This creamy Cauliflower Leek Soup takes just 30 minutes to make, start to finish.
It’s the season for warm sweaters, cozy slippers, and warm, comforting soups… and I’m loving it! On a cold day, it’s hard to beat a hot bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. And if that soup is quick and easy to prepare, well, that’s even better.
If you have 30 minutes and just a few ingredients, you can make this creamy yet healthy Cauliflower Leek Soup. Half of that time is inactive cook time, so while your soup simmers you can make a salad, slice some bread, and set the table. Then it’s time to sit down, relax and enjoy.
Don’t you love recipes with short ingredient lists? If you don’t count the salt and pepper, this soup calls for just six ingredients. And two of the six are olive oil and garlic, which should be pantry staples. A sprinkle of fresh thyme or grated cheddar cheese on top will add an extra punch of flavor to your soup.
The flavor of this Cauliflower Leek Soup is mild, yet delicious. The cauliflower cooks down and, once pureed with a blender, becomes ultra smooth. It lends a natural creaminess to the soup. I added 1/2 cup of half and half to my soup to really bring out that creamy texture. You can choose to use milk instead, or omit the dairy altogether for a vegan version, if you like.
I love the mild onion flavor that fresh leeks bring to soups. I have a potato-leek soup recipe that I adore, as well as a butternut squash and leek soup that warms you from the inside out. So when Lori said she’d love for me to share a cauliflower soup recipe with you, I knew it had to have leeks in it for added flavor. The cauliflower, leeks, and garlic blend together perfectly in this comforting Cauliflower Leek Soup.
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Cauliflower Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head (about 2 pounds) cauliflower
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup half and half (or milk)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh thyme or grated cheddar cheese, for serving if desired
Instructions
- Slice the leeks in halve lengthwise, and then slice into ¼ inch wide half-rounds. Rinse well in a colander under cold water; drain.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the cauliflower, core, and chop into 1 inch pieces. (This is most easily done by first cutting the cauliflower in half, and then into fourths. Slice out the core, and cut the florets apart.)
- Add the garlic to the pot with the leeks and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes to lightly brown.
- Pour in the vegetable broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. If transferring to a regular blender, do so in batches. Do not fill the blender more than half full each time. Return the soup to the pot after blending.
- Once the soup is pureed, stir in the half and half (or milk) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with fresh thyme and/or cheddar cheese, if desired.
Notes
- This soup can be made vegan or dairy free by omitting the half and half or milk. Serve topped with fresh thyme, rather than cheese.
- If you are preparing this soup as gluten free, just be sure to use a brand of broth that is known to be GF.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Here are a few more soup recipes you might enjoy:
- Perfect Potato Soup with Garlic Herb Croutons by Kristine’s Kitchen
- Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder by Simply Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup by Like Mother Like Daughter
- Easy Lentil Soup by Recipe Girl
This soup is fabulous! I bought an immersion blender for this recipe: life changing. I substituted unsweetened almond milk for dairy free, and chicken bone broth for vegetable broth. I also added dried thyme while boiling because it’s what I had on hand. Turned out splendidly. Thank you. 😊
This couldn’t be better. We’ve made it twice now. Bonus that its super low fat and full of veg.