For a satisfying, meatless meal, try this Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup. It’s a hearty and creamy soup that’s full of sweet and mellow garlic flavor!
This Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup is one of my all time favorites! It’s packed with flavors including three kinds of onions, cauliflower, and the star of the show, roasted garlic.
While this recipe does take some time to prepare most of it is hands-off time. So, this recipe is still easy, and I promise it is delicious! It’s the perfect comforting soup on a cold winter’s day.
Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
For this Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower soup, you’ll need the following ingredients: fresh garlic, cauliflower, shallot, leek, yellow onion, stock, milk, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roasted Garlic
My favorite part of this soup is the roasted garlic. Don’t be alarmed, but you’ll need two garlic heads for this recipe. It may seem like a lot, but once the garlic is roasted, the sharp bite is dramatically reduced. Instead, you’ll be left with a tender, mild, slightly sweet, and smoky garlic flavor. It’s so unbelievably tasty!
Cauliflower
Next, you’ll need fresh or frozen cauliflower. Ultimately, you’ll need about 4 cups of cauliflower, or the florets from a medium-sized cauliflower.
I prefer to use frozen cauliflower for a few reasons. First, frozen cauliflower tends to be way less expensive than fresh cauliflower. Second, fresh cauliflower is not always in season. So, by using frozen cauliflower, I can always find it. Third, it’s much more convenient since it’s already prepared.
Shallot
Shallots are prepared in the same way you cut an onion. Additionally, they taste like a mix between yellow onion and garlic. The shallot adds such a depth of flavor to the soup.
TIP: Sometimes, after peeling the skin, a shallot will have two or three cloves. So, how much do you use? Generally, if a recipe calls for one shallot, you’ll use the whole bulb regardless of how many cloves are present.
Leeks
Leeks are part of the onion family, and they have a mild, onion-like taste. They are made of layers of leaves that grow in a long sheath. Generally, only the white and light green leaves are eaten since the dark green leave tend to be too fibrous.
Because the edible parts of the leek grow underground, you will often find dirt between the leaves. So, be sure to clean the leeks very well before using them.
Stock / Bouillon
When it comes to cooking, nine times out of ten, I prefer using chicken bouillon or chicken base instead of stock. Sometimes, chicken stock doesn’t have a lot of flavor. Plus, it can be more expensive. So, by using the chicken base, we can enhance the flavor. Although, feel free to use chicken stock instead of the chicken base and water. Or for a vegetarian option, try Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base or vegetable stock.
Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup Prep Tips
Preparing Roasted Garlic
Using a sharp knife, slice off the top each head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Then, place the heads on a square piece of aluminium foil big enough to cover the garlic. Drizzle the exposed garlic with 1/2 tsp olive oil, and tightly wrap in the foil around the garlic. Next, roast in a 400 degree oven until cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 40-45 minutes.
TIP: Roasted garlic can be prepared in advance for even quicker soup preparation during the week. Once the garlic is roasted, store the cloves in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Preparing Leeks
When it come to preparing leeks, I’m a little paranoid. So, I tend to over-clean them because I don’t want any chance of grit or dirt in my soup. Even though it sounds intimidating, the process is fairly simple.
First, using a sharp knife cut off the root end of the leek. Next, trim off the dark leaves. You can discard both of ends of the leek.
With the remaining white/light yellow stalk, cut it vertically down the center. Place both flat sides of the leek on the cutting board. Making horizontal cuts, slice half-moon shapes about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Next, add the cut leeks a clean bowl. Run cold water over the leeks, and rake your fingers through the leeks to break them up. Because they are so light, the leeks will float on top of the water. Any dirt or debris should fall away from the leeks to the bottom of the bowl.
Finally, using your fingers, gently remove the leeks from the water onto a paper towel to dry them. As you remove the leeks, be careful not to disturb the dirt in the bottom of the bowl.
How do you Blend the Soup?
Carefully! Haha. No, but really. The soup will be hot, so, you’ll want to blend carefully. When blending soups into a smooth texture, my preference is to use an Immersion Blender. It is so much easier to clean than a blender, and you won’t have to reheat the soup. But it can be harder to completely blend the garlic, so make sure you move the blender all around so you blend all the cloves.
If you don’t have an Immersion blender, you can also use a regular Blender. When using a regular blender, only fill the blender half way. Also be sure not to fully close the lid. This will prevent the soup from overflowing, and it will prevent burns from hot liquid! So, you will probably need to blend the soup in batches.
Blend the soup to your desired texture. For me, I like smooth soups, and my husband likes it more rustic. So, I compromise and do a texture in between smooth and rustic.
Want More Yummy Soup Ideas?
This Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup is such a satisfying, nutritious, and meatless meal. For a complete meal, try serving it with a side of bread. Or for a low-carb side, try Parmesan Crisps.
Make sure to check out these other yummy recipes:
- Broccoli Soup (Low-Carb, Meatless)
- White Chicken Chili (Instant Pot)
- Homemade Marinara Sauce with Roasted Garlic
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Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 heads Garlic
- 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Yellow Onion Sliced Thin
- 1 medium Shallot Chopped
- 1 large Leek Sliced (white parts only)
- 24 oz Cauliflower Frozen, Chopped
- 4 cups Broth Vegetable or Chicken
- 1½ tsp Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 2 cups Milk Almond or Coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Using a sharp knife, slice off the top each head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Place the heads on a square piece of aluminium foil big enough to cover the garlic. Drizzle the exposed garlic with 1/2 tsp olive oil, and tightly wrap in the foil around the garlic. Roast until cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 40-45 minutes.
- Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to a large pot, and set over medium-high heat. Add yellow onion, shallot, and leek and saute until the onions are softened and begin to caramelize (about 5-6 minutes).
- To the pot, add the cauliflower, broth, salt and pepper. Heat until the cauliflower is warmed through (about 5 minutes). Squeeze the roasted garlic from the heads directly into the soup pot, and add the milk to the pot.
- Blend soup in the pot with an immersion blender, or blend in batches in a blender, until desired consistency is reached. Returning the soup to the pot, heat soup over medium heat until the soup is warmed through.
