Today I’m bringing you a truly luscious soup to warm your soul. Soup season might just be my favorite season. You can enjoy an herb-filled chicken soup one day (hint: it’s #1 on the internet), a hearty stew the next, and a unique, ultra-creamy one like this roasted cauliflower soup after that.
I was inspired to make this super flavorful roasted garlic cauliflower soup after about my 100th time making my cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup, which is a true AK reader favorite. Why not simplify it, add a FULL head of delicious roasted garlic, and of course, keep that silky cheddar cheese?
The result is UNREAL. Perfectly thick and creamy with wonderful savory flavor from both roasted garlic and cauliflower, and salty, cheesy goodness from the cheddar. The key to the thickness? We’re skipping the heavy cream and even the flour and instead blending up all of those veggies!
Serve it up with your fav croutons, crackers, or crusty sourdough bread. Any way you do it, it’s guaranteed to be incredible.
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Roasted cauliflower soup lightened up to perfection
You’re going to LOVE the indulgent flavor and texture of this cauliflower soup. Many traditional cauliflower soup recipes are filled with heavy cream and even flour to help thicken them up, but we’re simply blending up our roasted veggies and stirring in some cheese to get the same thickness! It’s SO easy and completely veggie-forward.
Ingredients in this roasted cauliflower soup
This delicious, easy roasted cauliflower soup is made with super simple ingredients and the result is a true hug-in-a-bowl filled with flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Veggies: you’ll need cauliflower, a full head of garlic, and onion in this soup, plus some olive oil for cooking them.
- Broth: we’re using vegetable broth to keep the recipe veggie-friendly, but feel free to use chicken broth if you’d like.
- Cheese: get that savory, indulgent flavor from sharp cheddar cheese!
- Seasonings: don’t forget plenty of salt and pepper throughout the recipe.
- For serving: I like to top my bowl with sliced green onion, a little extra shredded cheddar, and croutons or toasted sourdough bread. YUM. You could also top with fresh parsley, chives, or fresh thyme if you’d like!
Customize your cauliflower soup
Because the ingredients are so simple, this beautiful roasted garlic cauliflower soup is easy to customize with your fav add-ins! Here’s what I can recommend:
- Boost the veggies: feel free to cook down some carrots and/or celery with the onion, or even stir in some spinach or kale while simmering the soup. You could also try my Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup.
- Get extra savory: if you’re not vegetarian I think some cooked, chopped bacon would be amazing on top of the soup.
- Add a kick of heat: it may sound odd, but this soup is actually delicious with a little hot sauce or red pepper flakes on top of your bowl!
Can I make it vegan?
Sure! Simply stir in your favorite shredded dairy free cheddar cheese to keep it both vegan and dairy free.
Looking for a richer or thicker soup?
- For a richer soup: feel free to sub 1 cup of milk for 1 cup of broth for a little extra creaminess. You could also make the soup richer by adding 1/2 cup of half-and-half or heavy cream in place of 1/2 cup of the broth.
- For a thicker soup: start with 3 cups of broth instead of 4.
How to roast a whole head of garlic
The roasted garlic! It’s the key to the wonderful flavor in this soup. I know a whole head of garlic sounds like a lot, but when roasted it created a lovely, deep, sweet and savory flavor (you can even spread it on toast!) To roast it:
- Peel off the outer papery layers of the garlic head, leaving the skins on the individual cloves.
- Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the cloves so that you can see the individual cloves.
- Place the head in some tinfoil, drizzle the top with olive oil, and wrap it loosely in the foil.
- Then roast it up in your oven right along with the cauliflower!
Creamy roasted cauliflower soup in 5 steps
- Roast your veggies. Add your cauliflower florets to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper, and add the prepared garlic head to the baking sheet, then roast it all up at 400 degrees F until the cauliflower is nice and tender.
- Cook the onion. In a large pot, cook down the diced onion in olive oil.
- Blend the soup. Add the cooked onion to a blender with the roasted cauliflower, and squeeze the garlic cloves in as well. Add the broth, salt and black pepper and blend it until it’s nice and smooth. Then add it back to your pot over medium heat. You could also use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in your pot.
- Simmer & cheese it up. Bring the soup to a light simmer, then stir in the cheese and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish & serve. Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with green onion & extra cheddar if you’d like! Enjoy as is or serve with croutons or your fav crusty bread.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: let the roasted cauliflower soup cool completely and place any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
- To freeze: this soup should freeze well! Allow it to cool completely and place it in freezer safe containers in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw the soup completely before reheating it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More soup recipes you’ll love
- Vegan White Bean & Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Creamy White Bean Chicken Enchilada Soup
- The Best Minestrone Soup
- Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup (using canned tomatoes)
Get all of my soup recipes here!
