Creamy Cauliflower Lentil Soup
Cauliflower and lentil soup is thick, creamy and so comforting. This one pot curry lentil cauliflower soup is ready in under 30 minutes and uses mostly pantry staples. Perfect for weeknight meals, healthy meal prep or even as a freezer meal.
The combination of cauliflower and red lentils makes the creamiest soup without the need for any cream or dairy.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make
- One pot meal
- Can be made in advance
- Great for meal prep
- Vegan, gluten free, dairy free
- Rich and creamy
- Comfort food
- Filling (full of fiber and protein)
- Budget friendly
Ingredients
- Onion – onions are always a great base for soup. I used a yellow onion but white or red onions would also work well. Be sure to let them sweat a bit so they aren’t crunchy in the soup/
- Carrots – carrots provide a natural sweetness that pairs well with the smoky flavors from the spices. It helps to balance out all the flavors and also gives the soup a beautiful orange hue.
- Spices: Salt, curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric, ground cumin – these create a really rich deep flavor that is smoky, spicy and so aromatic. The curry powder and turmeric also give the soup a really distinct yellow/orange hue. Note that there are many different types of curry powder, be sure to use one you love for the best flavor.
- Cauliflower – use a head of cauliflower florets, bagged cauliflower florets or even frozen. cauliflower in this recipe. Just be sure to cut it down into small pieces so it cooks quickly.
- Vegetable broth + water – the vegetable broth gives so much depth to the soup. Vegetable broth is my go to way of making a 20-30 minute soup taste like it’s been on the stove so much longer. You could also use chicken broth.
- Tomato paste – the tomato paste adds just a bit of that rich tomato flavor, which adds umami and helps to balance out the spices perfectly.
- Red lentils – split red lentils cook so quickly and are perfect for soup. They get mushy and when blended help create a super thick soup. If needed, you can use green (or brown) lentils, just add 5-7 minutes to the cooking time.
- Dairy free milk – I used cashew milk (Elmherst brand) but you could also use canned coconut milk or your favorite dairy free milk. Be sure it’s unsweetened and doesn’t have any added flavors.
- Frozen spinach – I love to add as many vegetables as I can to a soup and I also love the pop of green in an otherwise yellow/orange soup. You could also use fresh baby spinach or frozen kale or simply omit it from the recipe.
How to make cauliflower lentil soup
Prep the veggies: Chop the onion, slice the carrot and cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Tip: To save time with this step, chop the onion and carrot in the food processor.
Sauté the onion and carrot: Cook the onion and carrot in a preheated pot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Be sure to spray the pot with avocado oil or olive oil or add a bit of oil to the pot before sweating the veggies. Stir regularly.
Add the spices and cauliflower to the pot, stir well. You want to get the veggies coated in the spices and give the spices a minute to toast.
Add the vegetable broth, water, tomato paste to the pot and stir well. Scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure that the spices don’t burn.
Wash the lentils well in a mesh strainer. Add lentils to the pot, turn the heat up to high and cover. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Stir the soup often. Once the soup is boiling, crack the lid so that the liquid doesn’t overflow in the pot. The lentils will want to stick to the bottom, so stir well every few minutes.
Once the lentils are cooked and cauliflower is soft, blend the soup with an immersion blender (or carefully transfer it to a blender and blend in batches).
After the soup has reached your desired consistency, add the dairy free milk and frozen spinach. Stir well to combine, then serve hot.
Top tips
- Use fresh or frozen cauliflower. Just be sure to cut down any large cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen) so that the cauliflower cooks evenly on the stove. You could even use frozen cauliflower rice (about 2 bags)
- Serve as is or add some rice or quinoa to serve more like cauliflower lentil curry.
- To make prep as quick as possible, you can chop the onion and carrots in a food processor and use bagged fresh or frozen cauliflower florets (chop them down into small bite size pieces so they cook quickly).
- Use fresh spices: For the best flavor, ensure your spices are less than 1 year old and keep them in a well sealed container. Also be sure to check the ingredients on your spices, you want most of the ingredients to be spices, not maltodextrin or other fillers that don’t’ add to the taste.
- Curry powder and turmeric can stain things like linens, wood spoons and some countertops so be careful when blending and stirring the soup.
- Don’t love pureed soup? Only blend 1/4 to 1/2 of the soup for a thick, chunky soup instead of a completely blended soup.
