Creamy roasted cauliflower soup is a healthy comfort food that will warm you up on a chilly day! Made with a hefty dose of fennel for bone density, anti-inflammatory properties, and gut health, this vegan cauliflower soup is also gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and low carb.
Thought you should know that this roasted cauliflower soup post is sponsored by my friends at Bob’s Red Mill. They’re awesome to me, so thanks for being awesome to them in return!
We did it! We made it to Fall and all of a sudden the temps dropped. It’s a crisp 70F with a low of 45F. Ohhhhh it on, and soup weather is so here! Plus all the seasonal veggies. LOVE LOVE LOVE me some squash, persimmon, cauliflower, fennel, carrots, sweet potato… I could go on!
But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today. Well, maybe just a little. The whole focus of this post? Is SOUP! How to make “cheesy” vegan soup (that’s also paleo friendly).
- How to sneak in extra veggies to soup
- How to make a CREAMY bisque-like soup (without the dairy)
- How to thicken soups with grain free starches, like arrowroot and tapioca starch/flour
Yep, Soups on! You ready?
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY FENNEL ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP
How to Make CREAMY Vegan Soups
First up, let’s talk VEGAN soup recipes.
Have you ever tried to make a “cheesy” or creamy plant based soup, but were disappointed that it didn’t have that thick, creamy consistency you expected? I feel ya. Creamy soups are usually made with heavy cream and cheese. If you’re eating dairy free and/or vegan, obviously, those ingredients aren’t options.
Never fear… help is here!
Making Creamy Fennel Roasted Cauliflower Soup
There are some important but simple, plant-based ingredients that will create a thick, creamy vegan friendly soup.
INGREDIENT ONE:
To make creamy vegan soups, you need to start with a creamy nut milk base. Obvious choices would be:
- almond milk
- cashew milk
- coconut milk
INGREDIENT TWO:
Another vegan product I use in this roasted cauliflower soup is nutritional yeast. Obviously Bob’s Red Mill is our favorite! I use nutritional yeast to add a “cheesy” taste, and for the health benefits. It’s a great cheese replacement for pesto, sauces, and pizza toppings too!
What are the health benefits of this “cheesy” flake? Oh, lemme tell ya!
Nutritional yeast delivers protein and B vitamins, both of which are important for a vegan and vegetarian diet.
INGREDIENT THREE:
Arrowroot starch or tapioca starch will help thicken the soup naturally. No need for corn starch or a grain here. Both of these starches are naturally gluten free, grain free, and legume free!
Timing is key with these ingredients, though. If you add the plant based thickener too late in the making of the roasted cauliflower soup, it won’t have that chowder-like texture you want. And if you add it too early, you’ll end up with a consistency that I can only call vegan roasted cauliflower soup wet concrete. Haha!
Alright, let’s put it all together now.
- Spice your cauliflower and fennel
- Roast
- Blend and mix
- Cook and watch it thicken… ahhhh!
Creamy Fennel Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This creamy roasted cauliflower soup is made with a hefty dose of fennel for bone density, anti-inflammatory properties, and gut health. This vegan cauliflower soup is also gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and low carb.
Ingredients
To ROAST
- 1 lb cauliflower (small 1 head) or 1 lb florets
- 1 fennel bulb/ sliced
- 2 –3 tbsp olive oil (extra to garnish)
- 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt/Pepper
Soup Base
- 3 cups veggie broth
- 8 to 10 ounces almond or coconut milk
- 1 tbsp vegan butter (or clarified butter/ghee if not vegan)
- Thyme sprigs (extra for garnishing)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 3–4 tbsp Nutritional yeast. (see notes for substitutes)
- Optional non dairy cream or coconut cream to top.
- Sea Salt/peppercorns to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Cut cauliflower into pieces or florets.
- Slice off the stem of the fennel and cut lengthwise into sections.
- Toss cauliflower and fennel is 2 to 2.5 tbsp olive oil, balsamic, and spices and spread out evenly on baking sheet.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning over veggies halfway. Remove from oven and carefully place all ingredients into a blender. If you don’t have a blender, set aside and see notes.
- Add 1 pint of vegetable broth to blender (3 cups) and blend until combined. Next add in your 8 ounces of almond or coconut milk and blend again until you get a creamy base. The more milk you add, the thinner the soup base will be. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot place a few sprigs thyme, garlic, butter, and sauté for 3 minutes on medium.
- Next add your roasted cauliflower fennel soup mix to the pot the butter and garlic.. Scrape the blender with a spatula to get everything out. Add a dash more salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce and then slowly mix in 1 tbsp arrowroot starch, whisking while you add.
- Lastly, mix in nutritional yeast (3-4 tbsp) and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with thyme and oregano on top to garnish
- Optional: drizzle olive oil and non dairy milk or coconut cream. Salt and peppercorns to garnish.
Notes
- If you don’t have nutritional yeast and can handle dairy, Parmesan can be substituted, but it will not have the same health benefits. And if you don’t have arrowroot starch, potato starch or tapioca starch may be used.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can use an immersion blender. I recommended adding the ingredients into pot, after the cauliflower/fennel is roasted, little by little and blending with immersion blender. The starch will be added last before you boil again.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stove
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 169
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 586.7 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.4 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 7.6 mg
Keywords: soup, creamy soup, vegan soup, cauliflower, roasted vegetables, paleo, low carb, dinner, dairy free
Okay, have I convinced you?
Creamy soups, creamy cheesy vegan soups, extra thick and extra healthy —> they do exist and can easily be made right in you kitchen. Mwah!
Bring on the soup season!
Keep up with the compassionate, fun-loving Bob’s Red Mill on social media. They are full of gluten free inspiration! Facebook, Twitter Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest
Cheers,
LC
MORE SOUP RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of Our Best Healthy Soup Recipes for Fall collection. Check it out!
