but it was little time consuming (as cauliflower takes around 25-30 minutes to roast).

The third method is the best of both worlds where you get slightly roasted flavour and is quicker to make. The trick here is to first sauté the cauliflower florets while keeping the flame medium-high till they get slightly golden brown spots. It takes barely 6-8 minutes but brings out the flavour. 

Cauliflower Soup Ingredients:

Cauliflower: Also known as gobhi or gobi, this vegetable is winter staple especially in North India. It is used in variety of recipes like aloo gobi, mix veg curry, pakode (fritters) and stuffed paratha etc.

To make this soup, use firm crisp spotless cauliflower for best taste and flavour. Avoid using the one with yellowish tinge or if it has slight smell. You can use frozen cauliflower too.

Onion & Garlic: Both these ingredients enhance the flavour of soup with their taste and aroma. It is better to use fresh garlic but you can use garlic powder too. If you like garlicky flavour, then feel free to increase its quantity.

Oil / Butter: You can use olive oil, butter or a mix of two in this cauliflower soup. Butter adds a lovely warm rich flavour, so if you are not looking out on those calories then do include it.

Potatoes: This hidden ingredient helps in making the soup creamy and full bodied. The starch in potato thickens instantly thickens the soup and pairs so well with cauliflower that no one can even guess its presence.

Seasoning: The soup is seasoned with bay leaf, salt and freshly ground black pepper. For spicier taste, you can add chilli flakes or garam masala.

Vegetable Stock: Feel free to use stock cubes, homemade or store bought vegetable broth (or chicken broth). As most packaged broths are already high in sodium, I would recommend adding salt after tasting the soup.

Variations:

1. For adding protein to the soup, you can add a can of white beans /  cannellini beans (washed & drained) or add red lentils as explained in this carrot lentil soup recipe.
2. To add a punch of umami flavour, feel free to toss in handful of mushrooms while sautéing cauliflower or other veggies of your choice like carrots, broccoli or spinach.
3. If you like the comforting flavours of potato leek soup, then you will surely love the addition of leeks in this soup as well.
4. To add cheesy goodness to the soup, feel free to add parmesan or grated cheddar as we did in the broccoli cheese soup recipe.

More recipes with cauliflower:

• Air fryer Crispy Cauliflower
• Aloo Gobi (Spiced Potatoes Cauliflower)

Ingredients: (For 3-4 servings)

• Cauliflower (chopped)- 1 head (large)
• Olive Oil- 2 tbsp (divided)
• Onion (chopped)- 1 medium
• Garlic Cloves (minced)- 2 to 3
• Potato (chopped)- 1 medium
• Crushed Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp (to taste)
• Bay Leaf- 1
• Salt -1 tsp (to taste)
• Water / Vegetable Stock- 4 cups
• Lemon Juice- 2 tsp (optional)
• For garnishing:
  • Rosemary, Parsley or Garlic Chives

Directions:

Step 1:
Chop cauliflower in bite size florets. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil (or butter) in a flat base pan. Transfer florets to it and spread in single layer as much as possible.

Step 2:
Sauté on medium-high flame till you get golden brown spots on most of them. Shake the pan every 2 minutes (It takes roughly 6-8 minutes).

Step 3:
Shift the cauliflower pieces on one side of pan and turn the flame to low. Add 1/2 tbsp oil more. Add bay leaf and sliced onions. Cook till onions are softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30-40 seconds more.

(Tip: If the pan becomes too hot, add a splash of water to bring its temperature down.)

Step 4:
Add chopped potatoes, salt, crushed black pepper and vegetable stock or water (If the vegetable broth you are using already has salt, skip adding salt and add later after tasting).

Step 5:
Bring the pot to boil first and then simmer. Cover with lid and let cook on low flame till veggies are cooked completely.

Step 6:
After 10-12 minutes, open the lid. Check a piece of potato & cauliflower with a fork to confirm if they have become tender or not. If you find resistance then cook for some more time.

Step 7:
Once veggies are cooked, let the mixture cool down for sometime. Remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup either using stick blender or for silky smooth consistency use blender (like vitamix). Add more water or vegetable stock to adjust the consistency of soup as per your liking.

Step 8:
Transfer the blended soup back to the pan. Taste and adjust salt or pepper as per your taste. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or more until it is ready to serve. Stir occasionally. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional) just towards the end and serve.

Before serving, add a swirl of olive oil or chopped herbs like garlic chives and rosemary. Enjoy hot delicious creamy cauliflower soup.

Storage and Reheating: You can easily store any leftover in fridge in an airtight container in fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat either microwave or in a pan on stovetop. If the soup has thickened, add a splash of water or vegetable broth before reheating.

For garnishing: To make cauliflower garnishing as shown in image, take out 2-3 florets after step 4. Slice them vertically into medium thick pieces and sauté in some olive oil until golden brown. You can even top up the soup with some roasted or air-fried cauliflower.

Tips:

1. Cut the cauliflower florets and potato pieces into small size for faster cooking. Big chunky pieces take longer to cook.
2. If you wish you can add around 1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut milk or low fat cream to the soup step 6. Second way to get creamier consistency is to add 8-10 cashews in step 3. This way they will soften up during cooking and can be blended with soup.

More vegan healthy vegan soup recipes you mights like to try:

• Vegetable Noodle Soup
  
• Red Lentil and Carrot Soup
• Mushroom Soup (no cream)
• Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup

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