A rich, velvety, vegetarian soup with turmeric-spiced cauliflower, coconut milk and a spark of fresh green cilantro sauce.
Golden cauliflower soup is a creamy, dairy-free soup spiked with a good dose of turmeric (for its radiant hue and amazing health benefits) and coconut milk, topped with swirl of green herb sauce, yogurt and toasted sesame seeds.
The beauty of this soup is not just the incredible color, but how totally rich and satisfying it is. It’s creamy, but contains no cream. The recipe falls comfortably within the spectrum of healthy-vegetarian-vegan cooking, with the added bonus that it’s simply delicious!
With the addition of a small amount of potato and the creamy coconut milk, the texture of the soup turns out wonderfully silky, I also added a chopped green apple to the pot for a subtle layer of tart-sweetness.
Make sure to try the soup topped with a few spoonfuls of my Simple Green Sauce, which adds a welcome blast of vibrant acidity and fresh, bright herbal flavors to cut the richness.
golden cauliflower soup with turmeric and coconut
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cauliflower (1 1/2 pounds), sliced into florets
- 1 small potato (4 ounces), peeled and diced
- 1 green apple, peeled and diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Serving:
- Simple Green Sauce
- 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the onion in the oil over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Add the cauliflower, potato and apples. Stir, and cook for a minute or two.
- Add 5 cups water (or low-sodium vegetable stock), the coconut milk, 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and partially cover the pan. Cook 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced.
- Let the mixture cool slightly. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup cauliflower florets, then puree the rest of the soup in a blender in 2 or 3 batches, or directly in the pot with an immersion blender. You can add more liquid if necessary if it seems too thick. Stir in the reserved cauliflower florets.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful each of Simple Green Sauce and yogurt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Courses Soup
Cuisine Healthy/Vegan/Vegetarian
Hi there! I’m Karen, a mother of two and a professionally trained cook certified in holistic nutrition.
As the recipe developer, photographer and publisher of Familystyle Food, I share recipes and tips for making easy seasonal meals that are healthy and flavorful.
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Susan says
Sounds delish- I’m definitely going to try this, thanks!
Melissa says
This soup is delicious! K served it for book group last week and we all begged for the recipe.
Denise Richards says
Wonderful soup-the green apple was a nice addition.
Wendy says
Yum! Can’t wait to try it at home. I’ve been dreaming about it ever since book group!
Liza says
Well, fall is here, at least for today. This looks delicious! And I even have some cauliflower in the fridge.
Erik says
Sounds awesome. Apple has long been a “secret” ingredient of mine in soup… as in; mushroom/apple/pancetta soup.
Karen says
It’s a great trick, isn’t it? I’ve seen chefs throw pears and apples in beef bourguignon, too. It adds an invisible layer of flavor.
The AmerArab Wife says
This sounds wonderful. I’ve been wishing for something new to do with cauliflower and will give this a try soon.
Karen says
I hope you like! I like playing with cauliflower since it’s such a blank canvas.
marla {family fresh cooking} says
This creamy cauliflower soup looks awesome as did that golden Buddha you scored!
Yup, I too covet some cooler temps 🙂
xo
Jenny says
This soup is lovely! So easy to make and the flavors were wonderful. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Karen says
Jenny – thanks so much for your comment! I’m glad to hear you made the soup and enjoyed. Makes my day.
Sara says
Yum! This sounds delicious! I’ve been looking for a new fall soup recipe! Surely it’ll cool down in STL one of these days!
Karen says
Sara, the cool change is finally coming. I’m pulling out my sweater tonight and roasting cauliflower to toss with spaghetti and chickpeas.
A says
you take the best pictures, mom.
Kate says
Just made this for dinner, and it was so perfect 🙂 I added a little extra curry powder and creme fraiche, and topped it with some cilantro – a cabbage salad and piece of whole grain bread and I was set! thanks so much for the lovely recipe!
Danish Lunch says
Looks delicious. Cauliflower soup. That has been a while since i made that, i think i will try this recipe out tonight, looks soft as silk.
Wondering if a slight touch of chili would be good
Jasmine says
This is cooking on the stove right now and smells wonderful!