Allergy friendly roasted cauliflower soup recipe has a hint of spice in this creamy and warming soup. A family favourite, it is suitable for many diverse food needs not only gluten and dairy free, the flavourful vegan cauliflower soup recipe is also free from the top 9 food allergens. Vegan cauliflower soup has a classic comfort food feel and is the perfect soup season meal.
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Jump to:
- The Quick Lowdown:
- Why We Fell in Love With Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Ingredients
- The Ingredient Low Down
- Instructions/ Directions and Tips
- Variations & Adaptations
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Equipment
- Low Food Waste Tips
- How to Send Dairy Free Creamy Cauliflower Soup as Leftovers for Lunch
- Top Tip
- What To Pair With The Vegan Cauliflower Soup Recipe
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
- Allergy Resources
- 💬 Comments
The Quick Lowdown:
Flavour: A subtle sweet and warm curry flavour to warm you on the cold days.
Texture: Easy to make smooth or chunky as you see fit. We make our dairy free creamy cauliflower soup silky smooth.
Difficulty: Beginner. The oven does the roasting, minimal cutting work, and simmering on the stovetop.
Why We Fell in Love With Cauliflower Curry Soup
It gets really cold where we live and coming home to the warming smell of a cauliflower curry soup simmering on the stove is an amazing welcome home. We needed recipes that are easy to make and rather hands off when the kids come home from school on a weeknight. Something that freezes well, can be prepped in advance, and feeds a fair amount of people cheaply. That for us is this allergy friendly roasted cauliflower soup recipe.
We tend to make a lot of soups. It is an easy way for us to get our kids to eat vegetables. Soups are a way to stretch your food budget for a family or over many servings. Making soups can also be a more hands off way to get dinner on the table in a busy household. Little planning has to go into making a soup, for the most part, we find.
Double the recipe for later
This kind of vegan cauliflower soup recipe is also really easy to double without a ton of extra energy or effort. We love to make huge batches of soup and freeze enough for one to two nights later in the winter. Save yourself and your family time in the kitchen by doubling a soup recipe like this one!
Ingredients
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Neutral Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Curry Powder
- Vegetable Broth
- Coconut Cream
- Salt
- Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Cauliflower
Both the florets and the stalk from the head of cauliflower can be used in this vegan cauliflower soup recipe. The amount needed is roughly 2 medium to large heads. When trimming the florets and cutting up the stalk try to get the pieces as close to the same size as you can. If the pieces are a lot smaller they may burn in the oven. If too large they may not roast and get the right flavour.
Time Saving Tip
If you're going to make this recipe, makOne bag of Costco florets is the perfect size for this dairy free creamy cauliflower soup recipe. Make sure they are safe for you as they may be processed on shared lines or in facilities with your food allergens.
Garlic
Use whole cloves of garlic. All you need to do to them before roasting is to peel, wash, and trim the end that attaches to the bulb off. Don't be tempted to mince or cut up the garlic before roasting. It will burn if it isn't left whole.
If you decide to leave the soup with a bit of texture and not fully blended, mash the garlic with a fork and shred it. If you don;t mash it you'll get mouthfuls of whole garlic. The other option is to separate them from the cauliflower and put them and some of the soup in a bowl and blend it then pour it in the rest of the soup and mix it well.
Garlic Tip
Roasting garlic makes the taste of a garlic clove really sweet rather than hit you in the face - garlicky. The sugars in it caramelise and lend this depth to the food we are making. It is also a fabulous way to create a bit of a nutty taste without any of the top 9 allergens in cauliflower curry soup.
Neutral Oil
You want to use an oil that isn't going to put a lot of flavour in the soup and overwhelm the cauliflower taste. The oil you use should also be able to handle the heat at which we are cooking.
Brand Suggestion
We like avocado oil, it is a neutral flavour and can handle really high heat cooking.
