Cauliflower Soup Recipe

This Cauliflower Soup is a creamy and velvety recipe, which is made with fresh cauliflower and butter. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, ready in about 50 minutes.

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Cauliflower Soup Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
1 qt. low-sodium chicken broth or stock
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 to 2 bay leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup sour cream, to serve

How To Make Cauliflower Soup

Sauté the vegetables: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 2 more minutes.
Cook the cauliflower: Add the cauliflower pieces and parsley to the pot, stir to combine, then cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes to let the cauliflower soften.
Add broth and simmer: Pour in the chicken stock, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Make the creamy base: In a separate medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. In a bowl, whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Slowly pour this mixture into the melted butter, whisking constantly. Cook for about 5 minutes until it has thickened into a smooth sauce (a béchamel).
Combine and finish simmering: Remove the thickened milk sauce from the heat and stir in the half-and-half. Pour this creamy mixture into the simmering soup pot. Add the bay leaf or leaves and let the entire soup simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Temper sour cream and serve: Just before serving, place the sour cream in a large serving bowl. Ladle 2 to 3 scoops of the hot soup into the sour cream and stir to combine. (This prevents the sour cream from curdling). Pour in the remaining soup and stir. Alternatively, serve soup in individual bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe Tips

How to get a smoother soup? For a completely smooth and velvety texture, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup after it has finished simmering, right before you add the sour cream.
Can I use frozen cauliflower? Yes, frozen cauliflower florets work well. There’s no need to thaw them first; just add them to the pot and you may be able to reduce the initial 15-minute covered cooking time slightly.
How to make it vegetarian? To make this a vegetarian cauliflower soup, simply substitute the chicken broth with an equal amount of vegetable broth.
How to add more flavor? For a cheesy version, stir in 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar or Gruyère cheese at the end until it’s melted.

What To Serve With Cauliflower Soup

This creamy soup is a comforting meal that pairs perfectly with:

Crusty bread or warm dinner rolls for dipping
A classic grilled cheese sandwich
A simple green salad with a bright vinaigrette
Crispy bacon bits or croutons for topping

How To Store Cauliflower Soup

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The soup will thicken as it cools.
Freeze: Freezing is not highly recommended as dairy-based soups (with milk, cream, and sour cream) can separate and become grainy upon thawing.

Cauliflower Soup Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 410 kcal
Fat: 32g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Protein: 9g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Can I make this soup dairy-free?

Yes. You can use a plant-based butter, substitute the milk and half-and-half with a creamy, unsweetened plant-based milk like oat or cashew milk, and use a dairy-free sour cream alternative.

Why did my soup curdle or look grainy?

This can happen if the heat is too high when you add the milk-based sauce or the sour cream. Always use medium-low heat and temper the sour cream with a little hot soup before adding it to the main pot.

Can I make this soup without the flour-based thickener?

Yes. You can omit the separate béchamel step. Instead, after the cauliflower has simmered in the broth, you can blend the entire soup until smooth. The cauliflower itself will act as a natural thickener. Then, you can stir in the half-and-half and sour cream off the heat.

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Recipe by Marry ThompsonCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

410

kcal

A rich, old-fashioned, and incredibly creamy cauliflower soup made with a savory vegetable base and a smooth, buttery béchamel-style thickener.

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter, divided
1 medium onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 qt. chicken or vegetable broth
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt & 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup sour cream, for serving

Directions

In a large pot, melt 4 tbsp butter. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until soft.
Add cauliflower and parsley, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes.
Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes.
In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter. Whisk flour and milk together, then slowly add to the butter, whisking until a thick sauce forms.
Stir half-and-half into the sauce, then pour the entire creamy mixture into the soup pot. Add bay leaves and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Temper the sour cream with a few ladles of hot soup before stirring it into the main pot.
Serve immediately.

Notes

For a perfectly smooth soup, use an immersion blender at the end of the simmering time.
Tempering the sour cream (mixing it with a little hot soup before adding it all in) is a crucial step to prevent it from curdling.
This soup is very rich and comforting, making it a perfect meal for a cold day.
Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves before serving.