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Delicious, creamy cauliflower soup without cream, cheese, or flour? Yes, please. This nourishing cauliflower soup is silky, and smooth and is surely going to be one of your all-time favourites.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup Without Cream
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Why should you try it:
- Gluten-free. As with all recipes on my site, this cauliflower and potato soup is absolutely gluten-free!
- Easy to make. This creamy soup is done in 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Basic ingredients. I bet you already have everything in your fridge.
- Meal prep. Cook it in advance and enjoy it the next day or later in the week.
- Kid-friendly. What a great way to make your kids eat cauliflower. With this potato and cauliflower soup, it is absolutely possible. They will never know 😉
- Great for a dinner party. You can serve it to your guests as a starter before the main meal. The cauliflower chips make it look very sophisticated. Be prepared to share the soup recipe though, because they will ask for it 😉
- Dairy-free and vegan if you wish. Just swap butter for olive oil.
Ingredients for creamy cauliflower soup without cream
- Cauliflower. Half a head of fresh cauliflower, torn into small florets. The smaller the florets the shorter the cooking time.
- Potatoes. Any regular white potatoes will work. Cut them into small pieces to shorten the cooking time
- Leek. Leek will add sweetness to this soup. Don't have leek on hand? No problem, I cooked this recipe countless times using brown onion instead. It still turns out delicious.
- Fresh thyme and rosemary. Fresh is the best, but you can substitute it with a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs.
- Water or vegetable stock.
- Butter or olive oil for a vegan version.
- Salt and black pepper to season.
How to make creamy cauliflower soup without cream
As you will see this creamy cauliflower soup without cream is super easy and quick to make. Let's do it!
- Melt butter in a medium-sized soup pot or a Dutch oven on medium-low heat.
- Slice and saute the leek. It is important not to rush through this step because the sweetness of the soup comes from the leek. The longer you saute it the more flavor it will develop. It has to be sauteed on a very low heat so that the leek gets soft but DOES NOT caramelize.
- Add fresh or dried herbs and let it sautee for a couple of minutes.
- Slice potatoes and add them along with cauliflower florets to the leek. Mix well and cook the vegetables for a couple of minutes.
- Add water so that the vegetables are just covered. If using fresh rosemary and thyme, take them out now.
- Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the soup starts to boil, lower the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes and cauliflower are very soft and literally falling apart.
- Place soup into a food processor and blend until the soup is JUST smooth. The time will vary depending on the blender you use. I use a Thermomix and it takes me 20 seconds on speed 8. You can also use a handstand blender. Do not over-process the soup. When blended for too long the soup will become gooey, thanks to potato starches.
How to store cauliflower soup without cream
This easy cauliflower soup is a great meal-prep idea. It can be cooked in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Simply reheat it on the stove in a saucepan until the soup is hot.
How to freeze
This nourishing cauliflower soup also can be frozen for up to three months. Make sure the soup is completely cooled down before freezing it.
Freeze it in smaller containers or a freezer bag, it will make the defrosting process faster. Take it out in the morning and let it defrost naturally in the fridge. Heat the soup thoroughly in a saucepan and enjoy a super quick and delicious dinner.
What to serve with the creamy cauliflower soup
This nourishing soup is creamy and comforting and can be enjoyed in many different ways. As a starter or as a main course. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Freshly baked crusty bread: A slice of bread pairs perfectly with this creamy soup. If you're following a gluten-free diet, try my gluten-free bread recipe.
- Pao de Queijo: Brazilian cheese bread might not be a common choice, but it's a great addition to this soup. Give it a try!
- Crispy homemade croutons: Fry some bread cubes in olive oil with a bit of salt and black pepper to make some easy and delicious croutons.
- Roasted chickpeas: For a crunchy and delicious touch, roast some chickpeas in the oven. It's so easy!
- Red pepper flakes: If you like your soup spicy, add some red pepper flakes to your liking.
- Fresh parsley: Finish your soup with some fresh parsley for a pop of color and flavor.
How to make cauliflower chips
I love serving this creamy soup with some cauliflower chips. They taste great and make the soup look like it came straight from a 5-star restaurant 😉. Here is how you can make them:
- Cut cauliflower florets into thin slices.
- Fry them in a frying pan on medium heat in a small amount of olive oil until the cauliflower had a nice brown color on both sides.
- Sprinkle grated parmesan and fry them for another minute.
- Done!
Frequently asked questions
You added too much water. Please follow the recipe for the best results.
You absolutely can, it will add even more nutritional value to the soup. However, I would opt for homemade stock, as the store-bought varieties are often very high in sodium and will change the taste of the soup.
You used the green part of the leek 🙂 This is absolutely fine. The green part is just as flavorsome and nutritious as the white part. For the white soup, use white parts only.
Absolutely. Please defrost it naturally before adding it to the pan.
Yes, you can. Make sure you saute the onions on low heat until they are very soft. The taste of the soup will change a little, but it will be delicious nevertheless.
You can use any blender you have. Thermomix, Vitamix, or an immersion blender.
The grainy soup texture is most likely to not blending the soup long enough.
Variations
- Add chicken broth instead of water.
- For classic cream of cauliflower soup, add a tablespoon of heavy cream. Choose organic if possible.
- Make it vegan by switching butter for extra virgin olive oil.
- Cauliflower can be expensive when not in season, feel free to use the frozen variety instead. You will need about 500g of frozen cauliflower (approximately 1 pound) for this recipe. Defrost it before cooking.
And if you like roasted cauliflower you might like this roasted cauliflower soup.
Looking for more delicious recipes with cauliflower?
Creamy cauliflower soup without cream
Equipment
- Medium-size saucepan, blender.
Ingredients
- 1 leek sliced
- 2 large potatoes peeled and sliced
- ½ head of cauliflower chopped into small bits
- 1 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 twig rosemary
- 1 twig thyme
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Heat the butter/olive oil in the saucepan on a medium-high heat. Do not overheat it. Add leek and sauté for 2-3 minutes and add thyme and rosemary twigs. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the leek becomes soft.
- Add potatoes and cauliflower into the pot. Mix.
- Add enough water to cover your vegetables. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low so the water just bubbles. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes and cauliflower are very soft. Make sure not to boil it.
- Carefully transfer the soup into the blender, and blend on high until the soup is nice and creamy. It will take 20 seconds in a Thermomix on speed 8.
- Transfer back to the saucepan. Your soup is ready to serve. Enjoy!
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Notes
- If you don't have leek on hand, one regular onion will work too. Just make sure you sauté the onions until they are REALLY soft to get all the sweetness.
- I made cauliflower-parmesan "chips" to serve with the soup. To make them, I cut cauliflower into thin slices and fried them in a frying pan in a small amount of olive oil until the cauliflower had a nice brown colour on both sides. I sprinkled grated parmesan and fried for another minute. Done!
- This soup also goes well with gluten-free croutons or crispy chickpeas.
This is the best cauliflower soup recipe, don't forget to pin it
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Grace
This recipe looks so delicious and simple I cant wait to try it!! I love how it is also dairy-free perfect for so many different dietary requirements! Thank you for sharing I definitely think it will become a staple in my household.
Elena Elliott
Hi Grace, Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
It is definitely a staple in our family too.
Elena
Nina
I could eat a nice soup every day of the week and always very excited to find a new recipe. This soup is delicious!
Helen
I just made it and it’s super tasty thank you.
Elena Elliott
So happy to hear that, Helen!
Shelby
Absolutely love this soup! Comes out so creamy and works for a light meal or a side.
nancy
made this on the weekend and everyone loves that it doesn't have cream! delicious without the fillers!