• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

True North Kitchen

  • Recipes
  • Browse by Category
  • About Me
  • Contact/Work with Me
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Browse by Category
  • About Me
  • Contact/Work with Me
×

Home » Recipes

Easiest and Best Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup (Dairy-Free)

Published: Mar 13, 2020 · Modified: Apr 5, 2022 by Kristi · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
A close up of a bowl of cauliflower soup with croutons, chives and olive oil

I love creamy vegetable soups, and I have a few favorites that I rotate throughout the year depending on what is in season. This Roasted Cauliflower Soup is one that I make throughout fall and winter, and it's definitely something I look forward to when the weather begins to turn chilly.

A close up of cauliflower florets, onions and garlic

Cauliflower is definitely having a moment. What was once a boring, bland vegetable for the crudité tray is now the darling of the culinary world. People make it into rice and use it to make pizza crust. Who knew that was even possible? And possibly the most important advancement in cauliflower cookery.....ROASTING. Yes, the high heat of the oven works its transformative magic on cauliflower, coaxing out a toasty sweetness from this otherwise mild-flavored vegetable.

Roasting = Flavor

As I began developing the recipe for this Roasted Cauliflower Soup, I began to wonder if the roasting step was actually necessary. There are plenty of recipes for cauliflower soup that simply call for sautéing aromatics in olive oil or butter and then simmering the cauliflower florets in broth prior to pureeing the soup. This seemed appealing and straightforward so I decided to give it a try.

A close up of roasted cauliflower

You've probably already guessed the results of my experiment...the toasty depth of the roasted cauliflower was sorely missed and the soups was, well, kind of bland and boring. The takeaway: Roast your cauliflower. And while you're at it you might was well add the onion and garlic to the sheet pan as well! This eliminates the extra step of sautéing the aromatics prior to adding the broth and roasted cauliflower to the pot. And as we already know, roasting = flavor.

Add Rice for a Creamy Texture

Finally, I wanted my Roasted Cauliflower Soup to be creamy. I tried a few different versions that called for cream or butter to finish the soup, but I just didn't love the way the dairy muted the flavor of the roasted cauliflower. And then I remembered a little trick I picked up in culinary school for thickening vegetable soups: add a couple of tablespoons of rice to the broth and vegetables as they simmer. After a trip through the blender, this modest amount of rice provided luxurious, creamy body to the soup without any dairy at all. I most definitely had a a winner of a soup at this point, and it was surprisingly dairy-free and vegan!

Cauliflower and broth in a pot on a wood surface

Keep the Garnishes Simple

But how to garnish it? I tried several options, including a parsley-caper relish (overpowering) and toasted rye breadcrumbs (couldn't get them quite crisp enough). I finally decided to keep it simple and toss some cubes of sourdough bread in olive oil, salt and pepper and toast them in the oven (it was already on, after all). This, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped chives, was just what the soup needed to finish it off with a little something crispy, colorful and satisfying. If you happen to have a loaf of Danish Oat Bread or Chive Ricotta bread, either one would make fabulous croutons!

A bowl of cauliflower soup with croutons, chives and olive oil on a plate with a spoon

I hope you give this soup a try! You can probably just squeeze it in before spring arrives in earnest. It makes an excellent light supper any night of the week.

A close up of a bowl of cauliflower soup with croutons, chives and olive oil

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

An easy and delicious roasted cauliflower soup.  Creamy, full of flavor and dairy-free!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Keyword: cauliflower soup recipe, creamy cauliflower soup, easy cauliflower soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 315kcal
Author: Kristi

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 large head cauliflower cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves smashed
  • 4 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons white rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Croutons and chopped fresh chives for serving

For the Croutons:

  • 2 cups of bite-size bread cubes I like sourdough or a rustic country loaf
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss onion, cauliflower and garlic with olive oil and a sheet pan.  Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 30-35 minutes.
  • Transfer roasted vegetables to a dutch oven or large saucepan.  Add broth, water, rice and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Continue to cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
  • While the soup simmers, make the Croutons. Toss bread cubes with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until toasty golden brown, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Remove bayleaf from the soup.  Puree soup in two batches in a blender until smooth (or use an immersion blender if you have one).  Return soup to pot.
  • Bring soup back to a simmer over low heat.  Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with Croutons, a drizzle of olive oil and a shower of chopped fresh chives.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 733mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg

More Nordic/Scandinavian Recipes

  • Shrimp smørrebrød on a wooden surface.
    How to Make Smørrebrød (Danish Open Faced Sandwiches) at Home
  • Featured image for Cardamom French Toast.
    Easy Cardamom French Toast
  • Featured image of Quick Pickled Shallots.
    Quick Pickled Shallots
  • Crackers topped with Vegetarian Mushroom Pâtë and pickled shallots and mustard seeds.
    Vegetarian Mushroom Pâté

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. CHRISTINA PAVLIDOU

    April 04, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    5 stars
    Best creamy soup without cream.
    Bravo !

    Reply
    • Kristi

      April 06, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Hi Christina,

      Thanks so much for your feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup.

      Kristi

      Reply
  2. Kristi

    March 23, 2022 at 7:39 am

    5 stars
    So creamy and delicious!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Hi, I'm Kristi! Welcome to my cozy Nordic kitchen! More about me

SEARCH RECIPES:

The cover for Scandinavian Baking Favorites e-book

Enter your email below and receive a copy of my free ebook, Scandinavian Baking Favorites!



Scandi Breakfast Ideas

Baked oat and rye porridge with blueberries and almonds in a pan

Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge

Close up of a glass of overnight oats topped wit bananas, blueberries and strawberries next to raw oats and a spoon.

Vanilla Overnight Oats with Cinnamon

A close up of a berry smoothie topped with blueberries and lingonberries

Nordic Wild Berry Almond Smoothie

Close up of Rye and Oat Muesli with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts.

Rye and Oat Muesli with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts

Toast with sliced egg, avocado and pickled beets on a plate

Nordic Avocado Toast with Pickled Beets and Egg

Oatmeal in a bowl with a spoon on a napkin

Simple Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Cream

Top Posts

Stack of flatbreads on a plate next to herbs and a spiked rolling pin.

Soft Swedish Flatbreads with Garden Herbs (Tunnbröd med Trädgårds Örter)

Sliced rye bread on a marble surface.

Easy Overnight Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

Quick Swedish Pickled Cucumbers in a jar next to peppercorns and fresh dill sprigs.

Quick Swedish Pickled Cucumbers

Slice of bundt cake on a plate with a fork.

Swedish Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka)

Sliced Swedish Almond Cake on a marble plate

Simple Swedish Almond Cake

Swedish pancakes on a plate drizzled with lingonberries.

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

Crispbread and a rolling pin and kitchen towel

Easy Sourdough Rye Crispbread (Knäckebröd)

Rye bread slices on a plate next to a loaf of rye bread and a wooden knife with butter

Sourdough Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

Categories

Footer

^ back to top

About
Work with Me
Contact
Disclosure and Privacy Policy
Accessibility Statement

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 True North Kitchen