Creamy Cauliflower Soup with No Cream

Creamy cauliflower soup is 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 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, and it is also at the heart of a traditional British parsley sauce.

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn this into a smooth soup?

Yes, this soup blends 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. As a 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.

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 leftover 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.

Equipment Used

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

• Hob/stovetop.
• 20cm or 8" saucepan.
• 15cm or 6" saucepan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.