Roasted Cauliflower Soup

5 from 1 vote

Roasted Cauliflower Soup takes some time, but most of it is hands off. As the name suggests, you should absolutely roast the cauliflower (along with a whole head of garlic) instead of steaming or tossing it in raw. Trust - you'll be rewarded with the creamiest, most flavorful cauliflower soup you can imagine.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings

Calories 273kcal

Author Danielle Esposti

Equipment

Ingredients

2½ tbsp olive oil divided
1 head cauliflower divided into florets (about 6 cups)
1 head garlic
1 tbsp butter or ghee, olive oil, or avocado oil
1 large vidalia onion diced to ½"
1 large yukon gold potato peeled and diced
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground pepper
4 c vegetable broth or chicken broth or stock
1 sprig fresh thyme plus more for garnish
¼ c. toasted pine nuts for garnish

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tbsp olive oil, then spread on the prepared baking sheet. Slice off the top of the head of garlic and rub ½ tbsp of remaining oil into the exposed garlic cloves. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and add it to the baking sheet.
Transfer to the oven and roast the cauliflower and garlic until the cauliflower is golden brown and tender and the garlic is soft and squeezable, 40-45 minutes. The cauliflower may finish roasting before the garlic, so check it every 5 minutes after the 40-minute mark.
Reserve ½ cup of the smallest cauliflower florets for garnish. Allow the garlic to cool for a few moments, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the papery shells.
Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter or ghee and heat until it melts. Add the onions to the pot, stir to coat in the fat, and then cover and sweat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, 15-20 minutes.
Add the roasted cauliflower florets, roasted garlic, and diced potato to the onions. Season with salt and pepper, then add enough broth to just barely cover the vegetables (I used about 4 cups). Give everything a quick stir and then add the fresh thyme.
Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the pine nuts to the pan and toast, stirring continuously, until the pine nuts are lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once the potatoes are soft, remove the thyme sprig. Blend the soup with an immersion blender (or in a traditional blender in batches, see notes) until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a bit of extra stock or water, 2 tbsp at a time. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with cauliflower florets, pine nuts, and fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately. This soup keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.

Notes

Storing and Freezing

Fridge: leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a soup pot over medium heat until warmed through.
Freezer: store in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Make It Your Way

Vegan: use vegan butter or substitute butter for olive oil.
Whole30 and Paleo: use ghee in place of butter.

Nutrition