Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with Thai curry paste. This comforting vegan soup recipe is perfect for chilly days.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on February 26, 2026
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This boldly flavored soup is made with roasted cauliflower, coconut milk and Thai red curry paste. The flavors meld together to create a soup that tastes almost magical. This recipe is a dairy-free spin on classic cauliflower soup that’s loaded with good-for-you vegetables and spices.
If you enjoy Thai red curry, please add this curried cauliflower soup recipe to your list, even if you’re not a big fan of cauliflower. When you blend roasted cauliflower thoroughly, it yields a soup that tastes extra creamy, hearty and savory. Give it a try! I’m confident you’ll want to make it again and again.
How to Make Curried Cauliflower Soup
I’ve enjoyed this soup for over ten years, ever since I found it in an unlikely source, The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook. I’ve recently retested it and added more guidance and better step-by-step photos.
You’ll find the full recipe at the end of the post, and an instructional video below. Here’s a brief rundown:
- Roast the cauliflower. Wait until the cauliflower is done roasting before you start cooking the soup (or roast it in advance and refrigerate it for later). While it’s roasting, you’ll have time to prep the remaining ingredients.
- Sauté an onion until tender, then add the curry paste and lemon zest to brighten the flavors.
- Add white wine (optional) for another layer of complexity. I’ve tried it without the wine and loved it nonetheless, so it’s not a deal breaker by any means.
- Add half of the roasted cauliflower (we’re saving the rest to garnish the soup), followed by vegetable broth and coconut milk. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, then blend the soup well.
- Season the soup to taste with rice vinegar, salt and pepper. It will taste amazing once you’ve added enough. Serve the soup in bowls garnished with any combination of roasted cauliflower, green onions, basil and red pepper flakes.
Watch How to Make This Soup
Curry Paste Notes
I’ve tested this recipe with Thai Kitchen and Mekhala brands of Thai red curry paste. I prefer Thai Kitchen since it offers greater control over the spice level. Mekhala is quite spicy, even when using the lowest amount suggested in the recipe. Both of these options are vegan (some other Thai curry pastes contain shrimp). Look for curry paste in the Asian food aisle, near the coconut milk.
Serving Suggestions
This comforting vegan soup is quite filling on its own. It makes great leftovers, tastes even better the next day, and freezes well for future meals. Here are some complementary options to round out your meatless meal:
- Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps
- Edamame Hummus
- Colorful Chopped Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing (or a simple salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing)
- Improvise a salad with Thai Peanut Dressing (you’ll find suggested ingredients within the post)
Please let me know how your soup turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy, vegan cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with Thai curry paste. This healthy, comforting soup recipe is perfect for chilly days. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large head of cauliflower (2 to 3 pounds), broken into small florets
- Up to 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste* (depending on the brand and your preferred spice level)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: ½ cup unoaked white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)**
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (14 ounces) light or regular coconut milk
- 1 to 3 teaspoons rice vinegar, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Optional garnishes: ¼ cup chopped green onions or chives, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (preferably Thai), or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower with enough oil to lightly coat it (up to 3 tablespoons). Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes.
- Wait until the cauliflower is done before starting the soup (this is a good time to prep the remaining ingredients). In a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is turning translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the curry paste and lemon zest and stir to incorporate. If you’re using the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, pour it in, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add half of the cauliflower florets and all of the stems to the pot. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering for 5 to 10 more minutes to meld the flavors, reducing the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Let the soup cool for a few minutes. For the creamiest results, transfer the soup in small batches to a blender, blending until each batch is smooth. (Don’t fill your blender past the maximum fill line; beware of the steam escaping from the lid.) Or, use an immersion blender and blend well.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup needs more acidity, stir in 1 to 2 additional teaspoons of vinegar (it will taste fantastic once you’ve added enough). Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each with ¼ of the cauliflower florets and a sprinkle of green onions, basil, and pepper flakes (if using). Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Adapted from The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook.
