I got a real taste of what most of you have endured this winter.
I was in New York City most of last week and… whoa. Weather is real. The snow! The slush! A snow plow scared me half to death. They go so fast! Why did I think they operated at the speed of a zamboni? The shovel and footwear requirements are remarkable. Lastly… freezing rain is 100% unacceptable.
All of this is to say that you deserve a reward, a medal of honor, extra hot fudge on your sundae… something, everything, whatever you want you should have it.
I’m back in California nearly buried in packing boxes, but at least they’re not frozen. To honor you, I’ve made soup. It’s roasty toasty cauliflower with earthy cumin and happy curry. Totally comforting. You might consider pairing with some sort of cheesy bread situation. Also ear muffs. You’re a champion. Stay warm!
The start! Cauliflower cut into florets, olive oil, cumin seeds, curry, coarse sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pretty simple, right?
The oven will pull the flavors and lovingly concentrate them for our soup. It’s all about building flavors and the oven really does make a difference.
While the vegetables roast, I sautéed onions and garlic and heated the chicken broth. They all get married in a big soup pot, plus a bay leaf. Simmering softens the cauliflower further making it perfect for a puree.
After the soup is pureed, I added a splash more water to thin it out, and then stir in some yogurt. The added creaminess works well with the toasty cumin and curry. The soup is totally comforting. It feels like it comes from winter and was made to keep us (mostly you, I’m afraid) warm.
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Cumin
serves 4 to 6
adapted just slightly from Food and Wine Magazine February 2014
1 large head cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), halved, cored, and cut into 1 1/2-inch florets
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and crushed red pepper flakes
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread cauliflower florets on a large rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with cumin seeds and curry powder. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Season with a big pinch of salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Place in the oven and roast until just tender, about 25 minutes.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the last tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the roasted cauliflower to the pot along with the butter, bay leaf, and broth (or water). Simmer over medium heat until liquid has reduced some and the cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes. Pick out and discard the bay leaf.
In a blender, carefully puree the soup in two or three batches until very smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the yogurt.
Rewarm over medium heat, adding more water to create a thinner consistency if you’d like. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper for serving.
Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
63 Responses
I have made cauliflower soup before, but decided I wanted to include, our favorite cumin and tumeric roasted cauliflower instead! This almost looks exacrly what I had in my mind. Saw a suggestion on another recipe that said, to set aside some of the roasted cauliflower to garnish. I think it is genius! Plus, I like your idea of yogurt to finish. Makimg right now.
Wow! This soup is wonderful and low carb. Perfect to help keep my New year resolution going. Thank you
I totally just made this with carrots instead of the cauli for my work lunches this week. YUM. With cauli was great, but some days I need the bright colour of carrots in the middle of my day.
Made this soup tonight and it is completely perfect. Just a touch of heat, and so creamy!!!
I made this soup last week and, so so good! I paired it with some parmesan crisps (shredded parmesan melted in the oven on parchment paper) and I’m surprised I had the will-power to freeze a serving for later. Bravo!
Hi Joy! I am making this soup right now. My kitchen smells amazing! Thanks for the recipe and good luck in New Orleans!!
always curious what a person uses when a recipe calls for “curry powder” as there are so many different kinds including the nasty yellow stuff that used to be what people thought a curry was made with. when I make curries I always use separate spices which come together to make different kinds of curry…so what do you use for your “curry powder” in this particular soup?
As a New Yorker recovering from a c section and completely over this brutal winter your words of recognition about the weather bring tears of joy to my eyes (admittedly hormonal)! Most of my friends have fled to southern California this February. Thanks for thinking of those of us left behind by posting the tasty soup recipe!! Best of luck with your move!
Can we use ground cumin? How much if so.
It won’t have that same punch in flavor, but you definitely can. I’d scale back a bit since ground cumin can be potent. Start off with half a teaspoon and give it a taste!
made this tonight! i cut out half the olive oil and butter, and it was still delicious. Will be making again :D
Just made this recipe…. it’s creamy and heartwarming! I love it! Thanks!! =D
This is a great recipe! Joy, you blow my mind! Thank you for entertaining me and providing me with delicious recipes to feed my family!
This looks perfect for the cold weather! I live in upstate New York and, yes, the weather is completely horrendous and “unacceptable”!!!! I’m so sick of it. Thanks for posting wonderful recipes to help us through!
This sounds incredible, Joy! I love cauliflower, especially roasted. Pinned.
I must admit – I feel like this winter will never end. My need for soup will never end. Thus, pressing print.
Joy, this was amazing. I made it vegan by switching out the butter and yogurt for full fat coconut milk. Thank you for sharing. My cauliflower hating family ate this and had seconds.
I’ve been following your blog for a few months now (the pumpkin scones are amazing!), but I just had to leave a comment about this soup. It’s so perfect for this ridiculous winter weather! I think I might have gone overboard on the red pepper, but a little extra kick only adds to the delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
This looks amazing! I love the velvety texture!
I can’t get enough roasted cauliflower and broccoli lately but this is a new spin on it I hadn’t considered. Thanks!
