Flavorful and satisfying, a warm bowl of this creamy cauliflower potato soup is deliciously comforting on a cold day. Cook all the ingredients on the stove and then blend to get that smooth, silky consistency. You can garnish with crunchy, flavorful toppings like homemade croutons and crispy bacon.
One reader, Gwen, commented: “Just made this flavorful soup! I paired it with your recipe for homemade croutons. My husband couldn’t believe he was eating cauliflower! Most delicious. Many thanks. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Tisha, commented: “I made this on a cold winter day and it was absolutely delicious! It is now one of my favorite soups! ★★★★★“
Today’s cozy soup boasts a luxuriously creamy texture without relying on flour, cornstarch, or tons of heavy cream—just a hint of cream is optional! The secret lies in the natural thickening power of potatoes and cauliflower. Combined with savory onion, garlic, and fragrant herbs, it’s bursting with flavor.
It delivers the rich taste of classic potato soup while sneaking in fiber-rich, nutritious cauliflower—and it was a big hit with taste testers of all ages! You can serve alongside a fresh salad and a warm slice of artisan bread, for a meal that will leave you feeling satisfied, but not weighed down.
If you like the flavor and texture of New England-style clam chowder, you’ll love this creamy cauliflower potato soup. 🙂
Why You’ll Love This Soup:
- Lightened-up comfort food
- Wholesome main dish that can easily be made vegetarian
- Naturally gluten free
- Creamy consistency, without flour, cornstarch, or lots of cream
- Sneaks in nutrient-rich, high-fiber cauliflower—our young taste testers loved this soup!
- 1-pot meal
- Keeps for days in the refrigerator and reheats well
- Serve it in a bread bowl or topped with homemade croutons to level up your soup game
Ingredients You Need for Flavorful Potato Soup
On their own, cauliflower and potatoes don’t have a particularly strong flavor, so they benefit from this lineup of accompanying ingredients:
- Butter: A little butter adds the most delicious flavor, but if you would prefer your soup to be dairy free/vegan, feel free to sub olive oil instead. Note that you will lose a little flavor.
- Onion & Garlic: A key base for this soup (and many other delicious meals!).
- Lemon Juice: This may seem like a strange addition to cauliflower and potatoes, but trust me, the soup doesn’t taste nearly as good without it. An acid is definitely needed, and a little squeeze of fresh lemon makes a world of difference here, brightening up and rounding out all the flavors. The soup doesn’t taste at all lemony, and without it, the soup tastes like it’s missing something.
- Herbs/Seasonings: We’re seasoning this soup with dried thyme and parsley, salt and pepper, and a bay leaf (you’ll remove it before blending the soup).
- Broth: You can use chicken or vegetable broth—chef’s choice.
- Optional Heavy Cream: For an extra-rich and creamy soup, you can stir in a little heavy cream. But the soup is still deliciously creamy without it!
Best Potatoes to Use
I use Yukon gold potatoes, but you can use any white or yellow/gold potatoes, or russet potatoes. I haven’t tested this with sweet potatoes, but you can certainly try it!
Make sure to peel them before chopping and adding to the pot. The starchy potatoes will cook down in the broth and, once blended, give this soup its thick, hearty texture. There’s absolutely no need for flour or cornstarch.
How to Make Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup
You can make this whole soup in 1 large stockpot or Dutch oven. Start by cooking the onions in the butter. Once they’re beginning to release some moisture and turn translucent, add the minced garlic. Cook and stir for about a minute, and then add the salt, pepper, and herbs. Follow that up with the remaining ingredients. Yep, just toss everything into the pot! (Except the heavy cream; if you’re planning to include it, hold off till the end.)
Bring the soup up to a boil, then lower the temperature and let it simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are nice and soft. Before blending, the soup looks like this:
You can use either a regular blender or an immersion blender. The benefit of an immersion blender is you can just keep the soup in the pot for this step. If using a regular blender, you’ll need to blend in batches. You can use either of these options for this homemade tomato soup, too!
Tips for blending hot soup in a regular (not immersion) blender:
- Let the soup cool slightly before transferring it to the blender.
