Healthy Cauliflower Soup! This vegetarian soup recipe uses yogurt instead of cream for a light and tangy finish. Green peas add plenty of protein, and mint and lemon add bright and fresh flavour. Quick, easy, and freezer-friendly!
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Now that the seasons are shifting, so too are our soup preferences.
Gone are the cozy, carby, comforting soups of the winter months (like Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup or Miso Roasted Butternut Squash Soup), and here are the brighter, fresher flavours of spring. (Related:Six Spring Vegetarian Recipes)
This Healthy Cauliflower Soup is the perfect recipe to help bridge the seasons. It makes use of fresh spring flavours with a little hand holding in the form of frozen vegetables, greenhouse herbs, and yes, an imported lemon. What are you gonna do?!
What's in this recipe?
Here's the deal: a lot of cauliflower soups are loaded with potatoes and cream and end up being super rich and heavy. Not this soup! We're making Healthy Cauliflower Soup with a couple of simple swaps. You're going to need to grab:
- Cauliflower --> A big ol' head of everyone's favourite albino cruciferous vegetable.
- Peas --> We're replacing the potato with protein-packed green peas. Frozen is totally fine.
- Yogurt --> Instead of cream we're going in with a bit of full-fat yogurt.
- Onions --> Both yellow and spring onions in this case.
- Garlic --> Don't mind if I do!
- Mint --> For that fresh spring flavour.
- Lemon --> A bit of optional zest for some zing!
Equipment:
I love to use a big heavy-bottomed cast iron pot (I use this one) because it distributes the heat evenly and holds the heat super well. Really, any big soup pot you've got on hand will do just fine.
For blending the soup, I like to use an immersion blender (I have this one and it works great) because I am lazy and can't be bothered to transfer my soup into my stand up blender. However, a stand up blender (I have this one and love it!) will result in a much smoother soup in the end.
How to make this recipe
You'll find detailed, printable instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, so just sit back and relax for now!
Step 1: First, grab your favourite soup pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and add the yellow and green onion. Sauté for a few minutes to let them sweat it out, then add the garlic and a pinch of salt.
Step 2: While this is happening you can break your cauliflower down into florets. No need to be neat about it, we're going to blend this soup up in the end. I just hack my cauliflower in half and then use my hands to pull it apart.
Step 3: Add the cauliflower florets to the pot, and give it a good stir. Let the cauliflower cook with the onions for a couple of minutes.
Step 4: Now it's time to add your vegetable broth.
Note! This recipe calls for 4-6 cups of broth. We're going to start with 4, and if we need to add more at the end to thin it out, we can do that. It will totally depend on how big your cauliflower is, and how thick you like your soup. For the soup in these photos I ended up using exactly 5.5 cups of broth. Remember that you can always add more broth, but you can't take it away.
Add the broth, and bring the soup to a boil. Then you're going to put the lid on the pot (this is where a nice heavy lid comes in handy) reduce the eat to medium-low, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender. This will take about 15 minutes.
Step 5: Once the cauliflower is tender you can add in your frozen peas. Just a minute or two to heat them through is enough.
Step 6: Now it's time to blend your soup! Once blended, stir in the yoghurt and mint leaves. Taste your soup, adjust the seasonings if necessary, and add some extra broth if you'd prefer a thinner soup.
That's it! Your Healthy Cauliflower Soup is done!
Can I freeze this soup?
You can and you should! I like to freeze it in individual portions. My husband has a three-tub-a-week cottage cheese habit, so I usually freeze my soup in empty cottage cheese containers.
If you prefer to store your soup in glass jars, you can also freeze in wide-mouth mason jars (like these) but be sure to add at least an inch of head space to allow for expansion of the frozen soup.
How long will this soup last in the fridge?
You can pop leftover soup into an air-tight container and have it in the fridge for 3-5 days. I definitely ate some leftover soup at the 6 day mark and it was still fine, but please give it a good sniff and use your judgement if you go that far.
Can I make vegan cauliflower soup?
You sure can! Simply replace the yogurt with your favourite creamy plant-based milk (This oat milk is my fave) and a squeeze of lemon for some tang. Alternatively you could try using plant-based yoghurt, light coconut milk, or cashew cream - though please note that I haven't tried these modifications.
Hey Nutrition Lady, is cauliflower healthy?
You bet it is!
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as broccoli, kale, and cabbage, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. It is a great source of vitamin B5, potassium, dietary fiber, and a good source of protein, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins B1-3, and iron.
What about peas?
Frozen peas are low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and are a good source of protein , manganese, folate, vitamin B1, potassium, and phosphorous. The high fiber content in dried peas is thought to be helpful in lowering cholesterol and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Other healthy soup recipes:
Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup with Red Lentils
Miso Veggie Soup in a Jar
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Vegan Corn Chowder
10-Minute Vegetable Ramen Noodles
Healthy Cauliflower Soup with Peas, Mint, and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium green onions chopped - both the green and white part
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large head of cauliflower about 800g or just shy of 2lbs before trimming the leaves and stems
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- ½ cup plain yoghurt full fat
- 2 tablespoon finely minced fresh mint
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest about 1 lemon
- extra mint, or lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Set a large pot over medium heat.