I hope you love this roasted cauliflower soup recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Roasted Garlic Cheddar Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4-5 cups cauliflower florets)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 1 head garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or sub chicken broth if not vegetarian)*
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heaping cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- To garnish:
- Sliced green onion & extra cheddar on top
- Croutons or toasted sourdough bread/bread of choice for dipping/serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cook the veggies: Add cauliflower florets to the pan, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper; toss to combine. For the garlic: peel and discard the outer papery layers of the whole garlic head. Leave the skins intact of the individual cloves. Using a sharp knife, cut ¼ inch off from the top of the cloves so that the individual cloves of garlic are exposed. Place garlic in a medium piece of foil and drizzle the top of the garlic with olive oil then loosely wrap in the foil and place on the pan with the cauliflower. Roast cauliflower and garlic for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cauliflower is nice and golden and caramelized.
- Cook the onion: While the cauliflower is cooking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pot and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in diced onion and saute for 5-8 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Blend the soup: In a large blender add the onion, roasted cauliflower, roasted garlic, broth, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, then add back to the pot and place over medium heat. Tip for the garlic: allow it to cool enough to touch then simply squeeze out the roasted garlic from the skin.
- Finish it off: Bring soup to a light simmer, then stir in the cheddar cheese. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Garnish with green onion and extra grated sharp cheddar cheese. Serve with crusty toasted sourdough or your favorite bread of choice. Serves 4.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
69 comments
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan cheese i never had roasted cauliflower soup before perfect for raining days in Singapore and after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
I made this for dinner last night and it was SO GOOD and super easy! Will definitely be making this again. Perfect for these chilly nights!
I couldn’t agree more! So happy you’re loving this recipe, sounds like a winner!
This looks amazing. Will make this weekend! Thank you for all your veggie friendly recipes
Just made it, both my husband and I loved it !
Great soup ! The test will be if my husband will eat it. I used two heads of cauliflower ( mine were small) and added 1 carrot and I stock of celery . Also threw in a handful of spinach . I figured it was recommended and you never can get too many veggies. I put in 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of milk. The roasted garlic was the sparkler ! I am very pleased with the results. Thanks for the recipe!
Ahhh this sounds amazing! I’m SO glad you love this recipe (and I hope you husband does too!)
Absolutely delicious soup, perfect for a rainy day! We spread one of the roasted garlic cloves on a piece of crusty bread for dipping. Will absolutely make this again.
AHH this sounds incredible! SO happy you are loving this recipe ❤️
it was good!!
SO glad you enjoyed!
Delicious!! Can I freeze leftovers?
This soup is absolutely incredible. I did use chicken stock instead of veggie, and subbed in 1/2 cup heavy cream. It was so so flavorful and delicious. Will be making this soup on repeat!
Amazing! Perfect w/ homemade sourdough for the chilly evenings ahead!
This looks really good please send me the website thank you
The roasted garlic really makes this soup great. Very cozy and delicious!
Yum! SO glad this recipe is a hit, perfect cozy soup for these cold days 🙂
Can you use a food processor to blend everything?
I’m a huge AK fan but this recipe missed the mark for me. The garlic is very overpowering and didn’t roast at the same time as the cauliflower. I should’ve put the garlic back in to bake an additional 15 minutes or so. I’m going to eat the soup so it doesn’t go to waste but I would not make this again.
Sorry to hear that, Chelsea! I’m not sure what could’ve happened as a head of garlic should be completely roasted between 30-40 minutes (just like the cauliflower in here). After roasting it will have that more mild, sweet flavor, instead of any overpowering garlic flavors. If you do end up giving it another try feel free to roast the garlic a bit longer!
YUM!! You don’t miss the cream at all! I added in chopped carrots and some roasted broccoli to this too and it was great. Top with a little cheddar and hot sauce!!
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t make any modifications and it came out perfect with just following the recipe! My entire family loved it. I will be making this soup regularly. I agree with others that the amount of garlic is perfect and not too much.
Excellent! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that it turned out great for you ❤️🙂
This was delicious and easy! I added the Trader Joe’s Rosemary Croissant Croutons on top and the flavors go so well together. Will definitely make this again.
excellent! So glad the this recipe turned out great for you ❤️
This sounds so good.!! And it serves 4…but How MUCH is a SERVING.?? 1 cup…1 & 1/2 cups…2 cups.?? Thank you….I really need for calorie count.!
Hi, Jeri! Sorry to say I haven’t measured it precisely — I just ladle out 1/4th of the soup per serving. Wish I could be more helpful!
I just made this tonight and I loved the flavor! But for some reason the soup was separating a lot! The broth and the blended veggies just weren’t coming together so it made for a very odd texture! I want to try it again, do you have any recommendations or idea of what could have gone wrong? I followed the recipe as is and I’m not sure if subbing some of the broth for milk or half and half would help?
Hi! So sorry to hear that! I haven’t had that happen before… Do you mind sharing what kind of blender you used? I’m wondering if it didn’t blend it up very smoothly? There’s a video in the blog post showing how the recipe’s made so it might be helpful to watch it!
