Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Spicy Potatoes

This creamy soup takes cauliflower to a whole new level! Pureed and doused with plant-based butter and almond milk, the creaminess contrasts brilliantly with the spicy potatoes, that make for a surprisingly spicy and wholesome soup.

Tips and Tricks

I use an immersion blender to purée the soup. If you don’t have one, or would just prefer to use a blender, feel free. I’d only do half of it at a time as all of it at once might be too much.

I call for almond milk at the end, since it’s perfectly silky and adds just a subtle hint of something nutty at the end. Feel free to use another alternative, or use real butter and real milk if you aren’t looking to make this vegan.

Feel free to add some other spices into the mix if something else is calling you. Though the potatoes are quite flavorful, there are thousands of varieties you can play around with!

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

  • 2 large russet potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/2 tsp pepper

  • 3/4 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how you like your spice)

For the soup:

  • olive oil

  • 1 onion, sliced thin

  • 2 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 - 4 cloves)

  • kosher salt

  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

  • 4 cups vegetable stock

  • 1 cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces

  • 1/4 cup plant-based butter

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place your potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then add the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix until all the potatoes are coated.

Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until they’re fully cooked, stirring them halfway. At the end of the twenty-five minutes, broil the potatoes for 5 minutes to make them crispy. If after the five minutes they still aren’t crispy enough to your liking, leave them in for longer. Once you’re satisfied, take out of the oven and let cool.

(**Note: it doesn’t matter if the potatoes aren’t warm when you finally serve the soup. The soup itself will re-heat them instantly.)

While the potatoes are roasting in the oven, start with your soup. Heat some olive oil in a large soup pan over medium heat until glimmering. Once hot enough, add the sliced onions, and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Cook until the onions are slightly browned, about 7 - 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir for another minute.

Add the flour and stir immediately, just so it’s incorporated with the onion and garlic mixture. Then add the vegetable stock, stirring all the while.

Once the vegetable stock has come to a boil, add in the cauliflower. Stir briefly so the cauliflower is submerged, lower the heat to low, and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower comes out fork-tender.

Add the butter. Using your immersion blender, blend the soup until everything has been pureed and looks silky smooth.

Taste test and add salt to taste (I added a teaspoon’s worth). Add some pepper. Once you’re satisfied with everything, take off the heat.

To serve, place some soup in a bowl. Add as many potatoes as you like in the middle of the soup. Enjoy!