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Want a quick, super nutritious, dairy free paleo veggie soup? Try this creamy cauliflower soup that only requires a few ingredients.
I made up this soup recipe last night and didn’t measure any of the spices as I was making dinner, so the measurements (for the spices and the broth specifically) are rough estimates. I never measure anything as I’m cooking unless it’s specifically for recipe development, and I wasn’t planning to post this. But it’s just so good that I wanted to share it.
SO, dear reader, I invite you to use this recipe as a template and get creative with it! The vegetable measurements are accurate, and the broth and coconut milk aren’t that far off, meaning if you are a person who follows every recipe to the letter it will still turn out fine. But feel free to add a pinch of this or that, a spice blend you like. I love the Trader Joe’s salt free 21 spice blend (something similar available at Costco, pictured below). But you could try this with a teaspoon of curry, or add some thyme, or even a pinch of nutmeg. Cilantro would be good too! Let me know what you come up with.
One of my favorite spice blends! So versatile.
All you need for Creamy Cauliflower Soup
1 head cauliflower (roast it for a deeper flavor)
2 regular carrots or 1 large carrot
1 leek or 1/2 yellow onion
vegetable broth (for vegan), chicken or bone broth
olive oil
large soup pot (I love this one)
immersion blender (I LOVE mine but have heard good things about this one). You can use a regular blender too.
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
A little about this delicious and dairy free creamy soup: It’s chock full of all types of veggies that support liver detox. Sulfur-containing veggies like alliums and cauliflower particularly offer excellent liver detox support and aid in liver health. The cruciferous (in this case, cauliflower) are very good sources of indole-3-carbinol which assists in estrogen detox (read here why that is important). If you choose to use bone broth, you’ll reap additional benefits from the amino acids and collagen. You can make this soup vegan by using vegetable broth.
Side note: I am mid-kitchen remodel and basically made this soup on a camp stove. Success! It’s very easy; just chuck everything in a pot and simmer, then blend and season. The cauliflower turns silky smooth when blended, and the coconut milk adds to the creaminess. You can add more coconut milk and spices after you finish blending it til you achieve the perfect soup for your tastebuds.
NOTE: if you have more time, I recommend roasting the cauliflower, which gives this soup a deeper flavor. To do that, preheat oven to 425. Break apart and slice cauliflower. Layer parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread cauliflower on the sheet. Toss with about 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Roast for about 30 minutes or until caramelized on the edges. Add to pot to simmer with carrot and onion and proceed as directed below.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 leek, sliced or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1-2 carrots, sliced
- 1 head cauliflower, sliced into florets
- 1-2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
- 1/2 - 1 cup coconut milk
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste (about 1/8 tsp)
- 1 tsp other spices you like curry, garlic powder, thyme, cilantro
- pinch of cayenne for a kick
Instructions
- Chop and prep everything.
- Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium-high heat til it shimmers.
- Add chopped leek or onion and let it soften about 10 minutes.
- Add carrots and cauliflower and a splash of broth to prevent sticking if needed. Let cauliflower brown a bit.
- Add about 2 cups broth; bring to a low simmer; let simmer until all veggies are soft (can be easily pierced with a fork). Stir periodically.
- Add ½ cup coconut milk to start (can add more later).
- Add seasonings to taste: needs sea salt and pepper for sure. I added the spice blend (about 1 tsp) plus a dash of curry, which gave it a yellow color.
- Blend everything with immersion blender until smooth. Taste to correct seasonings. If using a regular blender, blend in batches and be careful that the lid doesn't pop off from the heat.
- You can add more broth and/or coconut milk at this point to achieve desired thickness.
- Top with avocado if you want. A nice touch.
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Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
Well! Homemade soup is one of my favorite foods! It’s a great way to use left over veggies, my kids loved it! In the winter , hot soup and home made bread! Cant get any better! BUT! I DON’T CUT THE MILK OR CREAM, FOOD IS so much richer and flavorful! Sorry, but none of us have a cholesterol problem? We just eat healthy with out cutting the flavors!
Hi Patricia, if you are ok with dairy, it’s fine to use cream. All my recipes are dairy free because many of the people I work with (and many adults in general) have dairy sensitivity issues that can cause anything from bloating and gas to congestion and a worsening in seasonal allergies. Full fat coconut milk adds the same richness without the casein and lactose, which is what many cannot tolerate in dairy products.