Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup is a simple, creamy five-ingredient soup made with leeks that is deliciously dairy-free, gluten-free and wholesomely healthy!
Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup is a simple, five-ingredient soup that is deliciously creamy without any dairy! Whip this up for a comforting soup in 30 minutes.
Note: This post first appeared on February 25, 2013. The recipe has been updated from the archives with updated content and photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.
It’s been a long, cold winter. Even by Northern California standards, temperatures have been more raw than usual. Mornings greet us with frosted lawns and low hanging fog, and each morning I urge my children to bundle up in warm jackets. To them, the idea of wearing more than a thick sweatshirt is starting to make sense, finally. It only took a few months for them to figure that out.
The urge to warm up with a bowl of soup started in early November and hasn’t stopped; I made a big batch of soup for lunch today, in fact. I find myself making soup so often that it takes a gentle reminder from my husband that we’ve been slurping a lot of soup and that chewable food might be a nice change of pace.
While my spring fever gains momentum, my desire for comfort in a bowl continues, and so I share this Creamy Cauliflower & Potato Soup with you. I first made it when temperatures began to dip in the fall, and it is has proven to be a cozy way to warm up from the chill, time and again. Thick with a puree of cauliflower and potato, it is rich in flavor from leeks and savory vegetable stock. I hope it keeps you warm as we head into the nip of early spring.
How to Make Cauliflower Potato Soup
I love a creamy soup that doesn’t rely on heavy cream or dairy — this cauliflower potato soup harnesses the natural creaminess of potatoes and cauliflower and a blender! The leeks and vegetable broth provide the depth of flavor.
If you are vegetarian, than this soup is perfect as is, but if you aren’t, I’ve also made this with clam broth (yum!) and chicken broth — whatever you have on hand, is great.
A few blitzes with a blender is all you need — if using a blender, be sure to work in batches and be careful. Otherwise, a hand-held immersion blender makes this even easier!
How to Clean Leeks
Clean the leeks by letting placing chopped leeks in a large bowl of cold water. Swirl the leeks and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the dirt settle to the bottom. Use your hands or slotted spoon to transfer leeks to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Spiced Butternut Squash Lentil Soup (Vegan)
Mushroom and Short Rib Noodle Soup
Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Herb Soup
Pressure Cooker Creamy Rotisserie Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Soup
Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup
Note: This post first appeared on February 25, 2013, and created for My Way Home by Wayfair, which has since closed. The recipe has been updated from the archives with updated content and photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.
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Creamy Cauliflower & Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for garnish
- 2 leeks dark leaves removed, quartered, sliced and cleaned
- kosher salt to taste
- 4 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 small head of cauliflower florets removed
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, season with salt, and cook until the leeks are wilted and transparent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the leeks for garnish and leave the rest in the pot.
- Add the potatoes, cauliflower, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. An immersion blender makes this even easier, if you have one. Add a little more stock if the soup is too thick.
- Serve the soup hot and garnished with reserved leeks and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
Cauliflower and Potato Soup Tips
- How to Clean Leeks: Clean the leeks by letting placing chopped leeks in a large bowl of cold water. Swirl the leeks and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the dirt settle to the bottom. Use your hands or slotted spoon to transfer leeks to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Can I use other soup stock? Yes! I've used clam stock and chicken broth - they work beautifully, but of course, only if you don't mind the soup not being vegetarian.
- My soup seems too thick. Simple blend in more soup stock if you want a thinner soup.
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
This is an amazing soup and looks so delicious & to yummy as well…love your images as well…i will try to make it…Thanks for sharing….!
I hope you enjoy it, Olivia!
This looks oh-so-creamy and comforting! It’s not all that cold in LA but I still want to curl up on the couch with a piping hot bowl of this!
Even when it’s warm, I can’t help but crave soup :) Hope you’re enjoying a beautiful day in LA, Chung-Ah!
Such a gorgeous and velvety soup Liren! I love making soups in winter. In fact I can’t wait for the weather to start to cool down here so I can make some soup.
And that first image of your soup is just stunning! I love the beautiful light.
While I post about soups, I go to your site and am eager for all of summer’s bounty! I can’t wait for our seasons to flip flop :)
Love this comforting recipe, Liren :)
Agree with Laura about roasting the cauliflower. Definitely is a flavor enhancer :)
You and Laura are so right about roasting the cauliflower! Next time when I’m not in a rush, I will take the time to do it!
I love cauliflower, have you ever tried making this and roasting the cauliflower first? Inquiring minds…. ;)
I will confess, while I know that roasting cauliflower will make it even more flavorful, I can be lazy and in a rush! So I skip it! I’m certain it would be even better!
Yeah, NorCal has been strangely cold (ok, cool) for a strangely long time, it seems. Or maybe it’s just that our houses lack insulation and double-paned windows… :) We are definitely making a lot of soups like this at our house too! Potato and cauliflower is a perfect combination–earthy and warming and delicious.
You hit the nail on the head, Eileen! The houses are definitely lacking when it comes to insulations! At least my house is!
This sounds delicious! Could you sub chicken or vegetable stock if you’re not a huge fan of clams? I just might have to make this tonight as we had heaps of snow in Denver yesterday.
Katie! Hi! Yes, absolutely, use chicken or vegetable stock in place of the clam – I would probably do the chicken for just a little more flavor, but either will work. Hope it keeps you warm and cozy from the snow!
I, too, have been making an insane amount of soup. I just love it! This soup looks so velvety smooth and delicious. I love cauliflower, so I know I’ll love this. Yum!
Thanks, Marcie! I still can’t get enough of soup :) Hope you do get to try it!
The perfect recipe as we slowly make our way out of winter and into rainy/chilly spring. Heading over right now to check out the recipe!
I hope you find some coziness as we head into the weekend, Brian! I know that while it’s lovely right now out here, it’ll be cold and rainy again next week…more soup for us!
I can’t think of a better soup to act as winter’s bookends. Beautiful. (I’m kind of on a cauliflower kick lately.) :)
Such a lovely way to think about it – I love thinking of soup as winter’s bookends!