Roasted Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup is a perfect cozy and super healthy meal for fall lunch or dinner. It is vegan, full of aromatic spices and roasting the vegetables in the oven brings the flavors of this soup to a whole new level!
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Creamy Cauliflower Pumpkin soup
When the pumpkin season strikes, I immediately think SOUP! My favorite fall soups are pureed, made with nourishing vegetables and aromatic spices, such as this butternut squash carrot soup.
The soup recipe I share today has two main characters: pumpkin and cauliflower. This flavor pairing may not seem obvious, at first, but trust me, roasting sweet pie pumpkin and earthy cauliflower and marrying them in a soup form is simply the best!
Personally, I find pumpkin on its own a bit too sweet, too reminiscent of a pumpkin pie. This is why I paired it with savory cauliflower, which resulted in perfectly balanced soup, flavored with aromatic spices, such as cumin, garam masala and turmeric.
Ingredient notes
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Pumpkin: Use sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin) - you will need about 2 lbs of pumpkin for this recipe. Butternut squash will also work well!
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Cauliflower: pick cauliflower that’s firm and bright white for best results.
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Onion: yellow, sweet or white onions will all work.
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Ginger and Garlic: to add warmth and flavor to the soup.
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Olive Oil: extra virgin
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Broth: for a vegan version of this soup use good quality vegetable broth. Otherwise, you can also use chicken broth.
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Coconut Milk: full fat canned coconut milk is best.
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Spices: since both pumpkin and cauliflower are rather bland, warming aromatic spices bring the flavor to a whole new level. You will need cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala. If you don’t have one of them, don’t worry. Just use more cumin and it will still be delicious!
Pro Tip: Fresh garlic and ginger can be a pain to peel and mince. For garlic I recommend using my favorite garlic press that makes cleanup super easy. A life-changing ginger hack I learned is to store fresh ginger (unpeeled) in the freezer in a ziplock bag. When I need it for a recipe, I take it out and grate it on a mini grater. It's super easy to grate frozen ginger and it never goes moldy!
How to make cauliflower pumpkin soup
- STEP 1: Roast pumpkin and cauliflower. Cut the veggies up, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a large baking sheet until soft and lightly charred.
- STEP 2: Cook the onions and aromatics. While the veggies are roasting, cook the onion in olive oil until soft and translucent but not browned. Add garlic, ginger, all the spices and cook another minute or two stirring constantly to toast the spices.
- STEP 3: Add the broth and bring to boil.
- STEP 4: Add roasted veggies (reserving some cauliflower for garnish, if desired). Take the pot off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- STEP 5: Add coconut milk and bring the soup to simmer. Give it a taste and add more seasoning and vinegar.
- STEP 6: Serve hot with reserved cauliflower florettes, pepitas and red pepper flakes.
Storage and freezing
This soup is awesome for meal prep because it will keep in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Just divide it into individual airtight containers or one large container and enjoy throughout the week. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
If you want, you can also freeze this soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, take the container out of the freezer and let thaw completely on the counter. Then reheat on the stove in a pot until heated through and bubbly.
What to serve it with
I like it with some crusty bread and a side salad such as this Apple Gorgonzola Salad. Another great idea is to serve it with my BLT Sandwich with Avocado or this healthy Ham and Cheese Wrap.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you are using a standup blender, make sure that your soup is cooled before blending and puree it in batches. Transfer back to the pot or Dutch oven after each batch.
Pie pumpkin (also called sugar or sweet pumpkin) will work the best! You can also use butternut squash, if you prefer.
Fresh pumpkin is what will work best but if all you have is canned pumpkin puree, you can still make this soup. Add the puree to the soup at the same time as roasted cauliflower. You will need 2 15-oz cans. The flavor of the soup will be a little different since you’re missing the delicious caramelization of roasted pumpkin pieces but it will still taste great!
I like pureed soups to be very thick but if you prefer thinner texture, just add an additional cup of broth at the every end (after pureeing and adding coconut milk), stir well, bring to boil and give the soup a taste. You can repeat this process until the soup reaches your preferred consistency.
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Recipe
Roasted Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pie pumpkin 2lbs
- 1 head cauliflower 1.5-2lbs
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed or minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ½ 15 oz can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Pepitas red pepper flakes (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius).
- Cut up the cauliflower into small florets. Cut the pumpkin into ½ inch thick wedges and then in half. You don’t need to peel the pumpkin.
- Toss the cut up veggies with 1.5 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to coat. Pour onto a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until soft and lightly charred.
- (Optional) Reserve some roasted cauliflower for garnish.
- In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a Dutch oven or a large pot with a thick bottom. Add diced onion and cook on medium heat stirring from time to time until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the spices, garlic and ginger to the onion and cook, stirring another minute or two to toast the spices. If it’s starting to brown, add a splash of water.
- Add broth and bring to boil.
- Once the pumpkin and cauliflower are roasted, add them to the Dutch oven and remove from the stove.
- Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or a standup blender (See note below).
- Turn the stove back on. Stir in coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and stir. Give the soup a taste. It will likely need more salt and pepper. If desired, add another teaspoon of vinegar for a little more acidity.
- Serve hot with topped with reserved roasted cauliflower florets, pepitas and red pepper flakes, or your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Marta says
Very tasty and warming, went well with different toppings
Ramona says
Absolutely delicious!! Topped with some Stilton cheese was a total dream.
Agnieszka says
Great idea with the cheese!
Debra says
Delicious soup...so perfect for this time of year.
Sue says
What a great combo of flavors! This soup is delicious!
Swathi says
This roasted pumpkin and cauliflower soup looks yummy. Perfect for fall.
Julie says
I am FULLY IN LOVE with all these flavors!
Jean says
so warming and filling, love the vegan version
Kay says
The perfect winter warmer, this was a great lunch recipe 🙂
Bernice says
Such a great combination of healthy veggies...and it's delicious too!
Amy says
Great recipe! Never tried it with coconut milk before and it was yum!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
Yum, making this soup tomorrow! I was thinking to make it, and I got the ingredients. All that was left was to look for a recipe:)) Thanks:)
Nancy says
Roasting cauliflower really made a big difference. So creamy and well balanced
Mary says
Lovely flavor combination. I like the little addition of the apple cider vinegar.
Erica says
Creamy and so delicious. I loved the flavors.
Jacqui says
All those spices make it so flavorful and wholesome! Thank you for sharing.
Nora says
What a wonderful comfort food! Just the thing when the days get colder!
Alexandra says
Such a warming and delicious bowl of comfort food!
Amy Liu Dong says
So easy and delicious soup recipe.
I will def make this for tonight's dinner. Thank you!
Fiona Creagh says
hi,
i love the flavour.
can i freeze this
thanks
Fiona (New Zealand)
Agnieszka says
Yes! You definitely can.