Creamy carrot cauliflower soup relies on a handful of bright vegetables to make a beautiful, comforting bowl of goodness. Add baby spinach for a dose of greens, or sip on this delicious soup as-is!
This carrot cauliflower soup is so simple, good, and nourishing! (It's pretty, too!) Cauliflower and carrots, plus a potato, are cooked down, gently salted, and pureed into a gorgeously creamy soup that needs nothing extra except a slice of fresh bread (the classic no knead recipe from the New York Times is always a winner). I absolutely love simple vegetable soups, like my butternut squash soup and vegan asparagus soup, which put the focus on the bright flavors of vegetables, and this one is a standout. Super delicious!
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This Soup is Sunshine in a Bowl!
- So nourishing. Lots of vegetables including garlic, carrots, and cauliflower make you feel like you're eating sunshine in every spoonful!
- Dairy-free. This unbelievably creamy soup doesn't need ANY dairy! (For a coconut milk-based soup, my sweet potato and coconut soup is a favorite.) The combo of cauliflower and potatoes makes this soup taste ultra-luxe.
- Simple. The ingredients list is short, and the recipe won't take much time to put together, meaning that dinner is ready fast. The main effort is just prepping the veggies, and you can let your stove do the rest of the work.
Ingredients in This Cozy Soup
I love adding a handful of spinach to the pot after I puree the vegetables, so I've included it here as an optional extra vegetable. You can also leave it out! Make sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Olive oil - I always use extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic - I like a lot of garlic, so I use about 4 cloves per batch of soup. Feel free to raise or lower this amount!
- Carrots
- Cauliflower - Choose a cauliflower that is bright white and firm without any brown or soft spots. You can include the cauliflower stem for extra bulk; chop it into ½-inch rounds before adding it to the pot.
- Potato - I use a russet potato, and you could another potato. If using a smaller potato, like a red or Yukon gold variety, add 2 potatoes because they are smaller.
- Water - I tend to use water but for extra flavor, you can use vegetable broth.
- Salt and pepper
- Spinach - This is an optional addition that can be added all at once to the soup pot after you puree the veggies, or you can add it to individual bowls of soup.
How to Make This Easy Soup
Make sure that the cauliflower and potato are fork-tender before you puree the soup so that it's super creamy without any lumps.
- Cook veggies: Sautee the garlic and carrots in olive oil in a soup pot until soft.
- Add cauliflower: Stir in the cauliflower and chopped potato, add water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the vegetables are soft.
- Puree: Now puree the soup until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.
Soup Tip: Add Beans!
Bump up the protein content and stir in a can of drained white beans to the pot after the cauliflower is fork-tender. Let the beans warm for about 5 minutes, then puree the soup according to the recipe instructions.
A Few Variations
- Stir in spinach: I love adding a handful of baby spinach leaves to the whole soup pot or individual bowls. You can leave the leaves chopped or unchopped, and stir or heat them until they wilt.
- Add more veggies: Add extra garlic or carrots, or sautee an onion as part of the soup base.
- Try broth: My default is to always make soup with water (my vegan broccoli soup recipe is a bi-weekly go-to) but you can certainly add vegetable broth if you wish for a bit more flavor.
- Finish with cream: Yes, swirling a teaspoon of heavy cream or a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt into each bowl when serving adds interest and flavor contrast!
What To Serve Alongside
Cornbread is always the best side to soup, and so easily made gluten-free! A warm batch of gluten free cornbread or gluten free honey cornbread muffins is perfect when dipped into cauliflower carrot soup. In the fall, make a cast iron skillet of gluten free pumpkin cornbread! Or add a side of regular or gluten-free bread, or make a simple salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
- Fridge - Pour cooled leftover soup into an airtight container (I love a glass Mason jar!) and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Transfer cooled soup to sealable, freezer-safe bags and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat - Warm the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat until heated through, or place portions of soup in a bowl and heat them, covered to prevent any splattering, in 1-minute increments until hot.
More Vegetable Soup Recipes
If you try this creamy vegetarian soup recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Carrot Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- 1 head cauliflower broken into florets with the green leaves removed. You may chop up the stem and add it with the florets if you want to make good use of it.
- 1 russet potato peeled and roughly chopped
- 3-4 cups water or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups baby spinach optional, when serving
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot over low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for a minute, then add the carrots and saute for about 3-4 minutes until they start to soften. I like to salt the base a bit at this stage, adding maybe about a ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Stir and add the cauliflower and chopped potato. Then add about 3 cups of water, just enough to cover the vegetables. I like a thick soup so err on the side of less water rather than more. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and, partly covered, simmer the pot until the vegetables are soft.
- In a blender or using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Variations
- Stir in spinach: I love adding a handful of baby spinach leaves to the whole soup pot or individual bowls. You can leave the leaves chopped or unchopped, and stir or heat them until they wilt.
- Add more veggies: Add extra garlic or carrots, or sautee an onion as part of the soup base.
- Try broth: My default is to always make soup with water (my vegan broccoli soup recipe is a bi-weekly go-to) but you can certainly add vegetable broth if you wish for a bit more flavor.
- Finish with cream: Yes, swirling a teaspoon of heavy cream or a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt into each bowl when serving adds interest and flavor contrast!
Heather says
Try the oatmeal sandwich loaf in Kim Boyce's _Whole Grain Mornings_. It's lovely!