Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup (Vegan)

Name: Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup (Vegan)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon oil, optional (or use a splash of broth for oil-free); 1 medium yellow onion, chopped; 2 ribs celery, chopped; 4 large cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning blend (see Notes); ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 1¾ lbs; see Notes); 2 large gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 12 oz.); 2 cups vegetable broth; 2 cups water; 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 2 dashes cayenne pepper, optional; 1 bay leaf; ¾-1 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (see Notes)

This Cauliflower Potato Soup is so cozy and comforting while still feeling light—with just 125 calories and 4 grams fat per serving! Made mostly with cauliflower, it gets an extra bit of body and flavor from gold potatoes. The savory base of onion, garlic, celery, and dried herbs makes each spoonful totally irresistible! It's vegan and gluten-free and can be made without nuts or oil.

Two bowls of vegan cauliflower soup with a spoon dipping in to show the creamy consistency.

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There’s something magical about the combination of cauliflower and potatoes. Remember years ago when adding cauliflower to mashed potatoes became a popular way to lighten them up? Well, this cauliflower soup follows the same idea—about 75% cauliflower, 25% potato—but with even more flavor and in the form of a creamy soup!

Made with an entire head of cauliflower plus celery, onion, and a few gold potatoes for extra body, this soup is quite literally packed with veggies!

A spoonful of nutritional yeast adds a subtle cheesy note, while non-dairy yogurt (or sour cream) makes the soup even creamier and more delicious. No one will even know this cauliflower soup is dairy-free!

If you love secretly healthy creamy soups, check out my vegan potato soup, creamy vegetable noodle soup, and Instant Pot red lentil soup next!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Easy Prep: The soup comes together in one pot with just 11 ingredients (plus water, salt and pepper).
Healthy Comfort Food: Imagine a velvety smooth texture with everyone's favorite savory flavors—thyme, sage, celery, onion, and garlic—all wrapped up with the nutritional value of a cruciferous veggie!
Great for Meal Prep: The soup tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge, and you can quickly reheat it for lunch or dinner throughout the week.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Fresh cauliflower florets and all of the other ingredients needed to make the soup.

Cauliflower: The star of this soup, you'll need one large head of cauliflower.
Gold Potatoes: Their thin skins and buttery texture make them perfect for creamy soups. If using another variety, you may want to peel the potatoes.
Aromatics: Sauteed onion, celery, and garlic are the flavorful base of the soup.
Dried Herbs: I used a combination of dried thyme and poultry seasoning, which is simply a blend of several herbs. If you don't have poultry seasoning on hand, use about ¼ teaspoon sage, a few dashes of dried rosemary or additional thyme, and a pinch of celery seed if you have it.
Nutritional Yeast: You can leave this out if you're not a fan. Just one tablespoon adds a touch of cheesy flavor and umami that pairs really well with the other ingredients.
Broth and Water: I like to use 2 cups of each. Feel free to incorporate some vegetable bouillon or homemade vegan chicken broth if you like.
Non-Dairy Yogurt: Look for a plain, unsweetened variety, such as soy, cashew, almond, or coconut yogurt. Most stores carry several brands these days—Kite Hill and Forager are great. Or go with homemade option using one of my recipes: tofu yogurt, cashew yogurt, or almond milk yogurt.
Alternatively, use vegan sour cream or a basic cashew cream with a squeeze of lemon.

See the recipe card below for amounts and step-by-step instructions.

How to Make Cauliflower Potato Soup

Looking inside a soup pot at sauteed onion, celery, garlic, and dried herbs.

First, sauté the onion, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the celery, garlic, dried herbs, and black pepper. Stirring frequently, cook for about 1 minute.

The cauliflower florets and chopped gold potato added to the pot.

Next, add the cauliflower florets and potatoes, stir well, and cook for about 2 minutes just to develop a touch of color on the cauliflower.

Adding the vegetable broth and bay leaf to the pot.

Add the broth, water, nutritional yeast, salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper, if desired. Stir well, and make sure the potatoes are submerged. The cauliflower should be mostly covered, but it's fine for some floret tops to be above the liquid. It will all cook evenly once the pot is covered. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender.

Now it's time to blend the soup! An immersion blender will get the job done, but for the smoothest consistency use a regular stand blender. You'll need to blend it in batches. In my Vitamix I was able to do two batches, but three may be better (and safer), depending on the blender.

