March 30, 2015
(last updated January 30, 2021) 
In spite of the fact that we are now very officially transitioning into spring, I’ve been on a soup kick lately. I usually whip up a bowl pot of something on Saturday in the late afternoon, which Steven and I enjoy for dinner on Saturday night, along with some sort of hearty salad. It’s an easy, low-fuss weekend meal, and it also means that we get soup leftovers for lunch on Sunday (and sometimes Monday, too). Sunday is my big food prep day for the week ahead, which makes it especially nice to have something quick and easy to heat up for lunch.
I haven’t yet made any of the usual spring soups (asparagus, green soups, pea soup, and the like), but those will happen soon, no doubt. For now, I’m sharing a soup I made a few weekends ago with no real intention of blog sharing. I had a head of cauliflower at home that needed to be used, and it was my hope that I could turn it into something great using only what I had in the fridge and pantry. This is what resulted, and it was so good that I made another batch this past Friday night. Steven counts it among his favorite of my soups, and now I do, too.
This soup has just a little spice and heat from the curry powder, but it’s subtle enough to please anyone’s palate. I don’t have a high tolerance for spice, so I use between 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of red curry paste in the recipe. If you dig spice/heat, you’re more than welcome to increase the quantity–but keep in mind that curry paste is a bold ingredient. I’ve given an option to use curry powder in the recipe, too, but curry paste will give you much better results. And it’s a nice ingredient to keep at home, anyway, for easy weeknight curry dinners (I love this tofu and kabocha curry, which I made for Food52 in 2013).
I love thick, pureed soups, but I do find that they cry out for a little added texture, so you’ll pretty much always see me sprinkle some sort of tasty garnish into a soup like this. This time, I had some extra roasted cauliflower as well as the soup (I’d gone a little cauli-crazy at the market that week), so I decided to use my last few florets as well as some pomegranate seeds as garnish. Roasted chickpeas (as in this recipe) or toasted nuts/seeds will be perfect, too. But I do love the splash of color that the pomegranate arils add to the dish!
Try it, and prepared to be amazed at how satisfying a simple dish like this can be. It’s perfect along with a hearty salad (our accompanying dinner salad had roasted beets, quinoa, and cashew cheese) or with some avocado toast.
Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup (gluten free)
Author -Yields: 4 generous servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric ground
- 1 teaspoon coriander ground
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ -2 tablespoons red curry paste or to taste (if you're in a bind and don't have any curry paste, you can use 2 teaspoons of curry powder, but the taste will be different)
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets (6-8 cups)
- 4-5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk or cashew cream I prefer the latter, but the former is a little simpler
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- For garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped cilantro, or roasted chickpeas
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy bottomed pot over a medium flame. Add the onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are clear and soft. Add a few tablespoons of water as you cook them if necessary to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not burning.
- Add the turmeric, coriander, salt, and red curry paste to the soup. Mix the spices up with the onions and garlic until everything is well incorporated.
- Add the cauliflower florets and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is entirely tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it's totally smooth, or transfer it in batches to your blender to do the job (I prefer a standing blender here, but it's a little more work). If you do use the blender, be careful, as hot soups tend to spatter aggressively.
- Return the blended soup to the pot and stir in the coconut milk or cashew cream and the lime juice. Check the soup for seasoning and adjust the seasonings as needed. Garnish and serve. The soup will keep for up to five days in the fridge, and it can be frozen for up to a month.
And there you have it: a beautiful, warming soup that’s perfect for drizzly spring (or autumn, or winter) nights. I hope you fall in love with it the way that we did.
Here’s what’s ahead this week on the blog: on Wednesday, a new sweet treat/snack that’s as simple as it is tasty. And, on Thursday, a new green recovery story. I think it’s amazing, and I know that you will, too. I can’t wait to publish it, and I encourage you all to tune in.
Happy Monday,
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Side Dishes,
Soups
Method: Stovetop
Ingredients: Cauliflower
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Method: Stovetop
Ingredients: Cauliflower
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
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Wow, so beautiful and delicious! I am going to pin this for later!
Omg Gena, I made this soup yesterday and it is incredible!! This is definitely going to be a staple. My 5 year old son even liked it and he usually likes about 0% of what I make him. We loved it so much I made the soup again today, and since I was low on cauliflower this time, I added two cooked sweet potatoes I had, during the blending stage. That was amazing too! Once again, you are the queen 😀
Kendall, I’m delighted that you like the soup so much! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
What brand curry paste do you use? I’ve never found one I really enjoy for home use as much as when I’ve had it in restaurants.
Usually I use Thai Kitchen — and I like it!
I made the coconut milk version and I love it!!!! We had snow in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, so this was my snowstorm soup, perfect with the chili paste! I’m eating the leftovers for lunch right now…
So happy it was a success! Hooray. Stay warm 🙂
Soup is great year around and this looks light, hearty, and colorful – perfect for spring. Thanks!
Yay for cauliflower! Rich soups like this are practically the #1 reason to have coconut milk in the cupboard. (Ok, every time I make something with coconut milk I think it’s the #1 reason…but still.) 🙂
This looks so delicious!
This looks so interesting! I Love that you added pomegranate seeds! I cant wait to give this a try!
Oooh this looks wonderful! I have a head of cauli in my fridge now! I think I’ll make this soon! ;D Must be sooo perfect with a good slice of toast!
This looks really delicious, Gena! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Hope you love it!
I’ve loved gently spiced cauliflower soup for as long as I can remember:) Somehow the nuttiness of the cauliflower is perfectly complimented by gentle heat.
I adore soup of all kinds, but cauliflower is one of my favorites. I’ve also been trying to incorporate more turmeric into my diet, and soup is such an easy way to do that!
I love how versatile cauliflower is and have been looking for a good recipe for cauliflower soup. Thank you for sharing!
I’m obsessed with soups. I hate that restaurants stop serving them as much…this looks delicious!
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This soup looks beautiful and I love a nice creamy bowl of curried goodness. Looking forward to your treat recipe and the Green Recovery story too.
This looks delish, Gena! Our routine is soups for dinner on Sundays. We usually make a big batch of soup and then freeze the leftovers so there’s always a quick and nourishing meal on hand. This week was a bold green spinach and broccoli soup, but I’m bookmarking this beauty for next weekend!
I hadn’t been much for cauliflower until trying a cauliflower-crust pizza this winter. Since then, I’ve been eager for more recipes in which to incorporate it. This one sounds delicious!
I enjoy soup year-round!! This looks like a yummy, light springy soup!