After an accidentally lengthy break, this roasted cauliflower soup was the first thing I had photographed in a long time.
It’s simple and comforting, the cauliflower flecked all over with roasty-toasty bits, the garlic cooked until sweet and soft, with a kiss of warm spices brightened by fresh lemon at the end. I wanted these photos to have that very same simplicity and warmth.
For a creamy, dairy free yet silky texture, I like to take the extra few minutes to transfer this soup into a blender in batches. Whizzing it up until super smooth makes for a surprising richness that brings out all that lovely roasted garlic, while the golden cauliflower brings the body.
This lemony roasted cauliflower soup doesn’t need to bring much else to the party other than its deliciousness, but it is fun to sprinkle the bowls with something that adds a little crunch and vibrance, like these adorable oyster crackers and a smattering of fresh chives. You do you!
PrintLemony Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This lemony roasted cauliflower soup is simple and comforting, the cauliflower flecked all over with roasty-toasty bits, the garlic cooked until sweet and soft, with a kiss of warm spices brightened with lemon at the end. It’s basically perfect.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Method: stovetop, oven
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads of cauliflower, about 4 lbs total
- 45 ml / 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp / 7 g kosher salt, see notes
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 medium large onion, diced
- 6 cups / 1.5 L chicken or vegetable broth, divided
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
CHOP: Preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C. Set out two half sheet size rimmed baking sheets. Remove the greens and stems from the cauliflower heads and discard. Cut the cauliflower into florets and divide between the two sheets. Drizzle each of the sheets with 15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat evenly.
ROAST: Slice the stem from the top of the garlic, exposing a little of each of the garlic cloves, and discard it. Wrap the garlic with foil and nestle it into the middle of one of the sheet trays. Roast on the lower and middle racks of the oven until the cauliflower is tender and browned at the edges, about 30 – 40 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the sheets for even cooking. Once done, remove the trays from the oven, unwrap the garlic and discard the foil; set aside to cool.
SOFTEN: Add the remaining 15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large 6.5 quart dutch oven over low medium heat, along with the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens but does not brown, about 10 minutes or so.
BLEND: Transfer the softened onion to the pitcher of a high powered blender. Add half of the roasted cauliflower and as much broth as will fit safely in your blender pitcher, up to 480 milliliters / 2 cups. Blend until creamy and smooth and then pour into the dutch oven. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skin and add them to the blender pitcher, along with the rest of the roast cauliflower and as much broth as before. Blend until smooth and add to the dutch oven, along with any remaining broth leftover.
SIMMER: With all of the blended soup in the dutch oven, increase the heat to medium and add the lemon juice, black pepper, cumin and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and heat until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, pepper & lemon juice as needed. If you like, thin with additional water or broth.
Notes
The amount of salt you may need to add will depend on the relative saltiness of the broth you use, especially as this varies wildly between brands. If your broth is on the salty side, I would wait until the roasted veggies are blended, then taste & adjust salt if needed.
Hurray!! You’re back!! I hope life is treating you well 🙂
This soup looks tasty and nourishing and I’ll look forward to trying it.
Thanks for all that you do!