Roasted Cauliflower + Leek Soup

The days are getting longer and the sun is starting to shine just a little bit brighter. It smells like new beginnings and fresh starts; it must be Spring. What better way to welcome the warmer days ahead, and pay tribute to Winter than a beautiful, light soup that celebrates both! This Roasted Cauliflower + Leek Soup is the perfect dish to transition through the seasons.

This vegan soup has a smooth, velvety texture and packs some serious flavor. The roasted cauliflower gives the soup a deep, rich, and slightly sweet taste, while the leeks provide a delicate, mild, and savory profile. Together they blend together beautifully, singing the song of winter and spring merging together.

I love this Roasted Cauliflower + Leek Soup topped with some crispy florets and herbs for some texture and freshness. But, it is also great on its own or with a slice of crusty sourdough. Sometimes I will just pour it into a cup a sip on it, so delcious.

This soup comes together pretty quickly and doesn’t require many ingredients or fancy equipment. It keeps well in the fridge or freezer and is a great accompaniment to just about any meal.

If you love this recipe try my Roasted Red Pepper + Tomato Soup with Sourdough Croutons.

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Roasted Cauliflower + Leek Soup

A smooth and light soup made with perfectly roasted cauliflower, sauteed garlic leeks and vegetable broth. Topped with fresh chopped herbs and crispy golden cauliflower florets. A perfect starter, side dish or when you just need something warm.

Course Soup

Cuisine American, French

Keyword cauliflower, leeks, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 small bowls

Equipment

• high speed blender

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil divided
• 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
• 4 leeks thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• juice from half a lemon
• 1 tbsp vegan butter I used Earth Balance brand
• 10 twists fresh pepper more to taste
• ⅛ tsp salt more to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh herbs such as parsley and dill garnish, optional
• 4-6 roasted cauliflower florets garnish, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
• Place the chopped cauliflower into a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Arrange the florets on the lined baking tray and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven, set aside and, pick out 4-6 pretty florets for garnish, if using.
• When the cauliflower is just about done roasting, heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Once the oil is warmed, add the sliced leeks, celery and, a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until they soften and become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring often.
• Add the roasted cauliflower, vegetable broth and, water into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, and let cool for a few minutes.
• Carefully transfer the mixture into a high-speed blender with the lemon juice, pepper and, vegan butter. Blend until completely smooth.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Pour soup into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs and roasted cauliflower florets, if desired.

Notes

Storage: this soup will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Vegan Butter: if you don’t have any, you could substitute for olive oil, or omit it completely. It does add a nice richness to the soup, so I do recommend it.

Broth/Water: if you want the soup to be really thick, you could omit the water. If you want a thinner consistency, you could certainly add more water or broth during the blending process. Just be sure to adjust seasonings as needed. 

Recipe Adapted from Cookie + Kate