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This creamy cauliflower soup recipe is silky smooth, simple to make, and it’ll warm you right up. You can have this cozy soup on your table in about 40 minutes!
Try my Potato Vegetable Soup or Kielbasa Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
I’ll be the first to admit that cauliflower isn’t the most exciting vegetable, but it is a fantastic vessel for making other ingredients shine (much like in my Easy Roasted Cauliflower)! It’s also perfect for making the irresistibly velvety texture in this cream of cauliflower soup.
Fresh thyme, smoked paprika, garlic, and Italian herbs are the stars of this silky cauliflower soup. It’s one of those soups that are even more delicious the next day after the ingredients have a chance to meld! A hint of cream rounds out this low-effort, comforting soup.
What you’ll need
- Cauliflower – grab a large head
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet onions such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
- Broth – use either chicken or vegetable broth for the savory base of the soup
- Italian seasoning – this blend of dried herbs comes in a single jar
- Smoked paprika – one of my favorite seasonings to infuse tons of flavor!
- Cayenne – just a pinch adds a little warmth (it doesn’t make it spicy)
- Bay leaf – optional, but it gives earthy, aromatic depth
- Fresh thyme – it really complements the cauliflower
- Heavy cream – a touch of real cream gives this soup body and tastes wonderful
Pro tip
Don’t rush the onion sautéing step. Getting the aromatics golden/lightly browned adds even more flavor!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I like this immersion blender to puree the soup because it’s plastic and doesn’t scratch my Le Creuset pot.
- Mince the garlic with this super useful garlic press. No peeling necessary.
- Store the remainder of your fresh thyme in this herb keeper.
How to make cauliflower soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the onion in the oil and butter until golden. Stir in the garlic, followed by the broth, cauliflower, seasonings, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the cauliflower is soft. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, then blend. Stir in the cream, and generously season with salt & pepper.
Substitutions and variations
- You could sub the fresh thyme with dried if you need to. I’d add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Fresh or dried rosemary could also be an alternative to the thyme if need be.
- My preference is adding heavy cream, but half-and-half or coconut milk will work fine in this recipe if you need an alternative. Or leave it out altogether. It’ll still taste good, but it just won’t be quite as smooth/velvety, and the cream does add a little bit of richness and flavor too (and the fat content makes it more filling).
What to serve with cauliflower soup
- You can eat it as-is, or some great cauliflower soup toppings are a drizzle of olive oil on top (try a fancy flavored one or a spicy one for some kick), some chopped fresh chives, or crumbled Air Fryer Bacon.
- Don’t forget my Easy Homemade Croutons (Garlic & Parmesan)!
- For a soup and salad combo, try spring mix with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing, or make this simple and bright Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover cauliflower soup for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Make sure it’s fully cooled before freezing.
- Reheat over a low heat on the stove until warmed through.
If you made this creamy cauliflower soup, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also find and tag me on Instagram if you made this or any S&L recipe.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf optional
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil, butter, and onion to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes or until it's starting to lightly brown.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the broth, cauliflower, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and fresh thyme sprigs. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and reduce the heat so it's simmering for about 20 minutes (or until the cauliflower is very soft).
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. You may want to let the soup cool a bit prior to blending it. I used my immersion blender, but feel free to use a regular blender and carefully blend it in batches.
- Stir in the cream and season with salt & pepper as needed (it definitely requires additional salt as cauliflower isn't super flavorful on its own).
Notes
- A “large” head of cauliflower weighs about 2 pounds.
- Serves 4-6.
- If you need to, you may sub the cream with half-and-half or coconut milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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The degree to which my husband and I love this soup is insane! It’s so simple, healthy, and easy to prepare in large batches and then freeze. I pass this recipe along to everyone I can 🙂
That’s so nice to hear!! 😀 I appreciate the shares!
Delicious! Rich, filling and flavorful.
Thank you, Sonya!
DELICIOUS! Very easy to make and turns out to be pretty impressive for guest! I topped with roasted broccoli and cauliflower and croutons (made from cheddar biscuits) and a swirl of olive oil. A very pretty starter! Wish I could post a pic!!
Thank you, Martin!
Delicious and super creamy! I doubled the seasonings and added hot sauce on top at the end. This recipe is perfect, it was very flavorful and hearty for a cold day. I used frozen cauliflower florets for ease. The soup had the texture of polenta, loved it. I will definitely be following your other recipes and soups!
I’m thrilled it was a hit, Tanya!! 😀 Thanks for your review. Let me know what else you try!
Can I use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh?
I think that should be fine! 🙂
Made this soup tonight for dinner in the dutch oven & it was a big hit with my everyone. Didn’t even need to add the heavy cream. After using the immersion blender it was thick enough. Added some truffle cheese seasoning & it was delicious. Definitely will make again.
Yay!! That’s awesome!