Spicy Cauliflower Soup with Curry

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This Spicy Cauliflower Soup with Curry is topped with crunchy cashews and served with warm naan bread to totally hit the spot! It’s vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free — and will be ready in 30 minutes!

I love making vegan soups year round. Especially spicy soup with warm spices like turmeric, cumin and cinnamon that leave you feeling full and satisfied.

This recipe, (adapted from Dr. Weil) is exactly that type of meal.

I decided to make this vegetarian soup on a cooler night and serve it with crunchy cashews and crispy naan bread, to make for a filling and satisfying meal. It’s a healthy vegetarian Indian recipe!

This Spicy Cauliflower Soup with Curry is smooth and creamy without any cream. Made with coconut milk, this recipe has a nice depth of flavor. Fresh herbs and crunchy cashews give it a nice texture. 

This is an easy and quick soup, and the aroma that fills your home and warms you from the inside out! You really can’t go wrong with this recipe – it’s great as an appetizer, a side, or a light meal. At only 58 calories per cup, you can go back for seconds, thirds and even fourths! I guarantee, this will be the best cauliflower soup recipe you have ever made!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Creamy soup with healthy ingredients
• Roasted Cauliflower flavor
• Spicy hot soup!
• Rich flavors, comforting meal
• Vegan
• Gluten-Free
• Simple ingredients
• Easy to make

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe can easily be made with ingredients found at your local grocery store! For detailed quantities and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Diced Onion: I used white onion, however, feel free to use diced red onion, or yellow onion.

Cauliflower Florets: You’ll need a whole head of cauliflower that you’ll cut into florets before adding to the soup.

Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is the secret ingredient in this healthy soup – to give it a great texture without needing any heavy cream. I choose to use a light coconut milk to reduce overall calories and fat, however, for a richer soup use full fat coconut milk for a decadent creaminess. There is no need for vegetable broth, or chicken broth to think out the soup. The coconut milk is just enough!

Spices: The array of spices is what gives this recipe tons of spicy flavor! I choose to use ground spices in this recipe, however, if you have cumin seeds, or coriander seeds, you can toast these in the olive olive first, rather than adding them ground in. You’ll need curry powder, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and coconut sugar. To really add heat, you can choose to add chili powder, a few chili flakes, red pepper flakes, and/or some ground black pepper on the top of each serving.

Cashews: This soup is blended and creamy, so topping it with chopped cashews gives it a nice crunch.

Cilantro: A touch of chopped cilantro adds a nice herbal flavor, and freshness to this dish that compliments the spices and richness of the coconut milk nicely. You can also use diced green onion or chopped parsley for a slightly different flavor.

🍽 Equipment

• Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
• Immersion Blender
• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board
• Cooking Spoon

📖 Variations

Roast Your Cauliflower: If you love the flavor or roasted cauliflower, roast it before adding it to the soup. Place the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with a olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes at 425 F.

Add Fennel Seeds: Fennel has a nice anise flavor which compliments the other spices nicely. If this is a flavor you enjoy, add a 1/2 a teaspoon of fennel seeds, and a squeeze of lime juice.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over low heat (you can also use coconut oil). Add the onion and sauté until golden. 

Step 2: Add the cauliflower, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Increase to medium-high heat.

Step 3: Add coconut milk, and up to 1 cup of water (use more or less depending on how thin you want your soup to be).

Step 4: Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Blend the soup with an immersion blender until the desired consistency is reached. If using a standing blender or food processor, allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Pour the soup into the blender. Hold the lid down firmly with a clean, folded towel over it. Start on low speed and blend until the soup is smooth. Return to the pot and reheat if serving hot.

Step 6: Ladle into bowls and garnish with the cashews and cilantro before serving.

🥗 Is This Spicy Cauliflower Soup Recipe Healthy?

This curried cauliflower soup couldn’t be better for you, but it’s so creamy it tastes like a decadent dish! Here’s what makes this soup healthy:

• Low Calorie: At just under 60 calories per serving and 3 grams of fat, the lack of heavy cream and too much oil makes this creamy curry cauliflower soup recipe low fat and low calorie.
• Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: Cauliflower is rich in vitamins and nutrients including B vitamins, choline, and antioxidants which protect against inflammation. 
• High in Fiber: Cauliflower is high in fiber which helps with digestion and reduces your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.

❓Recipe FAQs

👪 How to Serve

This is a great soup to serve at a dinner party as a first course, but it’s also casual and simple enough to make as a main dish for a family dinner.

I like to serve this dish with a chile flakes, and cayenne pepper, cilantro sprigs, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Serve with a crusty whole grain bread or naan for a complete and filling meal!

💭 Expert Tips

• If using a stand blender, allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Pour the soup into the blender. Hold the lid down firmly with a clean, folded towel over it. Start on low speed and blend until the soup is smooth. Return to the pot and reheat if serving hot.
• To add more protein to this soup, add one 15oz can of rinsed & drained cannelini beans at the same time you add the cauliflower into the soup. Let the beans cook with the rest of the ingredients and puree everything together. You might have to adjust the spices if you do choose to add the beans.
• If you don’t have fresh cauliflower, you can use frozen cauliflower.
• Garnish with cashews and cilantro.
• If you don’t have coconut milk, you can also make this spiced cauliflower soup with yogurt as an alternative!
• If freezing, allow to cool before placing in freezer safe containers.

🍲 More Delicious Soup Recipes!

• Vegetarian White Bean Soup with Pumpkin
• Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
• Tomato Soup With Canned Tomatoes
• Vegetarian Taco Soup with Roasted Tomato Salsa
• Instant Pot Tomato Soup with Cumin

📋 Recipe Card