*Thai red curry paste: I’ve tested this recipe with Thai Kitchen and Mekhala brands of Thai red curry paste, which are both vegan (some other Thai curry pastes contain shrimp). I prefer Thai Kitchen because Mekhala is significantly spicier (I used just 1 tablespoon of Mekhala, and the soup was still pretty spicy). Look for curry paste in the Asian food aisle, near the coconut milk.
2025 recipe edits: I revisited this recipe and made a few edits/notes. I omitted the sugar, increased the broth, verified that the soup is great without the wine, and tweaked the roasting time.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This sounds delicious — I love cauliflower and often just roast it with cumin. So good.
I’m such a fan of roasted cauliflower – my Monday needs a big bowl of this soup!
This soup wasn’t at my table growing up but I wouldn’t mind adding to my comfort food list. Yum.
LOVE cauliflower and curry together…this looks divine!
I just saw your soup on Pinterest, it’s looks incredible and what really caught my eye is the spoon. :-) I have the same one and I bought mine in London where I live so I had to find out if you are from England! Just posted a soup recipe with that spoon in the pictures as well. So glad I’ve discovered your blog-beautiful and fresh recipes. :-)
Oh, how funny! The silver spoons came from my grandmother’s side of the family. She was American, but her mother was Scottish and her father was English. I’m not sure if she bought the spoons here or there!
Yummy!
This looks so good! And..somehow… I have all the ingredients at home! Crazy!
Woah, this looks absolutely delicious and I will be making it sometime this winter for sure! Ooo, wouldn’t it be lovely on a snowy day? :)
I looooohuuuuuuuuv soups like this. Just funnel it down my throat.
Sounds wonderful. Thanks you.
what a beautiful soup. I love cauliflower soups. So filling and healthy at the same time!
This looks awesome!! Can’t wait to try :)
I love the idea of a cauliflower soup, I bet it’s super creamy and wonderful for cold temperatures. I can relate to being out of things, I love going to the grocery store but I feel like I’m always running out of things!
Oh my gosh…love roasted cauliflower, love Thai curry, and I love these spoons! Going to head over to Facebook to enter your giveaway now!
Looks delicious!
Thanks, Julia!
oh I love roasted cauliflower also and actually don’t understand the people who don’t!
I wish I had a facebook account so I could enter the drawing for the spoon but unfortunately I do not. That company certainly makes lovely products.
This soup looks AMAZING. Yum!!
This was DELICIOUS – rich health food! I think you are my food soul sista.
Hooray! So glad you loved it, sista. :)
I made cauliflower soup a few weeks ago and thought I was pretty cauli-ed out so it’s pretty amazing that you’ve managed to spark a craving again! What can I say…I’m pretty stuck on anything thai curry infused!
Oh yeah!! Soups like this are so my thing! I could eat this for days!!
This looks so good. I love your pictures – even roasted cauliflower looks amazing!
What a fabulous way to pep up cauliflower – looks scrumptious.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can look forward to Christmas :)
Yum! I’m a fan of anything curried, coconut and cauliflower. This sounds delish, and since I survived Thanksgiving, it should probably go on my soon-to-eat list.
I adore cauliflower. Great post, thanks for sharing! Do you come up with your own recipes or pull inspiration from others?
Thanks, Jamie! I do both—some recipes are totally original, others are adapted from others. I always cite the sources of inspiration, most often in the recipe notes.
This soup looks like the perfect thing to help me snap out of my thanksgiving food coma!
Wow Kate! This looks amazing. I love anything involving curry, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever made a cauliflower soup! I’ll definitely have to try this out. Thanks for sharing! :)
The soup looks very tasty and the cutting board looks very nice! I checked out the Earlywood website, but they don’t ship it to Europe, or at least…not yet. Otherwise, I would definitely enter the giveaway :)
I 100% agree with you about cauliflower! My husband laughed at me when I told the kids that raw cauliflower tastes like dirt but roasted cauliflower is like candy to me! Glad I’m not the only one!
Ha! Glad we agree on cauliflower. I mean, why eat raw cauliflower when you could eat raw broccoli?
Lovely! Will make this tonight! Would love some Earlywood tools!
Thanks ❤️
Thanks, Annie! Hope you enjoyed the soup! Be sure to comment on my Facebook page for a chance to win an Earlywood ladle!
