Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Fall is just around the corner, and I couldn’t be more excited for soup season to begin. There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of homemade soup when the evenings turn crisp and the days grow shorter. This Creamy Cauliflower Soup is the ultimate comfort food for fall and winter, smooth, velvety, and packed with flavor. Simmered with fresh cauliflower, onions, broth, and cream, then topped with nutty brown butter sage croutons, every spoonful feels like a warm hug. It’s an easy, cozy recipe that’s perfect for weeknight dinners, a hearty lunch, or even as a beautiful Thanksgiving starter or holiday soup.
I love celebrating soup season, like with my Spinach and Mushroom Tortellini Soup. Some soups are the perfect Sunday meal, simmered low and slow all day. This thick and luscious soup is an ideal weeknight treat coming together in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients to pull together a silky and luscious soup. Creamy Cauliflower Soup utilizes several of the ingredients in multiple ways offering up both incredible flavors and textures.
- Cauliflower – This gives the soup both is thick, silky texture, and also nutty, slightly crisp bite as it’s used in two different ways in this recipe.
- Butter – Butter adds richness to the soup itself and a deeply nutty warm flavor to the topping.
- Onion – Savory and aromatic, this gives depth to the soup.
- Heavy Cream – This helps cook the cauliflower while adding richness and that luxurious comforting texture.
- Broth – Balances the richness with a savory lightness while helping to soften and cook the cauliflower.
- Salt and Pepper
- Nutmeg – Just a pinch gives a mysterious warmth to every bite. Nutmeg is a classic pairing with cream.
- Sage – Woodsy and deeply aromatic, this adds a pop of freshness to the nutty topping while perfuming the brown butter.
- Croutons – The dish is finished with golden brown butter croutons tossed with sage for a nutty, crispy topping.
How to Make Creamy Cauliflower Soup
With just a little chopping at the beginning, this thick and decadent soup comes together with ease.
Time needed: 45 minutes
Silky cauliflower soup is finished with crispy golden croutons tossed in nutty brown butter and fragrant sage.
- Mise en Place
Cut your cauliflower into florets. Dice up your onion.
- Sauté
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Melt half of your butter and add your onion. Allow it to cook for 2-4 minutes until translucent. Add your cauliflower and allow it to cook for 10 minutes covered.
- Getting Creamy
Remove the lid and add in your broth and cream and a sprig of fresh sage. Stir to combine and cover your soup. Let it cook until the cauliflower is tender, 20-30 minutes.
- Blend it Up
Use an immersion blender to blend your soup until it’s smooth and creamy. Finish with grated nutmeg.
- Top it Off
Melt your remaining butter on low heat. This step can be done while the cauliflower is simmering. Allow the butter to begin to brown. Add your croutons and whole sage leaves and cook until the croutons are toasty and golden brown. Spoon the topping over your bowls of soup.
Substitutions
Heavy cream is part of what gives this soup body and richness, but half and half or whole milk can also be used for a slightly lighter flavor and texture.
Variations on Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- Vegetarian – Vegetable broth can be used for this soup making it a vegetarian friendly dish.
- Spicy – Add a pinch of cayenne to give this soup a little kick.
- Vegan – Replace the butter and heavy cream with Dairy Free butter and cream for a vegan friendly dish.
Tools
- Large Pot – A sturdy large pot is perfect for this recipe, providing plenty of room for the cauliflower and allowing even cooking as the soup simmers.
- Immersion Blender – There’s no need to transfer the hot soup to a blender when you use an immersion blender. This will help break down the cauliflower and give you that creamy texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender. Just be careful when adding the hot soup. Allow it to cool first before blending.
Storage
Soup is one of those things that just gets better the next day. This is a great make ahead and meal prep dish. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and then heat it up when you’re ready to serve.
Top Tip for Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Brown butter adds a nutty and aromatic flavor. Always keep your pan on medium, medium low and keep an eye on the butter. It can go from browning to burnt quickly. When it starts to smell like roasted nuts and turn a golden brown, it’s done.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or pot
- 1 Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed
- 8 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 onion, diced medium
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups broth
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- pinch of nutmeg
- 2 sprigs fresh sage leaves
- 2 slices of bread cut in cubes
Instructions
- Cut your cauliflower into florets.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and let it melt.
- Add the onions and sauté for 2–4 minutes, until tender.
- Add the cauliflower florets. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cover and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the heavy cream and broth, then add a sprig of fresh sage. Cover and simmer for 20–30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Discard the sage.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy. Finish with grated nutmeg.
- For the brown butter crouton topping, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.
- Allow the butter to slowly turn golden brown and nutty over medium-low heat.
- Add the croutons and several whole sage leaves. Cook until the croutons are toasty and golden brown.
- Divide the soup among bowls.
- Top with the brown butter sage croutons.
