This Spiced Carrot Cauliflower Soup is so good, your autumn evenings will never be the same!
Every year we go to a family party at one of my dearest friend’s house and she serves up homemade warm winter soups from great big, bubbling stock pots. This year, while all the kids were scurrying around playing together, Chloe and I sat quite practically nose to nose sharing a bowl of bright orange pureed soup. Then we shared another. And another, until we had refilled our bowl four times. It made perfect sense since it was a cold night and we were both really hungry, but there was something about the flavors of this vegetarian soup that made it irresistible and equally unforgettable.
Since that day I’ve remade and retested this Carrot Cauliflower Soup recipe over a dozen times trying to figure out the precise measurements. Sometimes I used more veggies, sometimes I tried more liquid or spices, but no matter what my variation was, my family devoured each attempt. I guess it shows that it’s hard to mess this recipe up. The best part? It’s super duper nutritious without tasting like something that you’d find yourself eating on a diet.
The flavorful spice combination of curry, cinnamon, and garam marsala partnered with the sweet taste of the carrots and creamy texture of the cooked cauliflower makes for one of the most flavorful soups you could imagine. While you’re making it, let your kids smell and taste the spices. You can also let them shake them into the pot and even use a hand blender (pretty kid-safe with adult supervision) to puree everything together. They will really feel a part of the fun and it’s a great way to introduce kids to the incredible world of spices.
Eating healthy food rarely tastes this heart-warming. This soup is just plain ol’ good.
Spiced Carrot Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 5 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon (I like to use Organic Better Than Bouillon instead of the cubes)
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 3 cups peeled and chopped carrots (about 8 medium carrots)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions for 3 minutes, or until soft.
- Dissolve the vegetable bouillon in the water and add to the pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
- Using an immersion blender or standing blender, puree all of the ingredients until smooth.
Oh my god, this was so good! I sautéed a few cloves of garlic with the onion and added a dash of red pepper flakes to the veggies while simmering. I also amped up the curry powder and garam masala a bit. I’m bringing this to Thanksgiving tomorrow, very excited to share it!
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This wonderful soup is perfect with corn bread. We make it regularly, the boys love it. Thanks Weelicious!
That recipe is better than pot pourri in your home, makes it all smell homey! Awesome soup, thanks Weelicious and it freezes super easily.
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I made this today for my 16-month old son. I tasted it and thought it might be too “spicy” for him, but lo and behold, he loved it! I served it alongside steamed broccoli and couscous. I had a couple of servings myself. Yummy yummy! Can’t wait for my hubby to get home and try it too! Thank you for this recipe! 🙂
Curry powder!
Hi,
Found this while looking for something to do with carrots and leftover cauliflower. Do you mean curry powder or curry paste as it is not clear?
I think I would add the spices to the onion and stir before adding the stock as it would bring out the flavors really well.
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You should know that I initially made this should for my baby a couple months ago. I think he ended up getting one or two servings and I consumed the rest. I topped it with a dab of sour cream and some cayenne. SO GOOD! I’ve got a double batch on the stove right now and I intend to share this batch with the rest of my family (we’ll see 🙂 )
Loved this! Thank you
Garam Masala is a blend of spices and it adds tons of flavor to this soup! You can leave it out if you’d like, but the spices really are worth using! You could use a mock Garam Masala blend of: cumin, corriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg!
Can the garam masala be substituted with something else if we don’t have it or omitted?
I love the thought of you and Chloe nestled over a bowl of this soup. I also love that the kids are so into spices like garam masala!
Yay! I seriously am in LOVE with this soup!
Everyone loved this soup! I made it as part of my husband’s birthday dinner, and he and our three year old gobbled it up. Then we served the leftover along with some Indian take-out to some visiting friends. Then I brought a serving to my friend at work. And I even had enough to freeze so we can enjoy it all over again! Thanks so much for such an easy, delicious, healthy winter soup.
I think i should also be a part of your family party. So yummy.
assorted cheese
You can replace all the water with stock or do half and half!
This looks great. We all adore soup of all kinds. How much vegetable stock would I use since I don’t have boullion on hand? Thanks!
Sounds delicious; will try this week! You mention in the intro that the kids can help by using a hand blender… does this work? (I do not own an immersion blender and my hand blender is easier than taking out and then cleaning standing blender). Thanks!
I made this soup last night, and it was soooooo yummy! A warning, though: the entire family was super gassy afterward because of the cauliflower, and as a nursing mom, I had one fussy baby too!
You’re right…soups like this are so forgiving, and can be so satisfying. I love the spices that you chose to use.
I like Whole Foods brand and Spice Island brand!
Is there a particular brand of garam marsala that you prefer? I had never heard of this before, so I looked it up. Apparently, there are varying comibinations of spices used to make this and so, depending on what brand you buy, varying flavors. Thanks for your help! I’m looking forward to trying this soup.
Looks great! Can’t wait to try! It’s soup season!
I like to use organic Better Than Bouillon instead of the cubes. 1 teaspoon is equal to one bouillon cube. You definitely could use homemade stock instead of the water and bouillon! It comes in jars like this. “http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00016LA9S/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00016LA7K&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DN86FMN512DZMC19A79\
Hi! Looks like a terrific recipe. What is the asterisk next to vegetable boullion for? Any idea how many boullion cubes that would be? (Although actually I’m thinking I could use homemade veggie stock.) Thanks!
It is a note that I like to use Better Than Bouillon instead of the cubes! http://astore.amazon.com/weelicious-20/detail/B004FUCHMA
hi, this looks so yummy! There is an asterisk next to the Ingredient Vegetable Bouillon, but no note in the recipe. Does it mean you can sub chicken or beef or?