Additional ingredients
- Veggies: Add in chopped celery, red bell peppers, zucchini with carrots and onions
- Fresh grated ginger
- Fresh chopped garlic
- Chili flakes or cayenne pepper for spice
- Lime juice at the end for a pop of freshness
Cauliflower red lentil soup toppings
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced avocado
- Crispy air fryer chickpeas
- Homemade gluten free croutons (made in the air fryer)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Yogurt
- Coconut milk or cashew cream for topping
Common questions
Can you make this soup in the instant pot?
Yes, making red lentil cauliflower soup in the instant pot is a great way to prepare this if you want to be more hands off during the cooking time. Here are the steps:
- Saute the onions and carrots as written (4-5 minutes). Turn off saute and add spices, stir well. Add 1/2 cup of broth and scrape down the bottom of the pot (or you will get a burn notice).
- Add the cauliflower, lentils, the rest of the broth, water and tomato paste and stir well.
- Cook for 3 minutes high pressure. After cooking, let the soup naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before manually releasing pressure (or you can let it naturally release on it’s own).
- Blend the soup, add dairy free milk and frozen spinach and serve hot.
What is the best kind of curry powder to use?
I have tested this recipe with 3 different curry powders, they all turned out delicious. I used a generic “curry powder” from Trader Joe’s, Mochi Curry (my absolute favorite) and Madras curry powder. Whatever you have on hand will work great in this recipe. Some are more spicy than others.
Can you substitute green lentils?
Green lentils take longer to cook than red lentils, so the soup would need to boil on the stove for a few extra minutes (5-7 minutes or so).
Can you make this with other beans?
If you don’t have lentils or can’t tolerate lentils, you can make this recipe with canned beans (cannellini or great northern white beans would be ideal). Use 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained and omit the water from this recipe.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: This curry lentil cauliflower soup is just as good the next day and is great as a make ahead meal. Simply store in a airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: This soup freezes well and would be great for freezer prep. Allow the soup to cool before transferring to a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. I personally use Souper Cubes to portion out single serving portions of soup. Once frozen in the silicone molds, I pop out the frozen cube of soup and transfer it to a freezer safe bag for long term storage.
- Defrost before reheating or add frozen soup to a pot, cover with a lid and reheat over low to medium low heat until the soup is warmed through.
If you love lentil soup, you should try
Creamy Cauliflower Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 head cauliflower
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup split red lentils
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk
- 1 cup frozen spinach
Instructions
- Start by chopping the carrots, onion and cauliflower. Note: You can use a food processor to quickly chop the carrots and onion.
- Preheat a large pot over medium heat (while chopping the veggies). When preheated, spray with avocado oil or olive oil and add onion and carrots and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add spices and cauliflower to the pot. Stir well to coat all the veggies with the spices.
- Add the vegetable broth, water, tomato paste to the pot and scrape the bottom well.
- Rinse the lentils and add them to the pot. Turn the heat up to high and place the lid on the pot. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Stir regularly to ensure the lentils don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the lentils and cauliflower is soft, blend with an immersion blender (or transfer to the blender to blend in batches).
- Once smooth, add dairy free milk and frozen spinach. Stir well and serve hot.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen cauliflower. Just be sure to cut down any large cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen) so that the cauliflower cooks evenly on the stove. You could even use frozen cauliflower rice (about 2 bags)
- Serve as is or add some rice or quinoa to serve more like cauliflower lentil curry.
- To make prep as quick as possible, you can chop the onion and carrots in a food processor and use bagged fresh or frozen cauliflower florets (chop them down into small bite size pieces so they cook quickly).
- Use fresh spices: For the best flavor, ensure your spices are less than 1 year old and keep them in a well sealed container. Also be sure to check the ingredients on your spices, you want most of the ingredients to be spices, not maltodextrin or other fillers that don’t’ add to the taste.
- Curry powder and turmeric can stain things like linens, wood spoons and some countertops so be careful when blending and stirring the soup.
- Don’t love pureed soup? Only blend 1/4 to 1/2 of the soup for a thick, chunky soup instead of a completely blended soup.
- Veggies: Add in chopped celery, red bell peppers, zucchini with carrots and onions
- Fresh grated ginger
- Fresh chopped garlic
- Chili flakes or cayenne pepper for spice
- Lime juice at the end for a pop of freshness
WILL BE MAKING THIS SOUP. SOUNDS DELICIOUS I AM
GOING TO RATE THIS RECIPE BECAUSE SO FAR ALL OF YOUR
RECIPES WERE GREAT. PAT
I’m so happy to hear that you have been loving all the recipes you have tried so far Pat. I really appreciate you and how much you support my business, it does not go unnoticed! Happy cooking Pat! Sam