G to the ORGEOUS!! I am having Post-Thanksgiving day food regret, too. I’ve been devouring every veggie in sight in penance for the pie atrocities I committed. This soup is the perfect way to absolve myself of the bad food guilt!
Haha! Penance for pie atrocities. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and sometimes that means eating pie.
I never did get any cauliflower in our CSA this year – but then, that’s what farmers markets are for: deliciously filling in the gaps!
how can i make an imitation to thai red curry paste?
thanks!
Hi there, I’m sorry, I just googled how to make Thai red curry paste and it seems to require quite a few ingredients. I just bought some for three dollars at a health food store and I have seen it at quite a few grocery stores in the Asian section. Hope you can find some!
Oh I wish I had the things to make this right NOW!
I have all ingredients except cauliflower, better go get some. Thanks
Hope you loved the soup, Saniel!
soup sounds divine!
Thank you, Paula!
I could definitely down this whole recipe!
I’m still in shock you dislike steamed cauliflower! Have you ever tried it mashed and blended with some garlic or pesto? It is one of my favorite things!
No, I haven’t! I’ll have to give mashed cauliflower a shot. Pinch of Yum just came out with a cauliflower sauce e-cookbook… might be just up your alley! P.s. Hope to see you soon.
Oooo girl! Those pictures look so good against that dark cherry colored cutting board!!
And yikes, smokey bars are the thing I’m most dreading when I’m in OK for Christmas…pretty much unavoidable if you’re going out. :/ It’s like smoking a pack per hour without lifting one cig to your lips…sigh. Gimme some of that cleansing soup! ;)
Thanks, G! I requested that we go to smoke-free bars that night, but of course that didn’t work out. I didn’t have that much to drink but I felt super lousy/tired all day the next day. Smoke hangover? Hope to see you while you’re in OKC over Christmas.
Wow – what beautiful tools from Earlywood, and a beautiful soup as well. After living in such a hot climate, I’ve become quite certain that the need for comforting soups this time of year defies weather patterns. I absolutely crave the simplicity of a pot of soup and make them despite the heat! This one looks fantastic, Kate – glad you had a fun holiday with some nice indulgences!
Can’t wait to give it a try this weekend.
Hope you love the soup, Amy!
GOOD GRIEF. Those spoons. I DIE.
Though I’m not a cauliflower fan, I have learned to trust your recipes. This soup tasted great. I added a big squeeze of lemon juice after the first few bites, and liked it even more. Garnished with jalapeno slivers and loved the extra heat, but thought a different flavor would be better. Any recommendations for this hot pepper novice?
Julie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Lemon juice sounds like a great addition. As for peppers, if you can find Thai chilis (aka bird’s eye chilis, they come in red and green), they would be very good in this soup. They are super spicy. I also prefer serrano peppers to jalapeño peppers, and they’re easier to find. Their flavor is a little more bright and fresh.
This was AMAZING! I started with the immersion blender, but wanted a smoother soup so I used my blendtec. It was thick and silky!
To make it a main course I pressed some extra firm tofu, diced it and fried it in coconut oil with some salt. I got them good and crispy and added a generous handful like croutons.
My husband also loved it. Thanks so much!!
Elaine, thank you for commenting! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the soup. Coconut oil-fried tofu is a fabulous idea! I’ll have to try that soon.
Did Earlywood pick a winner yet?
My bad. I see the winners will be announced on Monday. Fingers crossed! P.S. Can’t wait to try this soup! mmmm We had your tortilla soup this week and YUM!
Glad you enjoyed the soup, Claire! Good luck in the giveaway.
Very very creative. This looks absolutely delicious. I love the red curry paste.
Loved this recipe! Your blog is one of my favs! So thankful you share your work. Great photos too.
Hi
This looks great and I’m on the verge of trying it but wonder if you have any idea of the nutritional specs? fat? calories? etc.
Thanks!
That is such a lovely soup! Very gorgeous photos!
The soup was excellent and quite easy to make. It was appropriate for all the below zero temps we have been having.
wow, this soup looks gorgeous-love the look of those ladles too! I will definitely need to add this to my ‘to make’ list!