Cauliflower Kale Soup

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.

Cauliflower Kale Soup Recipe

Note: This is an overview of the recipe. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Have you tried Cauliflower Kale Soup?

I love making it year round, but I enjoy it the most during fall.

A while back I used to make soup almost every day.

And I need to get back to this routine. I’m all about quick and easy soups that are usually make in less than 1 hour.

You have a huge cauliflower fan here – that’s me! It is perfect for creamy soups, without the use of cream/milk.

I also had some readers requesting a kale recipe and I’m excited to share this Cauliflower Kale Soup recipe with you today.

Kale is not my favorite vegetable, I usually use it in salads, but as you can see here – it works well in soups.

Why roast the cauliflower for this soup?

You can definitely steam or boil it and this will save you some time, but the taste of the soup will be a little different.

Why do I prefer roasted cauliflower in most of my soups?

Roasting the cauliflower intensifies its flavor and gives it a slightly nutty taste. It is all about flavor. You can also use roasted cauliflower as a side dish or in rice and quinoa bowls.

It is not mushy like boiled (or steamed) cauliflower and has a great texture and even a little crunch. That’s why this Cauliflower Kale Soup tastes so good!

Using Kale in Soups

In this recipe half of the kale is roasted to make crunchy kale chips and the other half is boiled and then pureed in the soup.

Kale is a superfood, which I use for soups, salads and smoothies.

It is nutrient dense food, rich in vitamins, minerals, it contains fiber and it is low in calories.

You can definitely serve the soup without even pureeing it, but I just love cream soups and that’s how I make it.

The recipe is for a small batch of 4 servings, because we (my husband mostly!) usually don’t like left over soup.

Can you make this soup in advance and how to store it?

This Kale Cauliflower soup can be made for up to 3 days in advance.

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stove top.

Freezing may change the texture of the soup.

5 from 15 votes

Cauliflower Kale Soup

By Lyubomira from CookingLSL

Roasted cauliflower kale soup with kale chips and pine nuts topping. Rich, creamy (no cream) and delicious, this soup is full of wonderful flavors.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 head of cauliflower, , cut into florets, 2 lb, about 3 1/2-4 cups
• ▢ 6 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ salt and black pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 large bunch of kale, , stems removed and leaves cut into small pieces (6oz with the stems, an average bunch of kale is 10 leaves)
• ▢ 1 small onion chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, , pressed
• ▢ 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• ▢ 4 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Video

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 425 F (220C). Prepare 2 baking sheets.
• In a bowl toss cauliflower in 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet. Roast until cauliflower is browned and tender, for about 25 minutes.
• Take out of the oven and reduce temperature to 300 F (150 C).
• In a bowl toss half of the kale with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt. Line on a baking sheet and bake until crispy for 30 minutes. Toss half way through.
• Meanwhile in a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and cook onion for 3-4 minutes, on medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add roasted cauliflower and stock. Increase temperature to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add kale and let the soup cook for 10-15 more minutes.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a powerful blender until smooth.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When ready to serve, serve soup with crispy kale chips and toasted pine nuts on top.

Notes

• 1 head of cauliflower- 2 lb – about 3 1/2-4 cups of florets
• 1 bunch of kale – 6oz with the stems, an average bunch of kale is 10 leaves

I don’t have an immersion blender, can I use a Stand Blender?

While I do have an immersion blender, I rarely use it. A powerful stand blender such as Vitamix or Phillips can be used (I prefer it) to blend this creamy soup. Make sure you are extra careful, when blending hot liquids and work in batches.

Can I use Frozen Cauliflower?

Yes, frozen cauliflower florets are fine to use in the recipe.

Just make sure you defrost them first, then drain the liquid and par dry with paper towels.

Is it possible to make this recipe in the Instant Pot or in a Crock Pot?

For quick cooking vegetable soups, I rarely include the option to be made in an Instant Pot/Slow Cooker. The reason why? You still have to roast the cauliflower and crisp the kale. This takes time. Why not take a few extra minutes to simmer everything on the stove top?

If you still want to use a pressure cooker or a slow cooker, it is possible.

Instant Pot – follow the recipe until step 4 (including step 4).

Heat oil in the Instant Pot, that has been set to sauté.

Cook the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the rest of the ingredients (excluding the toppings).

Close the lid, set to “seal” and cook for 12 minutes on manual.

Release the pressure and blend the soup in batches.

Slow Cooker option – Follow the recipe instructions to step 4, included,

Sautée the onion and garlic in a pan on the stove top for 2 minutes.

Transfer everything to a crock pot and cook for 2 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.

Blend everything together. Serve.

Is this soup appropriate for Keto/Low-Carb Diet?

Yes, both vegetables are accepted in low-carb diets.

Can I add any other vegetables?

Yes, you can but the final result will be different.

Potatoes, carrots or broccoli can be added to the soup.

My soup is lacking flavor. What can I do?

I only use salt and black pepper in the soup and it may lack spices for some of you.

If this is the case, you can add more garlic, some thyme or rosemary or even smoked paprika to bring more flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Soup

Tried this recipe?Mention @cookinglsl or tag #cookinglsl!

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