This vegan creamy curried cauliflower soup is so warming and nourishing! Red curry paste gives the soup heat and depth of flavor, while cashew cream or coconut milk will create a silky, creamy texture. The soup comes together in a single pot and can be a versatile component of any balanced lunch or dinner.

I make a lot of thick, textured stews. Sometimes I love the variety of a creamy, silky smooth, blended soup, and this creamy curried cauliflower soup is one of my favorites.

Thanks to the use of red curry paste, which has red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, and shallot, the soup contains plenty of flavor.

It has heat, too, which makes the soup a warming choice for winter.

Best of all, the soup comes together in a single pot, provided you’re lucky enough to have an immersion blender. (And if you don’t, that’s OK—standing blender instructions included!)

I’m excited to tell you how to make it.

A kick of curry paste goes a long way

Thai-style red curry paste makes a huge difference in recipes. It’s one of those ingredients that packs a lot of flavor in one fell swoop.

That’s why I chose to add it to this warming soup. The curry paste adds heat to the recipe, along with bold flavors.

Of course, red curry paste is not the only variety of curry paste. There are a few types of Thai curry pastes that find their way into recipes commonly.

First, a word about what Thai curry paste is. Fundamentally, it is a paste, traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, that contains ground aromatics, herbs, and spices.

Red curry paste is one. Its red color is derived from dry red spur chilies.

Green curry paste is another. In place of dried red chilies, it uses fresh, green chilis. Both red and green curry pastes can be quite spicy; I find that even the mild varieties are relatively hot. But you can certain find milder versions in addition to very spicy ones.

Yellow curry paste is typically a little more mild in heat than either green or red curry paste. It’s made with turmeric, as well as curry powder, which accounts for its bright yellow color.

Finally, there’s Massaman curry paste. Massaman curry paste contains aromatic components that are similar to those in Thai curry pastes, but it also includes spices, such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, that are typically encountered in Indian cuisine.

You can find recipes and instructions for making homemade curry pastes at home online, and it is a rewarding process to do so.

Usually, however, I purchase Thai curry pastes for making recipes, this creamy curried cauliflower soup included.

Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to find curry pastes in mainstream grocery stores, as well as via online retailers. I like curry pastes from the Thai Taste brand, among others, a lot.

Tips for a creamy cauliflower soup

Cauliflower is, of course, the main component in this vegan soup recipe.

One of the things that I love about cauliflower is that it has a fantastic texture when it’s served whole roasted or in florets.

At the same time, cauliflower takes on a wonderfully creamy texture when it’s blended. I’ve capitalized on that creaminess in a lot of recipes, including my cauliflower alfredo sauce and easy pasta, my smoky roasted cauliflower white bean toasts, and my creamy vegan mashed cauliflower.

The tenderness of cauliflower also makes it easy to create a super creamy, blended texture for this vegan curried cauliflower soup.

There’s another component that accounts for the soup’s creaminess: a dairy replacement.

My favorite ingredient for replacing traditional dairy in recipes is my super versatile, all-purpose cashew cream, and I love to use it in this soup.

However, you can also use full fat coconut milk, which is also frequently used in Thai recipes. I recommend a little more coconut milk than cashew cream, as the latter is more concentrated than the former.

Both creamy components work beautifully in the recipe.

How to make creamy vegan curried cauliflower soup

One of the things that I love about this soup is that it’s quite easy to make, and it’s one of those one-pot recipes that is so welcome in busy times.

Here’s how to prepare it.

Step 1: Sauté aromatics

You’ll start this recipe by sautéing onions and garlic. Cook the onions first—they need longer than the garlic—then add the minced garlic and cook it till it’s quite fragrant. This should take about 7-9 minutes in total.

Step 2: Add spices

Next, you’ll add your red curry paste, as well as turmeric.

The turmeric will turn the soup a beautiful, gold color, and turmeric also has anti-inflammatory properties. I like to incorporate it into soups and dressings for that reason.

Step 3: Add cauliflower and broth

Next, you’ll add your cauliflower florets and pieces, as well as vegetable broth, to the soup.

Step 4: Simmer

The soup should simmer for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is extremely tender.

Step 5: Blend

Next, you’ll blend the soup until it’s completely creamy.

There are two ways to do this. The first is to use a good immersion blender.

The second is to transfer the soup in batches to a standing blender, then blend it till smooth. Be careful as you do this; hot soup tends to spatter furiously in a blender!

Step 6: Add your creamy component

Next, you’ll add your creamy component to the soup: either cashew cream or coconut milk.

If you want to use the cashew cream, it can be prepared up to 3-4 days ahead of time. Cashew cream also freezes very well, so it’s an ingredient that you can keep in the freezer and defrost whenever soup is on.

Adding the creamy ingredient is one of my favorite parts of making the curried cauliflower soup! It’s so nice to stir the soup together, watching its color turn a lovely, golden shade.

Step 6: Garnish and enjoy

You can garnish the soup with a drizzle of olive oil, an extra ribbon of cashew cream, if you’re using it, or fresh, chopped herbs.

Parsley, chives, cilantro, and snipped green onion tops are all great additions to the soup. Toasted pepitas, chopped, salted peanuts, and roasted cashews are also fun garnishes.

Seasoning to taste

Red curry paste can pack a lot of heat. As a result, I recommend adjusting the amount of curry paste to your tastes—or, you should adjust based on how hot the curry powder you’re using is.

Two tablespoons is the right amount for me, but feel free to use more or less, depending on what you need.

Serving ideas and suggestions

There are so many great ways to serve the creamy curried cauliflower soup.

It’s fun to pair this recipe with a crispy, leafy salad. A few ideas:

• Grilled corn avocado salad
• Tahini mint kale salad
• Colorful, crunchy turmeric slaw

I also enjoy serving the curried cauliflower soup with my 20-minute air fryer tempeh nuggets, or a hearty rice dish, like my coconut sweet potato rice and beans.

Warm flatbread or toasted bread can be a nice accompaniment, too.

Basically, the curried cauliflower soup will feel even more complete when you find a vegan protein and a nice whole grain to enjoy it with.

Meal prep & storage

The creamy curried cauliflower soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, and it can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.

This soup is a great make-ahead option for those of you trying to get into vegan meal prep!

And there you have it: a beautiful, warming soup that’s perfect for any day on which your body craves a little warmth.

I hope that you’ll enjoy it!

xo