Where Allergens Can Hide
Vegetable oil (soy), sesame oil (sesame), blended oils (soy), peanut oil (peanut and tree nuts) are all oils to be wary of. While not everyone with a food allergy will react to highly refined oils made from food allergens, some do and can. Talk to your medical team before you try any oil that may contain your allergens.
Yellow Onion
Use yellow onions for this recipe. Shallots and white onions will also work. They will change the flavour slightly, but will absolutely work. Do not use red onions. The flavour is not what we are looking for in this recipe. Red onions will also change the colour of the soup to one that may not be as appetizing.
Curry Powder, Salt, & Pepper
There are different levels of spice available in curry powders. If you are cooking for kids or those who are not used to a lot of heat to keep in mind. If you are worried about how hot the curry powder is, check it by adding a pinch to a bit of dairy free yoghurt.
Brands Suggestion
McCormick is a spice brand that many allergy families use due to the way they label for allergens. Always, check that your spices are gluten free. This includes salt and pepper. Verifying if the lines are shared with or facilities have allergens in them, as needed.
- McCormick Curry Powder (MILDER)
- McCormick Madras Curry Powder (HOT)
- McCormick Black Pepper
- Maldon Salt
Even though others trust McCormick, you will need to make sure they are a safe brand for you. Check the ingredients, the labelling, and contact the company about shared lines and your food allergens. This is probably the biggest thing you will hear from us time and time again. You have to do the legwork to make sure that any product is safe for you.
Mustard Allergy Note
Some curry powders contain mustard, a priority food allergen in some countries. If you are buying a blend of spices make sure you know if it contains mustard or not. We would highly recommend making your own blend if you cannot find a safe curry powder without mustard. There are recipes like this one from Silk Road Recipes to make homemade curry powder.
Vegetable Broth
A vegetable broth is any clear liquid soup base made from vegetables. We like to use vegetable broth in this recipe. It compliments the flavours well and is vegan.
Brand Suggestion
NOTE: Watch for soy in vegetable broth. Some brands may use soy in their broth!
If you are a carnivore and would like to use a meat broth, chicken or turkey broth works really well in this recipe. Beef, lamb, and pork broths are a bit too much for the soft flavour of the cauliflower in this soup.
How to Make Your Own Vegetable Broth
If you are having difficulty finding an already made veggie broth you can easily make your own. You even can save the clean scraps from the vegetables in your day to day cooking to make stock or broth.
Use carrot peels, celery ends and leaves, onion bits, ginger peel, tomatoes, mushroom stems, pea pods, a couple potato peels and herbs to make vegetable stock from scraps. Steer clear of brassica family veggies, broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts and more. They can make the homemade vegetable stock bitter.
Boil the veggies with a ton of water for at least 4-6 hours. The stock will go a beautiful golden colour if carrots are included when it is ready. Store it in the freezer in airtight container for up to 3 months.
Coconut Cream
Note
Coconut in Canada, the UK, and the EU is not classified as a tree nut. This is why we use it in many of our recipes but they are tree nut free. In those countries it is listed as a seed or drupe. If you are not sure if coconut is safe for you or if you should avoid it, talk to your medical team, allergist, and doctors. Coconut can be a food allergen in its own right and many are allergic to it.
Coconut cream is one way we get the vegan cauliflower soup recipe really creamy, without dairy. There are many different kinds of coconut cream. We prefer the kinds that come in cans, rather than the cartons of coconut milk.
Some who are vegan will want to make sure the coconut cream brand they use doesn't use monkey labour to pick the coconuts. It can be considered exploiting animals and renders that specific brand not vegan friendly.
*Using lite coconut cream or milk will change the feel of the soup and make it waterier and not creamy.
Coconut Free Option
Another dairy free milk, like gluten free oat milk or rice milk can be used instead of coconut cream. To get the same thickness and creaminess it will need a bit of extra fat and thickening agent. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot starch to the same amount of dairy free milk. When combined to form a slurry add the mix to the rest of the dairy free milk.
