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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Menu / Soups + Stews / Vegan Cauliflower Soup

    Vegan Cauliflower Soup

    Feb 16, 2019 · 31 Comments

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    A healthy, easy and deliciously complex vegan cauliflower soup made lusciously creamy with celery root and bright with fennel and ginger. It’s quick and light, making it a great weeknight dinner or lazy weekend lunch.

    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Side angle shot, left side cut off, on a dark grey white/light blue background.

    Soup weather has officially arrived!!!

    And of course for my cauliflower soup I choose to use…purple cauliflower! Cause that’s my jam. <3

    And if ya don’t know that by now…then ya def should! When given the option between the purple and non-purple version of a veggie…I’ll always be the gal going for the purple.

    Rainbow cauliflower shot with purple, yellow/orange/green and white cauliflower cut up in little pans.

    The other day, I was chatting with some catering clients on the phone about the menu for their upcoming event. They asked me: does your food really taste as good as it looks? Well…I sure like to think it does! Try this recipe and you can be the judge :).

    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Overhead shot. Bowl is in center of the frame on a white/light blue background.

    Why this Recipe Works:

    • Roasting the cauliflower in high heat caramelizes the exterior, bringing out a touch of nuttiness for greater depth of flavor.
    •  The addition of fennel brightens up the soup and the ginger adds a kick of spice to balance out the rich flavor.
    • This soup tastes even better the next day and freezes well (so feel free to double or even triple the quantity to have leftovers).
    • The addition of celery root luscious creaminess to this dairy-free soup and brings earthy buttery notes.

    Yellow/Orange, Purple, White, and Green Cauliflower, each cut into florets and separated by color into 4 silvers bowls with handles, on a black background.

    Cauliflower, Celery Root and Fennel Pair Beautifully.

    One of the most effective ways to pack depth of flavor into a soup is to take the extra step of roasting your veggies before adding them to the pot.

     

    I’m going pretty hard on sharing all my purple-licious food recipes first cause I want you all to know that YES my food DOES taste as good as it looks. And I’m gonna let ya in on a little secret: purple cauliflower taste just like non-purple cauliflower (any difference is *very* subtle). So if you’re having a hard time imaging a purple soup not only looking damn good but actually tasting good too then just think of it as a Cauliflower, Celery Root & Fennel soup. That’s sounds yum, right? Right.

    Bowl of purple cauliflower cut into florets. Overhead shot, right side cut off, on a dark grey background.

    How to Make this Recipe

    • Preheat oven to 450 F and chop all your veggies.
    • Roast the cauliflower and sweat the onion, followed by celery root, fennel, ginger and garlic and sauté.
    • And roasted cauliflower, celery root to the onion pot.
    • Simmer for 25-30min.
    • Puree.
    • Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with any toppings your heart desires and enjoy!

    Please see my (quasi) step-by-step guide with the corresponding pics below.

    Ingredient prep shot with the cut up cauliflower, onions, celery root and fennel.
    Cut your veggies.
    Ingredient shot of the the minced up ginger, garlic, salt and pepper.
    Mince your aromatics.
    Raw onions on the pot about to be sautéed with olive oil.
    Sauté those onions.
    Sautéed onions in a pot.
    All done.
    In process shot with celery root, fennel, ginger and garlic added to put with sautéed onions.
    Add the celery root, fennel, ginger and garlic.
    Cut up raw cauliflower on a sheet pan with salt about to go in the oven.
    Roast your cauliflower.
    Roasted cauliflower post oven with a nice char on it on a sheet pan.
    Look at that yummy char!
    In process shot with roasted cauliflower added to soup pot with all the other ingredients.
    Add the roasted cauliflower, veggie stock and simmer.
    Ingredients in soup pot have been simmered in veggie stock.
    All done and ready to be blended.
    Vegan cauliflower soup freshly blended up and still in the blender.
    Blended.
    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Overhead shot, left side of bowl is cut off, on a dark grey background.
    Add toppings (optional). Viola!

    Celery root is one of the most underrated veggie… prob cause it’s looks so gnarly…. hehehe.

    I’m also gonna let ya in on another little secret if you’re trying to get your soup to look exactly how mine does in the pic. Veggie stock tends to be brownish, so I’ll drain the soup in a colander before blending it up for the pic, then pour the rest of the stock back in. That’s purely an aesthetic strategy so that the veggie stock doesn’t dilute purple color of the soup. Disregard if you’re not too color-concerned (or if you’re not using purple cauliflower, which is a totally valid option!) I obviously completely understand if you don’t have a purple-itis like I do 🙂

    Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Purple Ninja Radishes, Daikon Radish Sprouts, Pine Nits & Bee Pollen. Overhead shot. Soup Bowl is in center of the frame on a white/light blue background.
    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Overhead shot. Bowl is in center of the frame on a dark grey background.

    I’m keeping it simple and using fresh ginger and garlic and skipping spices, but feel free to have fun playing around with different spices if you’d like and let me know about it in the comments below.  