- Heat the olive oil for a minute, then add the yellow onion, green onion, and garlic to the pot, and sauté until they soften and just begin to take on a bit of colour.
- Add the cauliflower and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add 4 cups of vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is tender - about 15 minutes.
- Now add the peas, wait a minute for them to soften and then blend the soup (I used an immersion blender, but if you don't have one you could transfer to a blender in batches).
- Once the soup is well blended, taste, and season with salt and pepper.
- Return to the heat, and stir in the creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt.
- If you want to add extra broth to thin out the soup, do it now.
- Add the mint and the lemon zest, stir well, and taste again. Serve immediately, with a drizzle of yoghurt, or a bit of lemon zest for garnish.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only!
- The amount of broth you need will depend on the size of your cauliflower and how thick you like your soup to be. Start with 4 cups and add extra as needed.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published March 13, 2013. It was retested, rephotographed, and updated April 4, 2019. Most recently edited and updated April 30, 2021.
Nikhil Jaju
I think this is awesome!
Christelle
I was looking for a ‘different’ soup as I am fed up making the same ones all the time. I was really inspired by this one and....my husband said this is the best soup I have ever made! If you knew how picky about depth if flavours and textures, You can imagine the smile on my face. It’s pretty rare I get a compliment when I cook. Thank you Katie. <3
Nok
Question why is the soup green in one photo and not green with added peas inthe other? Confusing..so do you blend the peas or just add fresh? Suppose can do either but just wondering why the recipe says blend when its not in the last two pics..
Thanks
Katie Trant
The soup is blended, there are just a handful of peas added to the finished soup in the last photos for garnish, and because it's pretty. It's the exact same pot of soup, but the photos were taken on different days. I ran out of time for the final photos on the day I made the pot of soup, so did process shots one day, and "hero photos" of the finished soup on the next. The light was different (different time of day, different weather) so the colour came out a bit differently. Plus the contrast of the fresh peas added to the soup for garnish made the soup itself look a bit less green. Now you know my secrets!
Gail
Katie, this is SO good. I made it for our weekend weeding crew, many of whom have food allergies. It's a big hit - a perfect spring taste. Thank you.
Gail
Katie Trant
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed this soup, Gail!
Heather
I’ve just made this soup. It’s delicious. Soup for dinner tonight for sure.
alice k mynett
We just had this for dinner with a slice of warm cheese bread. It was heavenly! I didn't purée it until smooth, but left it a bit chunky, which we enjoyed. Also, as we are not vegetarian, I used some hearty turkey broth that our son had stashed in the freezer after boiling the heck out of a turkey carcass. We liked the heartiness that this added. I like your line of "soup for dinner tonight". I'll be using it more often, as this recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
sustainable cooks - sarah
Love the spring flavors of this soup without it being heavy. Plus, how great to be able to use frozen veggies?
HeatHer
I’d forgotten about this soup. It is delicious and I have all the ingredients in my fridge so I’m ready to make it again.
Carole
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole's Chatter is collecting links to dishes using peas and/or green beans. I do hope you link this in. This is the link . Please do check out some of the other links – there are some good ones already. Cheers
themuffinmyth
Thanks for letting me know!
erika
Haha your Swedish teacher sounds amazing! Definitely like one of those fearsome but effective teachers that you kind of quake in front of, but thank later 🙂
I'm loving the look of this soup--I love cauliflower and peas and simple soups, so I'm putting this on my list of things to make! Also, I am intrigued by all of your recipes. Cottage cheese muffins?! Brown rice broccoli tarts? Be my personal chef?!
themuffinmyth
Ooooh, I'd love to be your personal chef! Bit of a commute though, no? 😉
You're totally right about my Swedish teacher. She's scary but awesome, and I definitely feel like I'm getting good value. I've had other teachers and none measured even close to her. Scary for the win!
Leanne
This soup sounds so interesting! We're big into finger foods, currently, because *someone* really likes picking his own food up by himself, so I'll have to remember this for when tiny fingers are better able to manage a spoon : )
Good for you, going up and confronting your Swedish teacher! She probably appreciated the candor. I did that once with an Econ prof, and I'm fairly certain it's the only reason I passed the class.
themuffinmyth
Oh yeah, *always* go talk to the prof. Same situation for me with organic chemistry. If you're struggling, you had better make sure your effort stands out, especially in a class of 100's. This is a pretty small group, but I'm still glad she knows I really care about learning.
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
Using a cookbook to teach you the language is genius. Score for your scary teacher.
I also happen to love when winter starts to become green. One of my favorite times of year.
themuffinmyth
I know, it's awesome. It's a totally different aspect of the language I'm not sure I would have picked up on otherwise.
Eileen
This soup looks so beautiful--smooth pureed veg soups are one of my favorite things. Love the mint too!
themuffinmyth
The mint and the lemon zest really elevate this soup and give it a thought provoking flavour. I hope you try it out!
heather
mmmmm. This may just start me on another cauliflower kick.
themuffinmyth
Maybe! It'd be worth it though, this soup is awesome!