This curry cauliflower soup is made with Thai curry paste, cauliflower, coconut milk, lime and ginger.
It's easy to make, reheats well and is a delicious way to get some veggies in!
What do I need to make this recipe?
Ingredients
Here's a list of the items you'll need from the supermarket or maybe you have them your pantry, fridge and freezer:
- Olive oil (or a neutral oil like avocado)
- Onion, garlic and ginger (all the aromatics)
- Curry paste (in a small jar - find it in the ethnic foods aisle or on Amazon)
- Cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
- Stock or broth (vegetable or chicken, preferably)
- Full fat canned coconut milk (not the kind in the dairy aisle that is meant for drinking)
- Limes (fresh, get a couple)
- Salt and black pepper (always!)
- Ground turmeric, cayenne pepper and nutmeg (don't forget these... they make the soup extra delicious)
Equipment
There are plenty of options when it comes to equipment for making this (and any) soup, but here are the basics:
- Chef's knife (make sure it's sharp!)
- Cutting board (wooden or plastic, whatever you like)
- Measuring cups and spoons (if you're into measuring)
- Wooden spoon (get a set, they're the best)
- Dutch oven or soup pot (I love using enamel coated Dutch ovens to make soup, and pretty much everything else)
- Immersion blender (or a regular blender)
- Bowls and spoons (for eating)
A quick video on how to make curry cauliflower soup
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
This curry cauliflower soup is luxurious and velvety smooth.
Learn how to make it, step-by-step!
- The first step is to saute the onions, garlic, ginger and spices in olive oil.
- I always start with the onions because they take longer to cook than the garlic and ginger, and the garlic and ginger can easily burn if cooked too long.
- They only require 30-60 seconds of sauteing, whereas the onions take 4-7 minutes (or longer, depending on how soft you want them).
- Heat olive oil to medium in a Dutch oven or stock pot. Add onion and sauté 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, turmeric, cayenne and nutmeg. Stir in the curry paste and sauté 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Add cauliflower florets and stock and bring to a simmer for 20-30 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.
- Stir in the turmeric, cayenne and nutmeg.
- The next step is to add the curry paste.
- I like Thai Kitchen brand and you can find it in most supermarkets.
- They have red, green and sometimes you can find yellow, and any will work in this recipe.
- They each have a unique flavor, so pick your favorite and give it a try!
- Next, you'll add 5 to 6 cups of cauliflower florets.
- You can use fresh and cut it yourself, buy a bag of fresh florets in a bag in the produce section, or use frozen florets.
- Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
- If you're keeping this recipe vegan, use vegetarian stock.
- If you aren't concerned about that and have chicken stock on hand, that'll work too.
- I tend to avoid using water because it won't add any flavor to your soup, but if you don't have any stock, you could use water and add a bit of bouillon to it. We're looking for flavor!
- Once the cauliflower is soft, remove the pot from the heat.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until souper smooth (see what I did there?).
- If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the soup to a blender and puree it in there. Be careful, though, as hot sauce tends to blow the lid off the blender.
- I recommend placing a kitchen towel over the hole on the lid (rather than using the plastic stopper) to allow some steam to escape, and start on very low speed and increase it slowly until the soup is pureed.
- Don't say you weren't warned!!
- Lastly, you'll add full fat canned coconut milk (NOT the coconut milk you find in the dairy section), and add the fresh lime zest and juice and sugar.
- The nutmeg may seem like an odd addition, but trust me on this one. It's DELICIOUS. These last few ingredients are going to make this soup.
- It's the combination of heat, acid and creaminess that really takes this (and every) soup from good to great.
- Take a look at my other soup recipes and you'll see that I always use this killer combo.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- This is always, always, always an important last step when you're cooking. If it's falling a little flat in the flavor department, add a pinch of salt.
- You can also try another squeeze of lime to help bring out the flavors in the soup. If you want it a bit spicier, add a touch more cayenne.
- The sky is the limit when you're cooking from scratch!
- EAT! Toss some cilantro, a little extra coconut milk and a drizzle of olive oil on top, if you're feeling wild and crazy.
Grab a copy of my Simple Soups eCookbook for more deliciousness!
How to Store and Reheat
- In the refrigerator: Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a saucepan on medium-low heat on the stove or in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave until 2-3 minutes or until hot.
- In the freezer: Store in airtight containers for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a saucepan on medium-low heat on the stove or in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave until 2-3 minutes or until hot.
Other Fabulous Soup Recipes:
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
- Butternut Squash Apple Soup
- Thai Sweet Potato Soup
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PrintCurry Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower soup whirled together with garlic, ginger, curry, coconut milk and lime juice.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove-Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoons coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch turmeric, cayenne pepper and ground nutmeg
- 2-3 tablespoons curry paste (or 1 tablespoon curry powder)
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 5-6 cups)
- 3-4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- ½ cup full fat canned coconut milk
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 2-2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar or honey
Instructions
- Heat olive oil to medium in a Dutch oven or stock pot. Add onion and sauté 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, turmeric, cayenne and nutmeg.
- Stir in the curry paste and sauté 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Add cauliflower florets and stock and bring to a simmer for 20-30 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.
- Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add coconut milk, lime zest and juice and sugar or honey. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 159
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 637mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Martha says
Really good, lots of flavor!
Julie Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed it, Martha!
Laurel says
Question: curious as to why you decided to add the spices (turmeric, nutmeg etc) only at the end, instead of “blooming” them in the oil with onion, garlic & ginger in the beginning?
Julie Andrews says
To be honest with you, I have no idea why I didn't add them to the garlic/ginger when I wrote this recipe, LOL. I always bloom my spices, so I must've just been out of it. I updated the recipe to reflect this! Thanks for catching it. 🙂
Polly says
We added a potato to the cauliflower for some nice thickening, and served topped with crème fraiche (could be coconut cream), chopped toasted hazelnuts, and minced cilantro, parsley and chives.
Julie Andrews says
Yum! That sounds delicious, Polly!