I love cold weather and soup season! This tasty Roasted Garlic & Cauliflower Soup is a comforting meal that you’ll want to make all the time!
Ever since I was little our Halloween tradition has been to have a dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese before going out to trick or treat. Even now that I’m in my 30’s if I take the boys over to my mom’s house, that’s what we have for dinner before hitting the streets.
This year I wanted to do something a little more grown-up. I’m made a Roasted Garlic & Cauliflower Soup that is so smooth and delicious no one will realize they’re just eating vegetables!
ROASTED GARLIC & CAULIFLOWER SOUP
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I’m kind of obsessed with roasted garlic. I’d put it on just about everything if I could friends. I’m talking pizza, sandwiches, dips, mashed potatoes, aioli – the list goes on and on.
So why not have roasted garlic in a soup?
Besides, we all need a little something to ward off the vampires on Halloween, amiright?! One breath of this garlic soup will have the vamps running in terror. Don’t worry, your breath will be fine. (I’m having a little fun for the holiday!)
Now if you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking to yourself, “But Julie, I’m not a cauliflower lover.”
Guess what… neither was I.
Soups like roasted cauliflower soup are just about the only way I’ll eat cauliflower.
But after a little seasoning and roasting the cauliflower florets, you’ll forget you thought you didn’t like cauliflower. Seriously. This soup is layered with garlic and has a thick consistency to bring everything together into one delicious bite!
Cauliflower Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to grab at the store for this soup recipe. You can find the amounts below in the recipe card.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Head of cauliflower or pre-cut florets
- Yellow onion
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth
- Salt & pepper
- Butter
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Green onions
I like to garnish this soup with the ingredients in the soup, plus a little green onion for garnish. It adds some interest to an otherwise plain-looking soup. Presentation points friends!
How to Make Cauliflower Soup
- Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F. Then you’ll want to line a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or some parchment paper. Set that aside for now.
- Next, you’re going to peel off any excess layers of skin on the heads of garlic. You don’t need to the cloves exposed, just the extra papery stuff. Then use a knife to cut the top off each head of garlic so the top of each clove is cut off.
- Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over each garlic. Place them on a piece of foil and wrap them up loosely.
- After that, put the cauliflower florets onto your prepared baking sheet. Drizzle them with two tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the cauliflower around so it’s all coated. Spread the cauliflower out in a single layer and pop the foil packet of garlic into one corner of the baking sheet.
- Roasted your veggies for 35 minutes. About halfway through, you want to stir the cauliflower and then spread it back out. Once everything is done cooking, remove your baking sheet from the oven.
- Before you forget, pick out 4 cauliflower florets that look pretty. We’ll use them for a garnish later.
- Let’s make soup! Place a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and once it’s hot add in the onions. Season the onions with salt and pepper and cook them for 5 to 7 minutes until they’ve softened up.
- While the onions are cooking, unwrap the roasted garlic. Use your hands to squeeze the cloves out onto your cutting board. I usually wrap a paper towel around the garlic heads before squeezing because they’re still hot!
- Once that onions are ready, add the garlic and cauliflower to the pot. Give everything a stir and cook for 2 minutes before pouring the broth.
- Bring your soup to a simmer and let it do its thing for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Now, you’re going to puree the soup using either a blender or immersion blender until the soup is smooth.
- Then add in the butter and Parmesan cheese, and stir until they’re melted. Check your seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- That’s it! Now you just need to portion your soup and garnish the tops. I put a sprinkle of grated Parmesan, black pepper, 1 roasted cauliflower floret, and a little sliced green onion on top of each bowl.
Be careful is using your blender to puree the soup. You don’t want the lid to blow off from the steam being released. Work in batches, cover the lid with a kitchen towel, and hold the lid down while blending.
If you want to get really decadent, add in 1/2 cup of heavy cream when you add the parmesan cheese. It makes an amazing creamy cauliflower soup.
See, nothing crazy. This soup just takes some time to get things prepped. Here’s are some tips to make getting this soup on the table quicker.
Tip 1) Roasted the garlic and cauliflower head of time. Let it cool to room temp and then throw in an airtight container in the fridge for later.
Tip 2) Use leftover cheesy roasted cauliflower for the cauliflower. You can make a double batch one night and save the cauliflower for later. Then instead of roasting the garlic, sautee minced garlic in the pot with the onion and proceed as directed. It’s really good this way too!
What to serve with Cauliflower Soup
I think this soup is totally delicious all by itself, but if you want to make a whole meal, here are my favorite pairings. Make a green salad with some homemade Italian dressing for soup and salad night. Bake up a loaf of cheesy garlic bread, because carbs + soup = happiness for me. Or serve this soup as part of your Thanksgiving dinner before the roasted turkey!
Try these other awesome cauliflower recipes!
- Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Crock Pot Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- More side dish recipes…
Tools used to make this Roasted Garlic & Cauliflower Soup recipe
Baking Sheet: A nice big baking sheet is a must-have for any kitchen. This half pan sheet is large than a regular cookie and works great for anything you’re baking.
Silicone Mat: I use a silicone mat on my baking sheet practically every time I bake or roast something. The mat makes for easy cleanup and my foods don’t stick to the pan.
Large Pot: This pot is a kitchen essential for everything from dinner to desserts. I use mine all the time and with proper care, it’ll last for years and years.
Immersions Blender: This is not just another useless kitchen gadget… I use it for soups, smoothies, and so much more!
*This post originally posted on 10/20/2014.
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic (or 3 small heads)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 head cauliflower stemmed and cut into florets
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Toppings
- Sliced green onion
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Black pepper
- Roasted cauliflower floret
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove all excess skin from garlic heads. Using a sharp knife to cut off the tops of each garlic head off. You want to see all the cloves. Place the garlic onto a piece of foil and drizzle the top of each head of garlic with 1 tsp with olive oil. Loosely wrap foil.
- Place cauliflower florets onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hand to toss the cauliflower and coat in the oil and seasonings. Spread into an even layer.
- Place the foil with the garlic onto one corner of the baking sheet. Roasted garlic and cauliflower for 35 minutes. Stir cauliflower halfway through and spread out again. Reserve 4 cauliflower florets for garnish.
- Once the garlic is done, open the foil packet. Wrap a paper towel around the outside of the garlic (it's hot!) and use your fingers to squeeze out all the cloves.
- Place a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot, add onion and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and cauliflower to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Ladle soup into a blender and puree until smooth (working in batches) and pour back into the pot. Or you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth right in the pot.
- Add butter and Parmesan and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Portion soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan, black pepper, 1 roasted cauliflower floret, and some green onion. Serve warm.
chanelle says
I have a yummy recipe that’s similar with roasted cauliflower, but the roasted garlic in this probably makes it amazing! My mouth is watering!
Brandie says
This sounds amazing, I can’t wait to make it. Thank you!