Simmer it in the soup to help thicken the meal. Adding 1-2 teaspoons of dairy free buttery spread or neutral oil when immersion blending can add fat to help the soup taste really creamy if coconut milk is not used.
Instructions/ Directions and Tips
Roasting Instructions
Step 1
Break up the cauliflower head into florets, cut each in half, and slice each half into 2-3 pieces.
Top Tip
If you are looking to save time you can buy bags of pre-cut cauliflower at most grocery stores. One Costco bag, if it is safe for you, is the perfect size for this recipe.
Step 2
Place the cauliflower florets, the whole garlic cloves, into a large bowl. Drizzle with the neutral oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well to coat all the cauliflower florets and garlic cloves. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Step 3
Pour the oiled and seasoned cauliflower florets and garlic cloves on to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Top Tip
Spread them out so they are in a single layer on the pan.
Step 4
When the oven has reached 400 F place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Whilst the cauliflower and garlic roast, stir them on the pan and flip them over every 10 minutes.
Top Tip
This is a good time to get started on the soup instructions.
Step 5
Remove the pan from the oven after 30 minutes of cooking and set aside to cool.
Soup Instructions
Step 6
When there is 5 minutes left on the roasting of the cauliflower start making the soup base. Heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat in a wide bottomed soup pot.
Step 7
Saute the diced onion in the oil until it is translucent. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
Step 8
Sprinkle the curry powder over the cooked onions in the pan. Stir well to coat them. Continue to cook whilst stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Top Tip
This is a trick I learned a long time ago from a friend who is of Indian heritage. She explained that she always roasted her spices before adding them to the liquid in the dish to bring the most flavour out of the spices.
Step 9
Pour a bit of the vegetable broth into the soup pot whilst stirring. Scrape the bottom of the pan with all the curry powder and spices cooked on the pan. Add a little bit of the broth at first then add more as the browned bits get scraped off. Then add all the broth and stir.
Top Tip
The browned bits add a ton of flavour so you want to add them to the soup as long as they are browned and not burnt.
Step 10
Remove the soup pot from the heat. Pour in the canned coconut milk. Add in the salt, roasted cauliflower, garlic and any drippings from the pan used to roast them in.
Top Tip
Adding the drippings will impart a ton of flavour to the soup.
Step 11
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth in the soup pot. This may take 3-4 minutes to get all the cauliflower florets blended. If you prefer a chunky soup, partially blend the soup for added texture.
Top Tip
If you use a standing blender or high speed blender you will need to cool the soup first. The seals on them are not meant to handle hot liquids. The lid seals will fail and the soup can burn those using the blender or others nearby. Do NOT put hot liquids in a standing blender, use a stick or immersion blender instead.
Step 12
Return the soup pot to the stove. Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat, cover the soup pot with a well fitting lid, and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
Step 13
Uncover and serve with a gluten free roll or side salad.
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Variations & Adaptations
- Meaty - sprinkle in cooked chicken meat to pump up the protein and add a bit of meat. The soup will no longer be vegan. The veg broth can be swapped out for chicken broth, too for added flavour.
- Broccoli - replace the cauliflower with broccoli and roast it or leave it raw when simmered.
- Spicy - garnishing with a drizzle of chili oil can add a pop of spice that each person can control. If you want the whole soup spicy opt for a spicier curry spice mix.
- Extra Veggies - add sweet potatoes, yellow pepper, onion, and corn to the roasting mix for a fabulous roasted vegetable flavour.
- Dairy Free Cheesy - when dishing up the soup put a handful of your favourite shredded dairy free cheddar-like blend in the bottom of the soup bowl and ladle the soup over it for a kid-friendly cauliflower cheddar blend.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
Fridge
This allergy friendly roasted cauliflower soup recipe will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. It should be stored in an airtight container.
Freezer
In a freezer safe container the soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To prevent freezer burn make sure the container is airtight.