    Purple, Yellow/Orange and White Cauliflower cut into florets and separated by color, into 5 little pans (2 of purple, 2 of yellow/orange and 1 white) on a black background.

     

    Cooks Tips:

    • It’s crucial to roast the cauliflower at high heat to get the full depth of flavor.
    • Veggie stock can easily be swapped for chicken or beef stock or even water if you’re really in a pinch.
    • If you don’t have a blender and immersion blender will work or stain liquid out and put all the veggies in a food processor then stir the liquid back in (hey, not perfect but if ya don’t have a blender I still want ya to be able to make this soup).
    • Once cooled you can store this soup in the fridge 3 days or freeze in suitable containers for 3-6 weeks.
    • You can add red pepper flakes to add a kick of spice
    • If you're using purple cauliflower, adding a splash of vinegar will turn the soup purpler!

    The base is cauliflower, celery root, and fennel, and the aromatics are onions, garlic, and ginger.

    I’m giving you permission to leave out the fennel or celery root if you forgot to pick it up and use only 2 of the 3 aromatics if ya need to. Just don’t leave out the cauliflower or it won’t really be a cauliflower soup at all. Have fun. Play. Make soup on a cold day and stay cozy.

     

    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Overhead shot, right side of bowl is cut off, on a dark grey background.
    Add toppings. Voila!

    Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #wavesinthekitchen. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

    Let’s make waves in the kitchen!

    VeganPurple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Overhead shot, right side cut off, on a white/light blue background.

    Yellow/Orange, Purple, White, and Green Cauliflower on top and the finished roasted purple cauliflower soup on the bottom.
    Roasted Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Side angle shot, left side cut off, on a dark grey white/light blue background.
    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Side angle shot, left side cut off, on a dark grey white/light blue background.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 11 votes

    Cauliflower Soup

    A healthy, easy and deliciously complex vegan cauliflower soup made lusciously creamy with celery root and bright with fennel and ginger. It’s quick and light, making it a great weeknight dinner or lazy weekend lunch.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Soup
    Cuisine: Californian
    Servings: 6
    Author: Daniela Gerson

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cauliflower about 1.5 pounds, cored and cut into florets
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 medium onions chopped
    • 1 celery root about .5-1 pounds, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
    • 1 bulb fennel about 1 pound, cored, stalks removed, and cut in 1-inch dice
    • 2-inch piece ginger minced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 cups veggie stock
    • kosher salt to taste
    • pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat oven to 450 F degrees. Chop all your veggies.
    • Once the oven is hot, toss the cauliflower with 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer and roast, for 20 minutes total, flipping cauliflower with a metal spatula halfway through.
    • Heat olive on a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat for about 10 min, stirring occasionally, until tender and barely starting to brown. Stir in celery root, fennel, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Add cauliflower, veggie stock and salt to pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30minutes, until veggies are tender. Remove from heat.
    • Working in batches, puree soup in a blender, until very smooth,
    • Pour blended soup into a large saucepan and add salt and pepper to taste.
    • Laddle soup into bowls, sprinkle with any topping your heart desires and enjoy.

    Notes

    • It’s crucial to roast the cauliflower at high heat to get the full depth of flavor.
    • Veggie stock can easily be swapped for chicken or beef stock or even water if you’re really in a pinch.
    • If you don’t have a blender and immersion blender will work or stain liquid out and put all the veggies in a food processor then stir the liquid back in (hey not perfect but if ya don’t have a blender I still want ya to be able to make this soup).
    • Once cooled you can store this soup in the fridge 3 days or freeze in suitable containers for 3-6 weeks.
    • You could add red pepper flakes to add a kick of spice
    • If you are using purple cauliflower, adding a splash of vinegar will turn the soup purpler!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacqueline says

      November 07, 2018 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely the BEST soup ever.
      Yummieeee ?????

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        November 07, 2018 at 9:54 pm

        You really are too cute!!! Thank you Jacqui! ???

        Reply
    2. Evelyn Savinon says

      November 11, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      This looks amazing! I'm giving it a try for sure, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        November 11, 2018 at 6:22 pm

        Absolute pleasure!!! Thanks so much for the feedback and please let me know how it turns out :). ??

        Reply
    3. Alex says

      January 08, 2019 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      Making this soup is especially fun because of the way you teach us to experiment with the colors and toppings to make a work of art that tastes delicious.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        January 11, 2019 at 12:42 am

        YAYA!!! That’s the plan!!! I’ll all about experimenting in the kitchen and food as art :). ???

        Reply
    4. Gloria says

      February 26, 2019 at 12:18 am

      5 stars
      I LOVE all the colours of cauliflower. I have an orange cauliflower soup. This purple version is so pretty. I wish they were available all year long. I get them at the market in the fall.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 15, 2019 at 5:04 pm

        Awesome Gloria thanks so much for the feedback! And I'd love to see your orange cauliflower soup :).