- Use a ladle to spoon the soup into the blender, don’t try to pour the hot soup from the pot.
- Don’t overfill the blender; fill only about halfway and blend in batches.
- Make sure your blender has a vented lid, to allow steam to escape.
If you want to stir in a little cream for extra richness, now’s the time:
Toppings & Pairings
For serving this creamy cauliflower potato soup, I like to top it with chopped chives or scallions, parsley, homemade croutons, and/or some crumbled bacon. You could also make a cheesy version by stirring in some freshly shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese.
Serve alongside a fresh green salad with homemade Italian salad dressing, and some crusty artisan bread, homemade garlic bread, or ciabatta bread (or enjoy in a bread bowl!).
If you’re looking for more lightened-up comfort food recipes, be sure to try my butternut squash mac and cheese and creamy chicken noodle soup, too! Both are warming and flavorful, but not too heavy.
Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: about 12 cups
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Flavorful and satisfying, a warm bowl of this creamy cauliflower potato soup is deliciously comforting on a cold day. Cook all the ingredients on the stove and then blend to a smooth, silky consistency.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/2 cups (195g) diced yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 6 cups (48 oz./1.4L) chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (about 700g; or 1 lb. 12 oz.) peeled and chopped potatoes (about 1-inch pieces)*
- 4 cups (about 480g; or 1 lb.) cauliflower florets
- optional: 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- optional for serving: chopped chives, scallions, or parsley; croutons; and/or crumbled bacon
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic get too brown. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, potatoes, and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 35 minutes. The vegetables should be fork-tender.
- Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Or let cool slightly and then carefully transfer the soup to a regular blender and puree in batches (see Notes for instructions). If using, stir or blend in heavy cream.
- Serve soup warm and top with chopped chives, croutons, and/or crumbled bacon, if desired.
- Keep leftovers in a large covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot over medium heat and cook until warm.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Soup freezes wonderfully! Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable Peeler | Large Pot or Dutch Oven (such as this Le Creuset Dutch Oven or Lodge Dutch Oven) | Blender or Immersion Blender
- Lemon Juice: This may seem like a strange addition to cauliflower and potatoes, but trust me, the soup doesn’t taste nearly as good without it. An acid is definitely needed, and a little squeeze of fresh lemon makes a world of difference here, brightening up and rounding out all the flavors. Without it, the soup tastes like it’s missing something.
- If Using a Standard Blender: Let the soup cool some before transferring to a blender. Using a ladle, spoon the slightly cooled soup into the blender, filling no more than halfway (you’ll need to puree the soup in batches). Be sure to use a vented lid to allow steam to escape.
- Best Potatoes to Use: I use Yukon gold potatoes in this soup, but you can use any white or yellow/gold potatoes, or russet potatoes. I haven’t tested this with sweet potatoes, but you can certainly try it!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 251.4 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.6 g
- Protein: 4.4 g
- Cholesterol: 15.8 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’ve come back for seconds! its delicious
Loved the Cauliflower Potato Soup
Delicious and creamy without cream or milk.
I made this and found it bland and a little boring
Sally, you’ve done it again! We made this and your lemon Greek yogurt bars for dinner tonight! SOOOO satisfying!!! I found links to both recipes in an email your team sent. I never skip opening Sally’s Baking Addiction emails because they’re always full of quality content!
I made the Cauliflower Potato Soup this week and it was perfection! I followed the recipe without any changes and added the optional heavy cream. This is a recipe I will share with friends along with your website address so they too can be Sally’s Baking Recipes fans.
This soup was really good. I didn’t use the cream and it was still silky smooth, rich and delicious.
I love this soup, I made a double batch for church fellowship and not a drop was left.
This was great. I’m always trying to trick myself into eating more veggies, and this was a big success. I top with some parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper. Will make again!
This was excellent! Will definitely make again!
I made this soup with 2 Japanese sweet potatoes. Came out yummy. I garnished it with toasted pecans, mushroom scallion and bacon bits.
This soup was absolutely delicious ! It was so easy to make. I am definitely going to make this again.
can I use frozen cauliflower in this soup
Would it be ok to use frozen cauliflower rather than fresh?