Reheating
If reheating the dairy free creamy cauliflower soup after it has been frozen, thaw it fully beforehand. For best food safety practices only reheat food once.
Stove Top
In a small to medium pot put the cauliflower curry soup and 2 tablespoons of water per serving. Over medium-high heat bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the desired consistency. Stir continuously whilst the vegan cauliflower soup recipe is reheating.
The water is added to thin out the soup as it reheats. Only reheat the number of portions needed as it cannot be kept after reheating once.
Equipment
- Soup Pot - to cook the soup in. A well fitting lid is needed for this soup. The liquid in the soup should be kept in it rather than boiled off.
- Stirring Utensil - a large spoon or stirring spatula to make sure the dairy free creamy cauliflower soup doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot.
- Immersion Blender - to blend the cauliflower bits into a velvety smooth soup.
- Cookie Sheet - for oven roasting the cauliflower and garlic. To keep the juices in the pan it should have sides to it. The cooking juices have loads of flavour. You don't want to lose them to the bottom of the oven.
- Large Bowl - to help oil the roasting ingredients.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons - both dry and liquid are needed. To measure the spices, broth, and other ingredients.
- Knife and Cutting Board - for cutting the cauliflower, trimming the garlic, and dicing the onion.
Low Food Waste Tips
If you are buying a lot of cauliflower for steaming and serving, save the vegetable stalks and use them in this allergy friendly roasted cauliflower soup recipe instead of the florets. They will taste exactly the same but will save you money.
The best way to store the cauliflower stalks is to cut them up into bite sized pieces and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Replace the cauliflower florets one for one with the cauliflower stem. Once blended no one will know if the soup was made with the stalks or florets.
How to Send Dairy Free Creamy Cauliflower Soup as Leftovers for Lunch
Our favourite way, if you haven't guessed by now, is to send soup already heated in an insulated container to school with the kids. We breakdown how we heat up the container to help keep the food hot but not too hot in our article.
The best way to get the cauliflower curry soup hot so that it will stay warm for hours is to heat it on the stove, in our experience. Reheat one portion of soup in a small pot over medium high heat following the reheating instructions in the sections above.
The hardest part for us is to remember to pack the kids a spoon in their lunch box.
Top Tip
To make dairy free creamy cauliflower soup over a couple days of meal prep, roast the cauliflower and garlic on another day. You can even freeze the roasted veggies if you roast them on the weekend, then thaw them later that week to make the soup. This is a great way to save time on the day you make the soup.
What To Pair With The Vegan Cauliflower Soup Recipe
This allergy friendly roasted cauliflower soup recipe is versatile and can be served on its own, with a side dish, or as a starter for a large meal. If you are serving it on its own you will want to make sure you have a protein source in other parts of the rest of your day. A snack like roasted chickpeas are a great way to fit in the protein.
When serving with a side dish a salad that has meat or one with beans and lentils. I like to make our avocado apple pear salad topped with grilled chicken or roasted chickpeas and a few top 9 free crackers. The kids love the Made Good Star crackers with this dairy free creamy cauliflower soup.
📖 Recipe
Allergy Friendly Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Add to Collection Add to Shopping ListEquipment
- Large Bowl
- Cookie Sheet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Soup Pot
- Stirring Utensil
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
Roasting Ingredients
- 8 Cups Cauliflower cut off the head and in 2-4 pieces each (see notes)
- 6 Cloves Garlic trim and peel but leave the cloves whole (see notes)
- 1 Tablespoons Neutral Oil we use avocado oil (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground epper
Soup Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Neutral oil avocado oil works well (see notes)
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion medium diced (about ½ a medium onion)
- 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder mild if possible (see notes)
- 4 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 14 Fluid Ounces Coconut Cream, canned (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic from above
- ½ -1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
Instructions
Roasting Instructions
- Break up the cauliflower head into florets, cut each in half, and slice each half into 2-3 pieces.8 Cups Cauliflower
- Place the cauliflower florets, the whole garlic cloves, into a large bowl. Drizzle with the neutral oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well to coat all the cauliflower florets and garlic cloves. Preheat the oven to 400℉.6 Cloves Garlic, 1 Tablespoons Neutral Oil, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Ground epper
- Pour the oiled and seasoned cauliflower florets and garlic cloves on to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Spread them out so they are in a single layer on the pan.