Add some of the yogurt to the blender with each batch. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Serving Suggestions

The creaminess of the soup is so enjoyable on its own, I honestly don't like to add too many toppings. Although, the tofu sausage crumbles I sprinkled on top were fantastic (recipe coming soon). Vegan bacon bits and bagel croutons are also delicious and add nice crunch.

Pair the soup with a fresh salad—this vegan kale salad is one of my favorites. You can also make a simple salad of mixed greens with this popular oil-free salad dressing to keep things on the lighter side.

FAQs

Do I need to peel gold potatoes?

Gold potatoes have thin enough skins that there's no need to peel them, especially since this is a blended soup. Normally I would recommend peeling russet potatoes, if that's what you decide to use. But since you'll only need one or two for this recipe, and especially if you use a high-speed blender, even those peels are fine and will blend completely.

What type of blender should I use?

A stand blender creates the smoothest, creamiest soup, but feel free to use an immersion blender if preferred.

How long does it keep?

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.

Helpful Tips

Cut the cauliflower and potatoes evenly. Cut the florets small and slice through thick stems so they're tender in 15 minutes. Chopping the potatoes into 1-inch pieces ensures they cook evenly with the cauliflower.
Use caution when blending hot liquids and never fill the blender jar more than about half full. Remove the center cap to allow steam to escape, and hold a dish towel over the opening. Start on low speed, slowly increase to high, and stop frequently to remove the lid and allow steam to escape.
Taste for seasoning after blending the soup, and add as much salt, pepper, and yogurt as you like!

I hope you enjoy this healthy and creamy vegan cauliflower soup! If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know.

Recipe

A bowl of creamy cauliflower soup topped with crumbled vegan bacon bits.

Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup (Vegan)

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Cauliflower Potato Soup is the best healthy comfort food! It's perfectly creamy, light, savory, and irresistible. With a whole head of fresh cauliflower, aromatics, and dried herbs, this 1-pot creamy cauliflower soup is so good you'll never miss the dairy!

Yield: makes about 8 cups of soup

5 from 1 vote

Servings: servings

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

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Equipment

pasta/soup pot

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon oil, optional - or use a splash of broth for oil-free
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning blend - see Notes
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets - about 1¾ lbs; see Notes
2 large gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces - about 12 oz.
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 dashes cayenne pepper, optional
1 bay leaf
¾-1 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt - see Notes

Instructions

Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat, and add the oil. Sauté the onion, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the celery, garlic, dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stirring frequently, cook for about 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower florets and chopped potatoes and stir well. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to develop some color on the cauliflower.
Add the broth, water, nutritional yeast, salt, and 2-3 dashes of cayenne, if desired. Stir well, and make sure the potatoes are submerged. The cauliflower should be mostly covered, but it's fine for some floret tops to be above the liquid. Add the bay leaf to the pot, cover and increase heat to bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to low and keep covered to maintain a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender.
Uncover and let cool for a few minutes. For the smoothest consistency, use a regular stand blender to blend the soup (instead of an immersion blender). You'll need to work in batches. In my Vitamix I was able to blend it all in 2 batches, but 3 may be better depending on your blender. Add some of the yogurt to the blender with each batch.
NOTE: Always use caution when blending hot liquids and never fill the blender more than about half full. Remove the center cap to allow steam to escape, and hold a dish towel over the opening. Start on low speed, slowly increase to high, and stop frequently to remove the lid and allow steam to escape.
Once the soup is blended, taste for seasoning and add more yogurt, salt, and/or pepper as desired. Serve hot.

Notes

Tip: Cut the florets into fairly small, equal-size pieces; slice through any thicker stems so they're tender in 15 minutes. Chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly with the cauliflower. There's no need to peel gold potatoes since the skins are thin.

Poultry seasoning: This is a blend of dried herbs that often includes sage, thyme, rosemary, onion, and marjoram. If you don't have the blend on hand but you have sage and rosemary, use a bit of each.

Yogurt: Be sure to use yogurt that is completely plain and unsweetened. I have 3 non-dairy yogurt recipes if you need a homemade option: cashew yogurt, almond yogurt, and tofu yogurt. Or go with a store-bought option such as Kite Hill or Forager. Some store brands are also available.

Store leftover cauliflower soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze for up to 2 months.