Hi Merilee, you can use frozen cauliflower here.
Amazing waited till after to tell my picky eaters about the cauliflower and they were shocked…topped with Parmesan and it was perfection even to the pickiest eaters
Loved this recipe! Whenever I make soup I make extra to share with my 2 children’s families. They all loved the soup too. My son added kielbasa and I liked the idea of adding some carrots and celery. Will definitely be making this again! Love your recipes Sally, you are my go to for so many of the recipes I make!
Used a bag of riced cauliflower and added drained canned carrots after puree for a little color and sweetness. Also added small can of non fat evaporated milk for healthier creamy instead of heavy cream. Delicious!
This is so good and easy to prepare, the best. Thanks
We really loved this soup. Delicious flavor, healthy and filling. The lemon did enhance the recipe. Thanks!
So easy and so delicious! I will make again. Maybe a little on the salty side, but next time I think I will opt for low-sodium broth.
I made this soup for the first time this week and it is WONDERFUL!!! I will definitely be making this soup a lot. It’s such an easy recipe. My only changes were to chop and saute some carrots and celery separately from the onion and then add them after the soup was pureed. I also added the juice of the whole lemon, along with the zest, and it was perfect and not at all overwhelming. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Delicious! Perfect for cold weather dinner!
I made this for the first time today, and I have to tell you, this was outrageously good!! The only addition I made is add about 3/4c of diced ham (I had some left over sliced ham slices I needed to use up), and I did include the 1/2 of heavy cream (also something else I needed to use up, had an opened pint). The spices were super on point, and we used some dried chives and home made croutons as a topper. One of the best bowls of soup I’ve made, it’s right up there with your creamy chicken noodle soup. I can’t say enough about this soup. I could have stopped after one bowl, but I had an additional ladle full, just for quality control purposes you understand ;^)
The great news is I still have another head of cauliflower in the fridge…..
Definitely 5 stars. Deelish!
I regularly make potato soup (no cauliflower), but thought I’d try this recipe since I had cauliflower that I needed to use, and I prefer it over mine for several reasons, so I think I’m going to stick with this one!
I changed it a tiny bit – I cooked the bacon in the pot I was using for the soup, then sauteed the onions and garlic in a small amount of the bacon fat. Worked great, and kept it to only using a single pot and added flavour. I also didn’t have any full cream, so I used Half and Half, and that worked out just fine too, and a little less guilt by not using whipping cream, and if you’re keeping an eye on your budget (I know I am) it helps there too. I always have cream for coffee, but rarely have whipping cream on hand unless I need it specifically. My soup was not the best colour, but adding the Half and Half solved that problem. I used chicken broth as that’s what I had on hand, but I would certainly use vegetable broth if I had that.
Just made this on a rare freezing cold afternoon. It is delicious!! So creamy and satisfying. Love it, thank you.
Sally’s Baking Addiction has become my go to for consistently great recipes of all kinds.
Could frozen cauliflower be used or would that make it too watery?
Hi Anne, you can use frozen cauliflower here.
I made this tonight and was good! I made it for lunches tomorrow but had to sneak a taste! Can’t wait for my fam to try it. Thanks for another great recipe !
Made this during the snowstorm and it’s delicious. I used yellow potatoes and cauliflower. My only problem was the color of my soup. It was not bright like yours, more like an ugly beige. I did not add cream. Could that be the reason for my color? The color certainly didn’t keep us from eating it. It’s a very good soup!
Hi Mary! Yes, the thick, white cream will brighten up the soup a bit. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Cooking this right now. Do you leave the lid off while cooking the vegetables?
Hi Cathleen, yes, make sure it’s a low simmer. Enjoy!
Any chance of a conversion for instant pot?
Hi Kim, we don’t have an instant pot to try, but we’re sure you could use one. Let know if you try!
I added celery and half a pepper, was great!
Thank you for another great recipe! I made it last night, and it was delicious. I added the heavy cream and topped it with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. I also made your homemade artisan bread. So so good! I’ve added it to my “Recipes on Repeat” file.