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Cauliflower-Soup

Cauliflower Soup


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  • Total Time: 55 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 (makes 9 cups) 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ounce raw, unsalted cashews (about ¼ cup; optional)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 2 large carrots, chopped (about 1½ cups)
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Pinch to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional; these are spicy)
  • 1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets (about 8 cups or 1.75 lbs.)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 can cooked cannellini beans (or 1.5 cups), drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Place the ½ cup of water and cashews into a blender, and blend briefly. Let this sit; we’ll come back to it in step 4.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook while stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, adding a little water as needed to prevent sticking. Add the garlic, rosemary, paprika, and red pepper flakes, and stir for 1 more minute.
  3. Add the cauliflower, 4 cups water, and cooked white beans to the pot, and stir (the vegetables will be above the water line, which is fine). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower and carrots are nice and tender; stir once during cooking. Remove from the heat.
  4. Blend the cashews and water in the blender until very smooth. Add 3 cups of the cooked soup (veggies and broth) to the blender, and blend until very smooth. Pour this back into the soup pot and stir.

Notes

If you are not using cashews, simply omit them and follow the recipe as written, starting with step 2. (The nutrition information below is with the cashews.)

I use an upright blender (my Vitamix) for this creamy soup because I find that a hand-held immersion blender is not ideal for completely creaming a portion of the soup while leaving the remaining portion chunky. But you can use an immersion blender if you like.

To make in the Instant Pot: If using cashews, do step 1. Then place the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary and cauliflower—including the leaves and stems if you like—into the Instant Pot (these can be left in large chunks if desired since we'll be blending the soup later). Add 5 cups water or broth. Set to 8 minutes on high pressure. When done, release pressure and puree with an immersion blender to your desired consistency (I like some lumps in mine). Stir in the spices (paprika, red pepper flakes) and beans. Set to 2 minutes on high pressure. When done, if using the cashews, blend them with the water (from step 1) and stir into the soup; or add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of unsweetened nondairy milk for an easier way to add richness without using the cashews and water in step 1.

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup (308 g); with cashews
  • Calories: 90.4
  • Sugar: 4.2g
  • Sodium: 61.2mg
  • Fat: 2.3g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.5g
  • Fiber: 5.0g
  • Protein: 4.8g
  • Cholesterol: 0