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Creamy Cauliflower Soup with No Cream

Creamy cauliflower soup a rich chunky vegetarian dish given luxurious texture with a roux rather than cream, a real comfort food winner!

This vegetarian soup is easy and quick to cook, coming together in a shade over 30 minutes.

Chunky creamy cauliflower soup with a paprika garnish.

Chunky Cauliflower Soup

I’m rather fond of a good bowl of soup, this creamy cauliflower soup joins at least 45 here on my site already.

Unlike my cream of asparagus soup, creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup and cream of celeriac soup, this delicious munch contains no cream at all.

Now that does not mean that it is all pious in its intent. This delicious vegetarian soup is thickened with a roux.

A classic technique that combines a mix of flour and butter with milk or stock.

Most famously known as bechamel sauce it is commonly seen in classic lasagna recipes, it is also at the heart of a traditional British parsley sauce.

It offers this soup a rich and round mouthfeel that I absolutely adore.

I also have an Indian-inspired curried cauliflower soup that uses a veloute to make the dish creamy, this is essentially a bechamel made with stock rather than milk.

Overhead chunky creamy cauliflower soup with a paprika garnish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn this into a smooth soup?

Yes, this soup blends really very well. Place it all in a blender, give it a blitz and you have a cream of cauliflower soup.

This makes it much easier to drop into a thermos flask and take to work for lunch.

My roux is grainy what did I do wrong?

If you have a grainy roux or one that tastes like flour it is likely that you have not cooked the flour out before adding the milk.

It is important that you are patient with this part of the dish. You must not have the pan too hot or the flour will colour up and your roux will turn out golden.

Can I make this soup in advance?

Yes, this soup will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.

However, it will not take continual reheating, if you do this the cauliflower will break down. Asa result, you should only reheat what you need.

Can I scale up the size of this soup?

Yes, you can make this as big as you like. Generally speaking the cooking time will remain largely the same although volume means that things take longer to heat up.

Close up chunky creamy cauliflower soup with a paprika garnish.

Serving Suggestions

I tend to view this creamy cauliflower soup as a one-pot simple meal.

It serves 4 as a light lunch or 2 as a main course. I do usually serve this with bread though, you gotta mop up left up soup from the bottom of the bowl, right?

If I am making bread at home it is most likely to be a small soda bread. I am genuinely not to be trusted with freshly baked bread, it rarely makes it until it cools.

Other types of bread that I like to serve with this include ciabatta and even focaccia.

Chunky creamy cauliflower soup with a paprika and parsley garnish.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section of the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
  • 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
  • Stirring and serving spoons.
Chunky creamy cauliflower soup with a paprika and parsley garnish.
Yield: 2 Servings

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

This cream of cauliflower soup is not blitzed to a smooth soup, but is left chunky and is enriched with a roux based white sauce.

Ingredients

  • 325g (1½ Cups) Cauliflower
  • 75g (½ Cup) Onion
  • 100g (⅔ Cup) Carrot
  • 1 Stick Celery
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 50g (3 Tbsp) Butter
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 500ml (2 Cups) Vegetable Stock
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 25g (2 Tbsp Cup) Flour
  • 200ml (¾ Cup + 2 Tsp) Milk
  • 5g (¼ Cup) Chopped Parsley
  • 1 Pinch Sweet Paprika

Instructions

  1. Cut the carrot, onion and celery into a 5mm (¼") dice.
  2. Slice the garlic as thinly as you can.
  3. Heat half of the butter over a medium heat in an 20cm or 8" saucepan.
  4. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celeriac and cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Cut the cauliflower into 1-2cm (½-¾") florets, finely slicing any stalks.
  6. Add the cumin to the onion mix cook for a further 1 minute.
  7. Add the cauliflower and stir to combine.
  8. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the bay leaf and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
  9. Heat the remaining butter over a medium heat in a 15cm or 6" saucepan.
  10. When melted add in the flour and cook out the flour for 5 minutes stirring continuously.
  11. Add 50ml (3 tablespoons) of the milk to this mix and beat until it is thoroughly combined.
  12. Repeat this process until all of the milk has been combined and you have a thick smooth sauce.
  13. Add this sauce to the soup mix and cook for a further 5 minutes
  14. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
  15. Sprinkle with sweet paprika to serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 998mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 10g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Sue R

Thursday 20th of January 2022

Just made it for dinner now and it's wonderful! Thanks Brian.

Brian Jones

Saturday 5th of February 2022

Glad you enjoyed it Sue :)

Elaine @ Dishes Delish

Thursday 31st of May 2018

I love all the flavorings you've added to your cauliflower soup! I would never have thought to put cumin in it! I love cumin and now I have another recipe to make just so I can add it! Your soup looks amazing and delicious and I look forward to making it!

Brian Jones

Friday 1st of June 2018

I think cumin has a great affinity with cauliflower, give it a try and enjoy :D

Dawn - Girl Heart Food

Thursday 31st of May 2018

Cauliflower is one of my favourite veggies and you can't beat a good, hearty comforting soup! A big 'ol bowl of this and some bread and I'm set!

Brian Jones

Friday 1st of June 2018

Same here!

Patty

Thursday 31st of May 2018

What a delicious soup Brian, cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies, love that you added a white sauce to thicken it!

Brian Jones

Friday 1st of June 2018

Mine too, a roux-based white sauce is so good at thinking creamy soups

Charlene @ That Girl Cooks Healthy

Friday 11th of December 2015

Brian your website is AMAZING I found myself negativing and just simply being in awe of your wonderful recipes, however this cauliflower soup really caught my eye. I love drinking soup during the wintertime and this is the type of soup that I could easily consume on a daily basis.

Brian Jones

Friday 11th of December 2015

Thank you so much for your kind words Charlene, made my day :D I'm with you on soup, I love the stuff and have to try hard not to put too many on here... Such a versatile way of getting masses of flavour and texture into a dish!

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