        Reply
    5. Elaine Benoit says

      February 26, 2019 at 1:10 pm

      5 stars
      This cauliflower soup is absolutely stunning! I love celery root but I never thought of adding it to cauliflower! That is brilliant! Your soup looks so scrumptious!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 18, 2019 at 4:14 am

        Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback Elaine!!! Really appreciate it! And the celery root does indeed pair wonderfully with the cauliflower :).

        Reply
    6. Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says

      February 27, 2019 at 4:34 pm

      What an amazing color! So so pretty! Sounds like such a heart and comforting soup, look forward to trying it!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 01, 2019 at 6:07 pm

        Thank ya so much Carrie!!! I’m def a very colorful food kinda gal :). And it sure is hearty and comforting! Would love to hear your thoughts after ya nake it :). 💜😘

        Reply
    7. Denise says

      February 28, 2019 at 6:19 pm

      5 stars
      This is the prettiest cauliflower soup I have ever seen! I am sure it tastes as good as it looks! Such a comforting and filling soup.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 01, 2019 at 6:05 pm

        You are too kind Denise! And yes I mus say that it does taste as good as it looks! Thank you so much :). 💗💜🌱

        Reply
    8. Amy says

      March 02, 2019 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      That first picture alone has me absolutely sold! If it tastes half as good as it looks, I'm sure I won't want to miss it! Looks like some amazing comfort food for me to try sometime soon! 🙂

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 15, 2019 at 5:03 pm

        Thanks so much for the feedback Amy! And I must say that yes it definitely does taste wayyy more than half as good as it looks :). Please let me know how it goes when ya make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!

        Reply
    9. Analida Braeger says

      March 03, 2019 at 1:17 am

      5 stars
      I've never heard of purple cauliflower before, looking forward to try this out soon.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 04, 2019 at 10:06 pm

        Yesss!!! In Cali I regularly see purple, orange/yellow, green and white. Good lucking finding purple by you! Crossing fingers and toes you’ll score some :). 💜💜🌱

        Reply
    10. Jo says

      March 03, 2019 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      This is by far the most gorgeous cauliflower soup I've ever seen! The pop of colors are amazing and so pretty! I wish all my bowl of soups were presented so pretty 🙂

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 04, 2019 at 10:05 pm

        Wowie!!! The most gorgeous cauliflower soup you’ve ever seen... I’ll take it! Thank ya so much Jo :). 💜😘

        Reply
    11. Kiki Johnson says

      March 04, 2019 at 1:39 am

      5 stars
      Oh this is simply gorgeous! I haven't seed purple cauliflower here in Mexico but will for sure keep my eyes peeled for it next time I am in Canada! Such a pretty soup - how could anyone not be tempted!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 04, 2019 at 10:04 pm

        You are too kind Kiki!!! Have spent much time in Mexico and having seen any purple cauliflower there either... let me know if ya have more luck in Canada :). Can also make this soup with any color of the cauliflower rainbow :). 💛💚💜

        Reply
    12. Julie says

      March 04, 2019 at 2:24 am

      This is the most beautifully styled soup I've ever seen -- simply stunning! I recently bought purple cauliflower because I thought my three year old would be amazed with a purple vegetable, but he refused to eat it because he insisted cauliflower is supposed to be white, ha!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 04, 2019 at 10:01 pm

        First of all thank you so much Julie for the super sweet words on my soup!!! And 2nd of all....show you 3 year old the pics of my yellow/orange, white, green and purple cauliflower and let me know what he says! Cauliflower def comes in more purple than just white.... hehehe :). 💛💚💜

        Reply
    13. Kelsey Rickert says

      March 04, 2019 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      There is so much about this whole post I love so much! The recipe look and sounds amazing for one but your photos are all so eye catching! I love all the colors you have! The soup is such a pretty purple!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 04, 2019 at 9:57 pm

        Thank ya so much Kelsey!!! Really appreciate the feedback! Am def a very colorful food kinda gal.... especially purple :). You can make this soup with any type of cauliflower but I love using purple when I can find it! 💜🌱

        Reply
    14. Chef and Steward says

      March 04, 2019 at 2:42 pm

      This is amazingly beautiful! And yes, as a chef, I concur that roasting the cauliflower brings out the best flavour notes. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        March 04, 2019 at 9:56 pm

        Thanks ya so much Chef! Happy to hear you concur :). Really appreciate the feedback!

        Reply
    15. Samia says

      May 18, 2019 at 10:49 pm

      Looks so beautiful and luscious! Can you please share what you have used on top for presentation? Is that circles of radish arranged on top? And what are the purple and orange coloured sprinkles?

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        May 19, 2019 at 12:27 pm

        Yes absolutely! Those are radishes and the sprinkles are salt and bee pollen :). And thanks so much for the super sweet feedback Samia!

        Reply

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    Meet Daniela

    VEGGIES ARE SEXY 

    Hi, I'm Daniela - a Los Angeles based food photographer and creative director. I began my career as a chef with a passion for sourcing colorful produce from local markets. I love emphasizing the beauty of real food with my images. I’m also a food stylist and recipe developer with a gorgeous prop-filled studio in Venice, California.

    Daniela Gerson Photography

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