This Cauliflower Leek Soup is loaded with vegetables, super simple to make and quite delicious. This homemade dairy free soup only requires 15 minutes of hands-on time and freezes so well, which means it is a great winter soup to batch cook.
As soon as the cooler weather of Pittsburgh hits I love making this soup. It screams fall to me but isn’t laking flavor at all. Sitting on the cough with my husband, dog Douglas, a bowl of this soup, and a Gluten Free Biscuit is the perfect fall day! I always pair my meals with extra vegetables. This would go well paired with my Kale Blueberry Salad with Pecan Cheese or my favorite Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing. This helps give you the balance of the warm creamy soup but the fresh crunch of the salad. For additional fall flavors, you could also pair this with my Acorn Squash Grape Apple Salad to complete the fall flavor experience. If you love soup like me, check out my Gluten Free Italian Wedding Soup recipe too!
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Why You Will Love This Dish
- This soup is naturally dairy free, gluten free, soy free, vegan, low carb, keto, Whole30 and AIP (autoimmune protocol) friendly.
- My creamy cauliflower soup only requires 15 minutes of hands on time which means it makes a great night dinner option.
- My creamy cauliflower leek soup is a great option for batch cooking which means I love to make it in bulk and freeze it so I can have this homemade soup on demand.
- Another recipe I love to bulk and freeze, is my AIP Bone Broth. This homemade broth is a good base for just about any soup. I love using it in my Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup.
- If you like creamy homemade soups, you will love my Paleo Thai Chicken Soup.
- This homemade soup goes great with just about anything, too! It is truly the perfect soup.
Ingredients
- Head of cauliflower-You can also buy pre cut florets, whichever is easiest for you! Just be sure to cut off the green part.
- Leeks-If you are not familiar with leeks, they are part of the onion family. They can add so much flavor to a dish. When you are prepping them, be sure to cut off the ends and slice them real thin like you would with an onion.
- Paprika, garlic powder & black pepper-To give this creamy soup a nice kick.
- Sea salt-To taste.
- Avocado oil-To roast the vegetables in. Any kind of oil will work but avocado oil is my favorite oil for roasting.
- Apple cider vinegar & lemon-This will enhance the flavor even more. Without the acid in this soup it would taste way too bland. Do not skip!
- Bone broth-This is the liquid base in this soup, if you are vegan you can use vegetable broth in place of bone broth. I love bone broth because I think it adds so much flavor to the soup. You can also use chicken stock, vegetable stock, or chicken broth if you already have that on hand.
- Yellow onion-For flavor.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- You could also use frozen cauliflower florets for this recipe instead of fresh.
- I love a kick to my soup but you can adjust the amount of paprika to match your spice preference.
- Potato leek soup would also be a great variation of this creamy cauliflower leek soup recipe, just add some potatoes to make this a potato soup!
- If you are not dairy free, you can substitute the coconut cream for heavy cream. Cheddar cheese would also be a great addition to this creamy cauliflower leek soup either mixed in or as a topping.
- I love a fun garnish on top. Fresh thyme, lemon zest, chopped parsley, bacon/ vegan bacon, nutritional yeast, or parmesan cheese all make for a great garnish.
- Bacon fat-If you plan on using bacon to garnish, I suggest considering using the bacon fat from it to roast the vegetables.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions and variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1: First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then, you will chop the onions, leeks, and cauliflower and spread them out evenly on the sheet pan and season with EVOO, sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Make sure to run the mixture all over. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes.
Photo 2: Once the vegetables are done, remove the baking sheet and place them in a stock pot or large pot with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer on medium heat to medium low heat and occasionally mix for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to break apart the vegetables. Serve with fresh herbs and optional red pepper flakes.
Expert Tips
- Tip #1: If you choose to use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh, you will want to allow the cauliflower to thaw completely before roasting. The additional liquid from the frozen vegetable will also change the amount of roast that can be accomplished.
- Tip #2: You will want to make sure to clean out your leek before roasting. Leeks are grown underground and therefore can have dirt and debris trapped between the leaves.
- Tip #3: You can either eat the soup chunky with the vegetables in tact or you can blend the soup up to make it nice and smooth.
Recipe FAQs
I suggest eating this soup within 5 days. I like to store mine in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Yes! First, allow the soup to cool, then place it in a glass container in the freezer. You can thaw it to heat it up or you can heat it up on low on the stovetop while it is frozen.
Absolutely! If you use coconut milk in this recipe be sure to cut back on the bone broth. For example, if you use a cup of coconut milk, subtract a cup of bone broth. This will prevent the soup from getting too thin.
I love this soup as is, but I also love it with homemade Vegan Garlic Bread! It is also great to do a simple topping of a drizzle of olive oil or green onions on top for additional flavor.
No! If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender or food processor. You will just want to blend in batches so that the hot liquid does not spill over and burn you.
I have this immersion blender and I love it! It’s easy to use and comes with additional attachments. If you do not have one, you can use a regular blender for this recipe.
Most recipes call for the white and light green parts of the leeks. The dark green leaves can be made to use homemade broth.
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Cauliflower Leek Soup
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- soup pot
- cutting board
- knife
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower broken into florets
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 2 leeks chopped, chop off bottom part and use the green part
- 1 tsp paprika omit for AIP
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper omit for AIP
- 6 cups bone broth veggie broth is good for vegan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop the onions, leeks and cauliflower and spread them out on the baking sheet with the oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Make sure to rub the mixture all over. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes. Once the vegetables are done place them in the stock pot with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and mix occasionally for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to break apart the veggies. Serve with fresh herbs and optional red pepper flakes.
Jennifer Runde says
I found this recipe thru a cellular healing program. Alliana this has been one of my to go to meals. I love the combos. I really didn’t consume leeks prior to this dish. It’s opened my eyes up to a whole new flavor. I hear leeks are east to grow too.
Thank you for being a inspiration and sharing thru with the world thru the internet
This makes me so happy to hear! xoxo
Mitch says
This looks so good!
Allianna Moximchalk says
Thank you!
Lori says
This is so good! I love the pairing of leek and cauliflower – so delicious!
Allianna Moximchalk says
Thank you!