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Roasted cauliflower kale soup with kale chips and pine nuts topping. Rich, creamy (no heavy cream used) and delicious, this soup is full of wonderful flavor.
Serve with this easy No Knead Dutch Oven Bread or as a side for my favorite Easy Baked Halibut Recipe.
I first shared this soup here in 2015, eleven years ago, and it’s still the one I come back to when the first cold week of fall hits.
I’m a cauliflower person.
Roasted, it turns sweet and nutty, and blended into soup it gives you the texture of a cream soup without a drop of cream.
Kale was never my favorite vegetable, and I made this recipe because readers kept asking for kale ideas. Here it roasts next to the cauliflower until crisp and toasty.
Most of it gets blended into the soup and turns it a soft green, and a handful stays on top for crunch.
That contrast is the whole point. Silky soup, crunchy topping.
I’ve reshot this roasted cauliflower kale soup and tightened the recipe so it’s easier to follow. If you’ve made it before, nothing about the flavor has changed.
Why This Cauliflower Kale Soup Works
Cheap to make. A head of cauliflower, a bunch of kale, an onion and stock.
Roasting is the flavor. Boiled cauliflower tastes flat. Roasted, it browns and gets a nutty sweetness, and roasted kale turns crisp and toasty. Both carry the whole pot.
Creamy without cream. Cauliflower blends smooth on its own, so this is a creamy cauliflower soup that happens to be dairy-free and vegan with vegetable stock.
The topping is already made. A few roasted florets and crispy kale go on top, so every bowl has something to bite into.
Light and filling. Mostly vegetables, with healthy fat from olive oil. A big bowl is a full lunch.
Ingredients
Cauliflower. One large head, about 2 lb, cut into florets. Smaller florets roast faster and brown more.
Kale. One large bunch, stems removed. Curly kale makes the crispiest chips; lacinato (Tuscan) kale works too.
Olive oil. For roasting the cauliflower, crisping the kale and softening the onion, plus a drizzle over each bowl.
Onion and garlic. The base of the soup.
Stock. Vegetable stock keeps it vegan; chicken stock gives a deeper flavor.
Pine nuts. Toasted, for the topping. Toasted pumpkin seeds are a cheaper swap.
Salt and black pepper.
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Kale Soup
Roast the cauliflower. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Toss the florets with olive oil, salt and pepper, spread them on a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, until browned and tender.
Roast the kale. Toss the kale with olive oil and a pinch of salt and spread it on a second sheet. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are crisp.
Kale crisps up quickly, so start checking early.
Set some aside. Keep a handful of roasted florets and crispy kale for the topping.
Start the soup. Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
Simmer. Add the rest of the roasted cauliflower and kale and the stock.
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes.
Blend. Blend in batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot, until completely smooth.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved cauliflower and crispy kale, toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
Tips for the Best Cauliflower Kale Soup
Don’t crowd the pan. Give the cauliflower space on the sheet so it roasts instead of steaming. Use two sheets if you need to.
Dry the kale well. Wet kale steams and never gets crisp.
Pat it dry before tossing it with oil.
Watch the kale. It goes from crisp to burnt in a minute or two.
Pull it when the edges just start to color.
Blend longer than you think. A full minute in the blender makes the difference between a grainy soup and a silky one.
Let the soup cool a little first and never fill the blender more than halfway.
Adjust the thickness. Add a splash of stock for a thinner soup, or simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken it.
Variations
Spice it up. A pinch of red pepper flakes, smoked paprika or nutmeg in the pot.
Add protein. Stir in a can of drained white beans before blending, or top each bowl with shredded chicken. Both keep it a real-food, higher-protein lunch.
Make it richer. Finish with a spoon of Greek yogurt or a drizzle of good olive oil.
Add cheese. A little grated Parmesan on top goes well with the nutty roasted cauliflower.
Meal Prep and Storage
This healthy cauliflower kale soup is a good meal prep lunch. Make it on Sunday and portion it into containers for the week.
Topping: keep the reserved kale and cauliflower in a separate container and warm them in the oven for a few minutes before serving so the kale crisps up again.
Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.
The texture can get slightly thinner after freezing; a quick blend or a few minutes of simmering fixes it.
More Fall Soup Recipes
If you like creamy vegetable soups, try my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Creamy Sweet Potato Soup or the Cauliflower Cheese Soup.
For more kale, make the Kale, Potato and Sausage Soup or the Lentil Stew With Potatoes and Kale. And this soup is one of 44 recipes in my free Fall Produce Guide.
Roasted Cauliflower Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, about 2 lb, cut into florets
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large bunch kale, about 6 oz, stems removed, leaves torn
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Video
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast on a baking sheet for about 25 minutes, until browned and tender.
- Toss the kale with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Roast on a second sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp.
- Set aside a handful of cauliflower and kale for the topping.
- Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the remaining cauliflower and kale and the stock, and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes.
- Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve topped with the reserved cauliflower and kale, the pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQ
Can I make cauliflower kale soup without roasting the cauliflower? Yes. You can boil or steam it to save time, but roasting gives the soup its nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Boiled cauliflower makes a milder soup.
How do I make this soup creamy without cream? The cauliflower does it. Blended long enough, roasted cauliflower turns smooth and thick on its own. For extra richness, add a spoon of Greek yogurt when serving.
Is this soup vegan? Yes, as long as you use vegetable stock. It’s also dairy-free and gluten-free.
Can I freeze cauliflower kale soup? Yes, for up to 2 months. Freeze the soup without the toppings, thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stove.
What kind of kale is best? Curly kale makes the crispiest chips. Lacinato kale is softer and blends easily into the soup. Either works.
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Wonderful recipe! You don’t like leftover soup? Soup always tastes better the second day! And I always freeze leftover soup to have one night in the future when I don’t feel like cooking.
This was a wonderful beautifully colored soup! I loved that it did not have dairy in it. The only thing I would say is that the cook timing is off The cauliflower and kale alone roast for 55 min,, so the total timing threw me. It was worth it for these super foods, but I will allow more time. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I use an oven roasting pan, porcelain on steel ,rather than foil for good health.
Thank you Linda! U’ll add a note for the time. I usually roast them together in the oven, (one pan on top of the other and rotate them), to save time.
This soup is so yummy! I made it as you have posted (except I scaled down for one serving; didn’t want leftovers if I didn’t like it!). I will definitely make this again! Thanks for posting it!
Hi Christina! I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the sweet comment!
Amazing truly amazing soup. Delicious beyond words
Great! Glad you liked it Jacki!
Hi Mira, first of all thanks for sharing the wonderful and lovable cauliflower soup! I am going to try this and I wish it would be yummier than this.. 🙂
This is so, so delicious.. I used lots of freshly ground black pepper for a little kick. Thanks!
I love this recipe! It’s a perfect way to get my kids to eat healthy and still enjoy it! I’m hoping to add spinach to the recipe as well, any idea how that would effect the recipe? Thanks!
Really delicious Cauliflower-Kale soup. Thanks!