Simple Cauliflower Soup

This simple cauliflower soup is made with just five ingredients, including salt! It's a quick and easy weeknight meal that's easy to dress up or down. Dinner is served!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated January 18, 2023
Elise Bauer
Simple Cauliflower Soup
Elise Bauer

Making soup doesn't have to be difficult, and if you are working with fresh, high quality vegetables, you don't even have to add stock.

This cauliflower soup couldn't be easier! Just chop up a head of cauliflower, blanch the florets for a few minutes, and then purée them with some of the blanching liquid, salt, and butter. Serve with olive oil and chopped chives.

Of course when you are working with so few ingredients, you have to make sure that each ingredient is as good as it can be. There's no place to hide if something is off.

What I love about this soup is that the cauliflower really shines through, and it's also pretty light, so it works well as a starter for other courses.

Ways To Adapt This Recipe

As is, this soup is simplicity at its best. But if you're in the mood for something a little more, try one of these ideas:

  • Cream of Cauliflower Soup: After blending, add cream, half-and-half, or whole milk to the soup to make it rich and extra-creamy.
  • Truffled Cauliflower Soup: To take this soup from simple to sublime, add a dash or two of truffle salt or truffle oil to the soup when serving.
  • Roasted Cauliflower Soup: Instead of blanching the cauliflower, toss the florets with olive oil and salt and roast in a 400°F oven until tender and charred in spots. Blend with vegetable broth or chicken broth.
  • Cheesy Cauliflower Soup: Add a handful or two of your favorite shredded cheese after blending. (Or try this version.)
  • Vegan Cauliflower Soup: Instead of butter, use good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Simple Cauliflower Soup
Elise Bauer

How Long Will This Soup Keep in the Fridge?

If you have leftovers, let the soup cool completely and then store in a covered container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.

How To Freeze This Soup

This soup freezes very well and it's so nice to have some stocked in the freezer for dinner emergencies.

To freeze, let the soup cool completely and then transfer to freezer containers or zip-top bags (which you can freeze flat). Freeze for up to three months.

To reheat, warm the thawed or frozen soup gently over low heat on the stove, or warm in one minute increments in the microwave, stirring between each increment.

What To Serve With Cauliflower Soup

If you're serving this soup as the main course for a light meal, think about making some simple garlic bread or assembling a leafy green salad to serve along side.

This soup is also an easy side dish or first course to serve with a larger meal, like roast beef or roast chicken.

Love Cauliflower? Try These Recipes

Simple Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (See How to Cut and Core Cauliflower)

  • 1 quart water

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (more if the cauliflower is extra large)

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • Chopped chives

Method

  1. Cook the cauliflower florets in salted water:

    Bring 1 quart of water to a rolling boil in a medium-sized pot. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water.

    Add the cauliflower florets, and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove florets to a bowl. Reserve cooking water.

  2. Purée the cooked cauliflower in batches:

    Working in batches, fill a blender half-way with cooked cauliflower, add enough cooking water to the blender bowl so that it comes up a quarter of the way. Purée until smooth. You want the consistency to be that of soup, so if you need to add more water, do so.

  3. Add the salt and butter:

    For each blender batch, add salt and butter to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and about a tablespoon or more of butter for each blender batch). Since you are using only lightly salted cooking water for a base, not stock, you will need to salt this more than you would otherwise.

  4. Serve:

    Serve immediately into bowls. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
113 Calories
10g Fat
6g Carbs
3g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 113
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 110mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 62mg 312%
Calcium 32mg 2%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 203mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.