I love this soup; it’s so delicious! I made it tonight and it warmed my soul. Thanks for the recipe!
Joy, you do this to me every time! I was *just thinking* (those two words should really be in capital letters) about constructing some sort of roasted cauliflower soup. clearly this proves it was a good idea.
I seriously love how diverse cauliflower is! Thank you for giving me another way to make it!
xo Jennifer
https://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
This looks so good! I just made a roasted cauliflower soup over the weekend with thyme and rosemary. Next time I’ll try cumin.
i just made this for dinner tonight! it smells so yummy — can’t wait for the hubby to get home so we can eat!
Yummy!
Honestly have always wanted to know how to make this soup. Thank you!
https://nikitaandvesper.com/blogs/baby-blog
Have to try this one, love the idea!
Just made this soup…rich creamy aromatic..perfect bowl for winter
Seriously. It’s actually snowing AGAIN here in New York City and I’m about to lose my mind. With a young toddler this weather is even more difficult…You can’t use a stroller when there are mountains of snow at each intersection because of the plows, so you’re just stuck. This recipe is definitely going to get made this week. I could use a pick-me-up. :)
So simple, so savory, so delicious!
Healthy and delicious!
the snow plow scares me and i see it on the regular. thanks for thinking of us here in the cold, and good luck packing!
As a Chicago dweller, I want to huddle up and cry while smothering my sorrows with this soup and that aforementioned cheesy bread situation. Send help.
Aww that’s the sweetest thing ever! Sweating down here in FL at 70-80’s, easy to forget how dangerous/disgusting it is where all my northern peoples are. Great idea, as always, and kind words, even better!
I tried roasted cauliflower for the first time a little while ago and I was blown away. I love how rich and caramelized it gets, the flavour is like five billion times better than raw. This soup looks like just the ticket for awful winter weather.
I’m having a bit of a love affair with cauliflower at the moment and I am soooo looking forward to giving this a go. also, I’m a snow baby, so I love freezing anything! but Im glad you’re warm again!
Roasted cauliflower has to be one of my favourite things. I know I would eat half before I even started to make it into soup. Too good!
Thank you for this soup recipe…I need to make it soon! This winter won’t go away and I still need lots of soup ideas. Good luck on your move to New Orleans!!
this looks like a superb cauliflower soup recipe. i don’t have enough cauliflower at the moment and am thinking of pairing it with a lone sweet potato that i have…
good luck with packing… make sure to label the boxes!!! so you know which box goes to which room instead of a ton of boxes piling in one spot!
this looks fantastic joy!
Thanks for the nice words for the one in the cold! I am in Toronto, Canada and I made a cauliflower soup to warm us up! Funny! It was conforting!
I love cauliflower and this does sound like the perfect winter soup. I especially like that you used yogurt for added creaminess!
this is now on the menu for after tonight’s dump. snow. so so tired of it….. northern indiana…oh boy…
As you know, it’s not even that cold here but I still feel that I need this soup in my life. Maybe with some salty beet chips and yogurt on top!
Love me some creamy cauliflower soup, good luck packing girl!
Thanks for acknowledging our suffering!
This looks sooo yummy. Not many people like cauliflower but I think is exceptional. Oh yeah and winter sucks. Ur in Cali and I’m in Miami we are extremely lucky =)
Cauliflower can be used for so many different recipes! Love this!
https://sometimesgracefully.com
I love how creamy and comforting this looks! I’m a little obsessed with roasted cauliflower, like eat it straight from the oven off the baking sheet. Need to let it get to this soup!
I’m in love with the sound of this soup! Everything about it sounds perfect to me. (Also intrigued that you’re moving to New Orleans, one of the best food cities ever.)
Yum!
I hope you’re going to be in NOLA by Mardi Gras because I really need to live vicariously through your photos of all the events, mmk? ;)
Such a great idea to roast the cauliflower. Beautiful pics!
Snow gets old real fast! Soup looks good :-)
this soup would make any cold spell bearable! and never underestimate the snow plow… they don’t stop for anyone. :/ good luck with the packing!
This soup looks so good joy!! I love the cumin in there :)
In creamy soup like thus it is impossible to become sick of it. I think this middle eastern take on califower is the perfect twist to the classic. Simply love the roasted cauli picture
Joy, you make cauliflower look so good :) Looks delicious! gonna try this soon!
I was going to roast my head of cauliflower for dinner and be done with it. Now that you’ve tempted me with this, I cannot NOT make this.
Joy this is gorgeous! I happen to have bought a head of cauli yesterday the groc store with no plans for it. I think the plan is this! Your plates are beautiful and love the food styling on the opening image! pinned
Wow Joy! This looks delicious! The UK has been hit by some of the worst flooding we have ever experienced, and this looks perfect for keeping people warm. I am definitely going to make it tonight! Good luck with the packing!
Hi, Joy! I found your blog by chance a couple of months ago, and I’ve been a huge fan of yours ever since. I love the pics, the writing, the general design… everything is wonderful, and the recipes I’ve done were all really yummy. This one is great for cold winter days. Thank you from Spain!
Getting all moldy over here in the UK, due to the endless rain and flooding so this looks just the ticket.