Easy Curried Cauliflower Soup

Indulge in the perfect winter comfort soup with this curried cauliflower soup, enriched with white beans and coconut milk for a creamy and filling texture.

Curried cauliflower soup recipe

This curried cauliflower soup is smooth, creamy and filling, thanks to the inclusion of white beans and coconut milk. It’s the perfect winter warmer, not overpowered by spices.

See also

• My rich and elegant broccoli and stilton soup is a traditional favourite
• Slow cooker vegetable soup is as easy as it is satisfying and comforting
• For a warming and delicious nutritional boost, try this carrot and lentil soup

A cauliflower is a superb carrier for all sorts of other flavours. Used as the basis for a soup, it makes a naturally creamy soup without any need for dairy.

This soup makes great use of that versatility; adding white beans for extra body, curry powder for a dash of spicy heat and coconut to double up on a smooth elegant texture.

Why make curried cauliflower soup

• This soup recipe wins for being filling and warming – beans add substance and protein and the glorious golden colour looks great.
  
• It’s easy to make, including two portions of vegetables in every bowl. The easy way to five a day.
  
• It’s such an adaptable recipe, accommodating variations in both ingredients and quantities.

• Great for batch cooking and freezing. It’s so helpful to have some portions of soup ready and waiting in the freezer for those times you need a filling meal in a hurry.
  
• Like all homemade soups, you can adjust the recipe to your taste. Want a spicier soup? Simple – add more spices! Or the opposite – then just leave them out.

Curried cauliflower soup ingredients

• Cauliflower – makes a deliciously creamy body to the soup. As a bonus, cruciferous vegetables are good for you as well as tasty.
  
  Cauliflowers do vary in size – you want a medium sized one. But don’t worry if you only have small, it’s easy to adjust the liquid to the size of cauliflower you have.

• Carrot – this is a blended soup, so normal carrots are perfect. No need for anything special.

• Onion – one medium to large. This can be any type of onion, or even a couple of shallots. Just use what you have.
  
• Celery – one stick. The classic trio of carrots, onions and celery, called soffritto in Italy or mirepoix in France, is the base for many classic dishes. You can also get a pre-cut, ready to cook frozen mixture which does save time.

• Stock – vegetable or chicken stock cube or stock pot.
  
• Butter and olive oil – I always use an unrefined extra virgin olive oil. The butter adds flavour. I like to use a mix both for frying, but you can use one or the other if you prefer, or even ghee. I do avoid processed or heat treated vegetable oils.

• Coconut milk – adds richness, texture and flavour. I buy supermarket own brand and really do not think that you need a fancy brand. You want a can of milk, not a bottle of coconut milk drink.
  
  You can also buy coconut milk power which is a fantastic store cupboard ingredient as you can mix with hot water to make as much or as little as you need to the strength you want. However do read the label as they can have all sorts of other ingredients added.
  
  For more on coconut milk read my guide to coconut milk.
  
• Curry powder – use your favourite. Mine is just a regular supermarket blend, as I don’t feel the need for a premium mixture. Make sure your spices are fresh and strongly flavoured, and haven’t just turned into flavourless dust at the back of the cupboard.
  
• Ground turmeric – this gives the soup its vibrant yellow colour.
  
• Canned white beans – adds extra protein and body to the soup. I like cannellini which are also sometimes labelled as white kidney beans. You could also use butter beans. Drain and rinse before adding to the soup.

• Garlic – a couple of cloves.

How to make curried cauliflower soup – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this curried cauliflower soup recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Prepare the vegetables. You don’t need to be too fussy about how you cut, as you will be blending the soup.

• Onion and garlic – peel and chop.
• Celery – top and tail, destring if needed, and chop into 2cm/1″ lengths.
• Carrot – peel, cut into quarters, and then cut into small pieces.
• Cauliflower – Remove any leaves. Cut off the florets. You can use the central stem: peel the tough outer layer and chop, so that you’re left with a couple of batons of white cauliflower

Step Two – add the butter and oil to a large casserole dish or saucepan and allow to melt, over a low heat

Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté slowly so that it is soft and the onion is starting to turn a golden pale yellow colour and is fragrant.

