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This Vegan Cauliflower Soup is pure comfort in a bowl! It's bursting with robust flavors and it's oh-so-creamy!
Soup season is in full swing over here and I've been making 2-3 pots a week. Last night I made my Vegan Potato Leek Soup, and tonight we're having our new favorite, Vegan Cauliflower Soup.
Why you'll love this recipe
I absolutely love regular cauliflower soup, BUT this roasted version is to die for! Roasting it along with a few garlic cloves produces a nutty, toasty, and buttery flavor. You'll be hooked!
It only takes about 10 minutes more than the classic version, so it's absolutely worth it.
To amp up the smoky flavor, I added some liquid smoke and smoked paprika. Then I added lite coconut milk to make it ultra-creamy. Don't worry, you won't taste the coconut flavor.
How to make Vegan Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup is easy to make in just 6 easy steps. Take a look:
STEP 1 - Season the cauliflower florets and garlic cloves and drizzle with oil. Now roast until tender and lightly browned.
STEP 2 - Sauté onions and celery until tender and lightly browned.
STEP 3 - Add dried thyme and smoked paprika to the onions and celery. Sauté until fragrant.
STEP 4 - Add the roasted cauliflower, garlic cloves, broth, liquid smoke, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Gently simmer for 10 minutes to combine all the flavors
STEP 5 - Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf. Now pour in the coconut milk.
STEP 6 - Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend until very creamy and smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
Topping ideas
This cauliflower soup is filled with flavor and it's perfect as it is, but if you want to add some flavorful toppings, here are some tasty suggestions:
- Baked Tempeh Bacon pieces
- Squeeze of Lemon
- A dollop of Vegan Sour Cream
- Smoke Paprika
- Fresh Herbs
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Roasted Cauliflower Pieces
- Vegan Cheese Shreds
- A swirl of Coconut Milk or cashew cream
- Air Fried Chickpeas
Reheating + Storing Tips
This vegan cauliflower soup will taste even better the next day and you can freeze it, too! Here's how to do it:
Storing - leftovers will last in the fridge for 3-5 days stored in an airtight container. It will also freeze really well for 2-3 months in an airtight container. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
Reheating - gently warm the soup on the stove over medium heat until warmed throughout or microwave for 2-3 minutes.
More vegan soup recipes to try
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!
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Recipe
Vegan Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower , cut into bite-size florets (about 2 ½ pounds)
- 2-3 large garlic cloves , peeled (I used 3)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 2 stalks celery , sliced or diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 cups vegetable broth , low sodium (more if needed)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (*optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt , divided (more to taste)
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
- 1 cup canned lite coconut milk , shaken
Recommended Equipment
- Large Pot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F (230° C).
- Place cauliflower florets and garlic cloves on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (about 1 ½ tablespoons) and lightly sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and cracked pepper to taste. Combine together with your hands. Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Toss occasionally. (*Optional- reserve a few roasted pieces for soup topping)
- In a large pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat and add onion and celery. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add dried thyme and smoked paprika. Sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Now add the roasted cauliflower, garlic cloves, broth, liquid smoke, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Turn heat up to get broth boiling and then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then remove from heat and remove bay leaf.
- Now add the coconut milk. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend until very creamy and smooth. (If the consistency is too thick for your taste, you can add a little vegetable broth to thin it out) Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. (*See notes for garnish and topping ideas).
Luda De Vreeze
Making it third time in one week! The best cauliflower soup ever!!!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Luda! This is such a lovely compliment, thank you for sharing! We are so happy that you love the recipe 🙂
Carla Tejada
This was insanely delicious!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Thanks so much Carla, we're so glad you loved it!
Fraser Adam
Yummy soup that I made for my daughter. She's vegan but doesn't like creamy soups (even with coconut) so I replaced the onion with a leek and threw in a potato thinking it might give a creamier texture and added a teaspoon of vegeta stock powder instead of the salt (it's mainly salt anyway). Highly successful and she loved it! - I'll be making this again so thanks for the recipe Melissa. regards Fraser
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Fraser! We are so happy to hear that you both loved the soup and that it turned out delicious with those substitutions! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Julie Kiene
delicious! I used leeks instead of onions and it was great, will make twice as much next time. I'm wondering if broccoli soup could be made the same way.
Melissa Huggins
Thank you so much! It sounds wonderful with the leeks! Yes, you can use broccoli in the same way. It will be a delicious cream of broccoli soup. 🙂
AD
Delicious. I have tried several vegan recipes and this one has been the best so far!
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Rob S
This turned out really nicely. I had a few doubts while making it.. wondering about the liquid smoke and if a nut milk would be a better choice than coconut milk. But I made it just as written, and it was delicious. The end effect is an underlying smokiness and a really pleasant hearty creaminess without the cream.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Rob, I'm so glad you liked it! I have tried it with soy milk and it was really good too. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Dayna
Well done! Flavorful and satisfying!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Colleen M Nelson
This was delicious! I was surprised how flavorful it was. We will definitely be making this again, probably need to make a double batch next time!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Taylor
Made this soup for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! We topped the soup with some vegan Parmesan cheese and chopped green onions. My husband is not a vegan but he loved this recipe, even went back for seconds!! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Taylor, thank you so much! I'm so glad you both loved it! It sounds perfect with the vegan parmesan and green onions. 🙂
Anne
Does this refrigerate well?
Melissa Huggins
Yes, it will last 3-4 days in the fridge. 🙂
Carey
I never write reviews, but this one is beyond deserving. I didn’t have any liquid smoke, so I used a smoked spanish paprika. It gave it an amazing flavor. I added a bit more veggie broth and coconut milk to smooth it out and lots of red pepper flakes. Even my very picky teenage daughter ate it. This will be a staple! I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Carey, this is so nice to hear! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Haldis Corry
Made your soup and it was delicious. My husband said its the best soup I've ever made and I agree with him.
Will definitely be a regular in my house. Can I freeze it?
All the best from Manchester, UK
Haldis
Melissa Huggins
Hi Haldis! Yay, this is great to hear! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. Yes, you can freeze it for about 3-4 months. Have a Happy New Year! 🙂
Susan Morse
This sounds delicious! I plan to make it over Thanksgiving!
Michelle Geil
I just made this, and it came out great. I'm not a great cook, and my husband is not a vegan or even a vegetarian, and he really liked it, so much that I'm making it for Thanksgiving! Thank you and I look forward to trying more recipes.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Michelle, This is so nice to hear! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving 🙂
Reneee F
I made this for dinner last night and it was soooo delicious. The flavor was addicting and I'll definitely be making this all winter long... by the gallons!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! Thank you so much! It's one of my winter faves 🙂