- When the oven has reached 400℉ place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Whilst the cauliflower and garlic roast, stir them on the pan and flip them over every 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven after 30 minutes of cooking and set aside to cool.
Soup Instructions
- When there is 5 minutes left on the roasting of the cauliflower start making the soup base. Heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat in a wide bottomed soup pot.1 Tablespoon Neutral oil
- Saute the diced onion in the oil until it is translucent. This will take about 5-7 minutes.½ Cup Yellow Onion
- Sprinkle the curry powder over the cooked onions in the pan. Stir well to coat them. Continue to cook whilst stirring for 1-2 minutes.1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
- Pour a bit of the vegetable broth into the soup pot whilst stirring. Scrape the bottom of the pan with all the curry powder and spices cooked on the pan. Add a little bit of the broth at first then add more as the browned bits get scraped off. Then add all the broth and stir.4 Cups Vegetable Stock
- Remove the soup pot from the heat. Pour in the canned coconut milk. Add in the salt, roasted cauliflower, garlic and any drippings from the pan used to roast them in.14 Fluid Ounces Coconut Cream, canned, 1 Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic, ½ -1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth in the soup pot. This may take 3-4 minutes to get all the cauliflower florets blended. If you prefer a chunky soup, partially blend the soup for added texture.
- Return the soup pot to the stove. Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat, cover the soup pot with a well fitting lid, and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
- Uncover and serve with a gluten free roll or side salad.
Notes
Allergy Note 1
Always check that each ingredient is safe for you. Reading all the ingredients and labelling as well as checking with the manufacturer should always be done before buying any product. Each person's allergies are different and only you and your medical team can determine what is best for you. Checking with the manufacturer is best practice to see if shared lines, or facilities are used when making any of the suggested products. Just because a product is right for us does not mean it is safe for anyone else. You must do your own research on each product.
Allergy Note 2
If making this recipe for anyone with an allergy always check with them for suitable products and ingredients. Each person knows their allergies best and can advise on what is safe for them to eat. Keep in mind that if making for another person they may not be able to eat it with shared prep surfaces, cooking equipment, and kitchens or other safety reasons.
Allergy Note 3
This is not medical advice. Always discuss your allergies, nutrition, and suitable products and recipes with your medical team before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
"The Allergen Free Kitchen" is not a registered dietician or nutritionist, does not replace a registered dietician or nutritionist and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend you consult with your medical team to find a registered dietician or nutritionist and for you to calculate the nutritional information. Calories and nutritional values can vary vastly depending on which brands were used and any substitutions used.
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Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Allergy Resources
If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you.
For additional resources please check out the following allergy education and advocacy pages:
In the United States:
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) - Home Page
- Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) - Home Page
- U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - Food Allergies - Home Page
- Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in The United States of America
- Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA - Recalls
- US Food & Drug Administration, FDA - Recalls
- Celiac Disease Foundation - Home Page
- National Celiac Association (NCA) - Home Page
- Beyond Celiac - Home Page
- Celiac.com - Home Page
In Canada
- Food Allergy Canada - Home Page
- Celiac Canada - Home Page
- The Government of Canada - Health Site- Food Allergies
- The Government of Canada - Food Allergen Labelling, the List of Ingredients and Allergens on Food Labels, and Allergens and Gluten Sources Labelling
Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in Canada
Rhys says
The cauliflower soup was very delicious, I’m very grateful for this website and how it’s allergen free. 10/10 would make this again
Katherine Evans says
So happy to hear! Thank you so much for making this recipe.
Cheers,
Rob