Do you think this would be ok without the garlic? My husband is allergic to garlic.
Sure, it might take away from the all around flavor of the soup so there will be a difference in your end result. Hope you enjoy it!
Do you know of any vegan cheese options I can use as a substitute for the sharp cheddar cheese ingredient?
I know Violife and Chao brands have a DF Cheddar cheese that should work because they melt pretty well. Let me know if you give it a try and how it turns out.
I made this yesterday…delicious. I used 3 cups of broth and 1/2. Cup of heavy cream. Next time I will try putting some broccoli and spice it up a little.
Love it.
Perfect! Glad you loved this soup and it turned out amazing for you 🙂
Hearty soup full of flavor. So easy to make. I substituted half and half for one cup of broth. The soup came out think and creamy. The perfect soup during Fall and Winter. Freshly grated Cheddar adds loads of flavor. The portions are perfect. I will double the recipe next time so we have leftovers.
Amazing! Happy to hear you are enjoying this soup and it turned out delicious for you, Robin!
So good and simple to make. Very flavorful! A great addition for Fall dinner ideas!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, Tracy. Thanks for commenting 🙂
This soup was so easy to follow and tastes absolutely amazing! Thank you!
Of course! Glad you loved this soup 🙂
Made it as written with the suggestion of 1 cup milk and 3 cups broth, and chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. It was rich, thick, and delicious.
Amazing! So glad you are loving this soup and it turned out amazing for you!
Amazing had no clue a vegetarian soup could be so good. We added carrots and celery and subbed chicken stock with milk also added sage and oregano. Such a deep comfort flavor . This will definatly be in rotation this winter!!! Thank you for sharing
Right?! So much flavor in here! Thanks for commenting 🙂
We enjoyed this soup. We changed it up just a little with using 1/2 sharp cheddar and 1/2 of white sharp cheddar. We used 3 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of heavy cream as a suggestion. We blended have the cauliflower and tossed the bite size pieces in the pot. It made it like potato soup. Lastly we added bacon as a topping. We will be making this again!
Love that! Glad it was a hit!
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes! Check out the storing & freezing section at the bottom of the post before the recipe is listed 🙂
I made this soup because I got my wisdom teeth out a few days ago and it is so good! I’m glad I came across this recipe and will be adding to dinner rotations. I definitely recommend having it with some garlic toast or even a sandwich. It was also pretty easy to make and the only thing I did different was separate and peel all the garlic cloves and stick in some foil with olive oil on the same tray I had the cauliflower
Amazing! So glad you loved it!
Delicious recipe as is, especially for cheese and garlic lovers. After running out of cheddar I added some gouda. I may use less garlic less time.
Absolutely! The Gouda sounds delicious in here, too 🙂
I added 2 large carrots and the onion to the cauliflower to roast. I also used half and half instead of milk. And added ground time. I followed the recipe loosely because I used 3 heads of cauliflower and wanted mine a little more “brothy”. However the end result was my 4 and 6 year old picky eaters LOVED it!! I will definitely be making this again!!
Correction to above, I added thyme 🤪 not time. I also used my old food processor so the cauliflower wasn’t blended smooth, it still had texture. And it was delicious!
Made this a few times but I think I really made the best batch tonight. Added a sweet potato for extra nutrition, color and thickness. Also started the garlic 15 mins before the cauliflower cause I felt it needed to be softer. Then did 2 cups veggie broth and 1 cup milk because I like a thicker soup. It came out so delicious!
Perfect! So glad you love this one!
Delicious soup my whole family loved it. No leftovers will definitely make again..
I am absolutely thrilled that I finally found an amazing cauliflower soup recipe! I simplified by not roasting the cauliflower or garlic, or blending the soup, but left it chunky instead. 4 shakes of crushed red pepper gave it the flavor I was hoping for – I L O V E it!!!
Perfect! Glad you loved it!
Concept sounded good, I wanted to believe I’d like it, but I just wasn’t really feeling it.
Sorry to hear that! Was it the flavor? Texture?
I made the roasted garlic creamy cauliflower soup with extra vegetables using cream
What a wonderful recipe
I made a lot of it and none went to waste
Complements galore
Well done
You are making me look good
Cheers Barrie
Amazing! So glad this was a hit!
Love this recipe and use frequently all the ingredients listed for other recipes. We love it and definitely will cook it often, Thank you.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This soup is so incredible, I have made this recipe 5 times in the last 3 months it’s so good! All my friends love it and ask for the recipe. I like to add an extra half glove of garlic and heavier salt and pepper. 10/10a must try
So happy to hear that!
This recipe is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I have shared it with my whole client network at http://www.organicfootprints.co.za I added some cumin spice to my cauli when roasting it and used chicken stock. Such an interesting recipe with no milk and cheese only. I have made it 3 times already and even did a version with broccoli. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I will definitely follow your page for more ideas… ENJOY!