Healthy Cauliflower Cream Soup

Your cravings for a warm, filling and nutritious supper will be definitely satisfied by this healthy cauliflower cream soup! Serve it with crunchy homemade croutons, roasted walnuts and a dollop of sour cream for extra indulgence and flavour. 

JUMP TO RECIPE

I am a fan of cream soups in general, however, I can fall into the trap of making already known recipes over and over again. Celeriac Soup or Lentil and Butternut Squash are just a few that are on repeat in our kitchen during the fall and winter months.

But we all want a change from time to time, right?! My curiosity led me to this simple, yet exciting cauliflower cream soup that comes together in under 30 minutes, with minimum effort and none of the fuss. 

What is cauliflower soup made out of?

It’s quite surprising how just a few ingredients can be transformed into something so nourishing and beautifully appetising. 

The main ingredients are:

• Cauliflower: You will need 900 g of cauliflower florets – about a medium-sized cauliflower. This is a super healthy vegetable with high Vitamin C content and low-fat content.

• Garlic: Use 3 garlic cloves, crushed, using a garlic press.

• Vegetable stock: 1 litre of vegetable stock will be enough liquid to obtain a soup that has a beautiful creamy consistency. The quality of your vegetable stock will, of course, influence the taste. You can use a homemade stock or, you can find good quality, ready-made stock in larger supermarkets such as this one from Waitrose.

• Olive Oil & Butter: For sauteing the cauliflower florets you will need to use some fat. About 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter will suffice.

• Spices: To add some depth and flavour to the soup, I used 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1 teaspoon of coriander powder. 

• Salt & Pepper: Season according to taste.

Toppings: 

• Croutons: To make homemade croutons, preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut 4 – 6 slices of sourdough bread, about 2.5 cm – thick slices. Then cut each slice into 2.5 cm cubes (don’t need to be very precise but it’s important to keep them roughly around the same size so that you obtain an even cooking). Toss the croutons with 70 ml of extra-virgin olive oil, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the croutons until they are golden brown. They should be crunchy on the outside and have a slightly soft interior.

• Sour Cream: Balance the delicately sweet undernotes of the cauliflower with a dollop of sour cream.

• Roasted Walnuts: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place a handful of walnuts on a baking tray and bake for 5 – 8 minutes or until golden brown and they start releasing their aroma. Let them cool down for a couple of minutes, then roughly chop and sprinkle over the soup. 

• Parsley (optional): For a touch of freshness you could chop some parsley or even coriander and as a finishing touch. 

Can you freeze cauliflower soup?

Yes, you can! Divide the soup into portions using airtight containers. Freeze it for up to 3 months.

Tip:

In order to maintain the nutrients of the soup, let the soup cool down and freeze it straight after.

If you keep the soup in the refrigerator for a few days and then decide to freeze it, it will still be good but will lose most of its nutritious content. 

Cauliflower Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Your cravings for a warm, filling and nutritious supper will be definitely satisfied by this healthy cauliflower cream soup!

Serve it with crunchy homemade croutons, roasted walnuts and a dollop of sour cream for extra indulgence and flavour. 

Print

Ingredients

• 900g cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed using a garlic press
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons butter
• salt
• pepper
• 450 g homemade croutons
• 4 dollops of sour cream
• a handful of chopped walnuts, roasted
• a handful of chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat up the vegetable stock in a separate pot and keep warm, ready to use.
2. Then, warm up up the olive oil and butter over gentle heat in a medium-sized pot (at least 2 - 3 litres capacity).
3. Add the spices: cinnamon, cumin and coriander. Stir for a minute then combine the garlic and cook over mild heat for another minute or so.
4. Stir in the cauliflower florets and continue cooking all ingredients for 3 - 4 minutes.
5. Pour in the vegetable stock, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and it breaks down easily.
6. Transfer the soup into a blender and blitz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste. Depending on the capacity of your blender you might want to divide the soup into batches. Alternatively, if you have a hand blender available use that instead.
7. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then serve to add the toppings: croutons, sour cream, chopped roasted walnuts and a touch of parsley (optional).
8. Store the leftover soup (if any) into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Notes

Alternative Toppings:

• smoked crispy bacon
• nuts & seeds (roasted): hazelnuts, pine nuts, cashew, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or any other combinations that you might like
• serve it with flatbreads if you want to replace the croutons with something softer or even just fresh sourdough bread

Make it Vegetarian:

• use only olive oil instead of adding the butter as well (just increase the quantity to 3 tablespoons of olive oil)
• you can omit the sour cream or use a suitable alternative vegetarian option