This will take a little time, at least 5 minutes, but all recipes really benefit from properly cooking the onion at the start. It’s not something that can be rushed.

When the onion mixture is looking just about cooked, add the garlic, turmeric and curry powder. Sauté for another minute of so. Enjoy all those delicious aromas coming from the pan!

Step Three – add beans, cauliflower pieces, coconut milk, water and stock cube. You don’t have to make up the stock first, as the cube will dissolve and be mixed in when the soup is blended.

When making soup always err on the side of adding too little liquid. Leave the vegetables about 5cm / 2″ above the liquid line.

Helen’s Pro Tip
Canned coconut milk will often separate into a solid coconut cream and a liquid milk, especially if it is kept in a cool place, which is a nuisance when the recipe calls for half a can.
To stop this happening, place somewhere warm before using and shake shake and shake before you open, and if only using half a can and the coconut milk is separate try to add half the solids and half the liquid so it is in proportion.
Left over coconut milk can be transferred to a tub and frozen to use another time. It can separate as it defrosts, but is absolutely fine once reheated.

Step Four – Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer. Then cover.

Leave to cook until the cauliflower is cooked through and soft all the way through, when checked with a knife. This will take about 20 minutes.

Once done all the vegetables would have collapsed into the liquid and be completely covered.

Step Five – Blend the soup to a creamy consistency with a stick blender.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip

A cheap stick/immersion blender is the simplest way to blend soup. I have had mine for years.

If you use a jug blender with hot soup, never use the central bung. As you blend, it will generate steam which can blow the lid off and send scalding soup everywhere. Instead, cover with a folded piece of kitchen paper, then a tea towel over the top. Lift the towel from time to time between each blend to allow the steam to escape.

Step Seven – Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Then serve hot.

Serving suggestion

Serve your curried cauliflower soup with delicious homemade bread or toast. You can garnish each bowlful with some chopped parsley, or dot the top with some olive oil and add toasted seeds.

Variations

• Adjust or change the spices to your taste. Any Thai curry paste would work well here in place of the curry powder and turmeric. Add along with the rest of the ingredients after sauteing the onion, celery and carrot.

• For a warming, but not too spicy soup, use a teaspoon or so of garam masala in place of the curry powder.

• Instead of beans, you can use potato to thicken and add body to the soup. Dice about 2 medium sized potatoes (200g in total – no need to peel), and add at the same time as the cauliflower.

• Use another type of pulse or bean, such as chickpeas. I always have a variety of tins of beans in my cupboard, as they’re economically priced and there ready to use.

Storage

Fridge – Once cool, transfer the soup to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to three days.

Freezer – Transfer the cooled soup to airtight containers. Freeze for up to three months.

Reheating – Defrost in the fridge overnight, or alternatively on the kitchen counter for a few hours. Reheat your soup in a pan on the stove top, or in a safe container in the microwave. Try not to boil it. When using the microwave, I like to use a Pyrex-style jug for ease of handling.

Read more on how to freeze soup here.

Hints and tips

• I always adjust my liquid to the amount of vegetables. Cauliflowers can very significantly in size, so by adding enough water to leave the vegetables sticking out about 5cm or 2 inches, I don’t overly dilute the soup.
  
  If it’s too thick, you can always add extra water, but thickening up a soup that’s too runny is too much bother.

• If you are cooking for the freezer, you can reduce the quantity of liquid, giving you a more concentrated, soup for the freezer. Then dilute it to the required consistency when you reheat it.

• Always make the most of a good soup with a good garnish. I like fresh herbs and swirl of cream, or some drops of oil and a sprinkle of some seeds, or a swirl of yoghurt or creme fraiche.

FAQs

More soup recipes

• Curried parsnip soup – great use of the winter root vegetable.

• Or, another delicious soup using cauliflower, my broccoli and cauliflower soup

• Roast celeriac soup – velvety and delicious