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Curried Cauliflower Soup with Apples

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You’ll love this unique cauliflower soup flavored with curry and topped with apples.

Curried Cauliflower and Apple Soup

One of the things I love about cauliflower is that it’s essentially a blank slate to which you can add other flavors. In this curried cauliflower soup, the mild nuttiness of the cauliflower, tart-sweetness of the apples, and aromatic heat of the curry blend together into a creamy, savory-sweet soup. It’s easy to make, too.

What you’ll need to make Curried cauliflower soup With Apples

Soup ingredients including apples, whipping cream, and onion.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by gently cooking the onions and garlic in olive oil. You don’t have to worry about chopping the onions uniformly or mincing the garlic (I just smash it) because it’s all going to be puréed anyway.

Onions in a Dutch oven.

Add the curry powder and cinnamon and cook until fragrant.

Spices in a Dutch oven with onions.

Next, add the cauliflower, chopped apples, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.

Broth and vegetables in a Dutch oven.

Simmer until the cauliflower is tender.

Wooden spoon stirring a pot of broth and vegetables.

Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until completely smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a standard blender.) When using an immersion blender, I like to tip the pot to one side so the blender can really get in there. You’ll have fewer splatters this way too.

Immersion blender in a pot of soup.

Add the honey and heavy cream and blend again. Note that the recipe only calls for a 1/3 cup of cream, which is way less than most cream soups. I know it’s tempting to leave it out completely but keep in mind it mellows the spices and makes the soup silky.

Immersion blender in a pot of soup.

For the garnish, combine some finely diced apples with a bit of curry powder. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon some of the curried apples over top.

Bowls of cauliflower soup.

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Curried Cauliflower Soup with Apples

You’ll love this unique cauliflower soup flavored with curry and topped with apples.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Soup

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 head cauliflower (2½ to 3 pounds), cut into small florets
  • 1 tart yet sweet apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 cups (48 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream

For Curried Apples Garnish

  • 1 tart yet sweet apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp, peeled and finely diced
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon curry powder

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the curry powder and cinnamon and cook a few minutes more.
  2. Add the cauliflower, apple, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
  3. Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Stir in the honey and heavy cream. Bring the soup to a simmer, and then taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and more honey. (For a sweeter soup, you'll need 2-3 tablespoons more honey). Keep the soup warm while you prepare the garnish.
  4. For the garnish, toss the diced apples with the curry powder. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a spoonful of curried apples.
  5. Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.
  6. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Calories: 201
  • Fat: 9 g
  • Saturated fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26 g
  • Sugar: 14 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Sodium: 329 mg
  • Cholesterol: 9 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Made this and enjoyed it very much. Seems to be a good soup base to sub different vegetables and swap out the curry depending on what veg you use. I added more curry and used toasted pepitas on top. Will definitely make again. Might leave out curry and add cheese at end of cooking. Love recipes that allow flexibility. Thank you!

    • — JuLee on October 7, 2023
    • Reply
  • This is so delicious. I seasoned the cauliflower with a little cumin, curry, ginger powder, olive oil, salt and roasted for 20 minutes at 425. Then added it along with the apples to the cooked/spiced onion/garlic mixture. Cooked for a little less time as the cauliflower was almost tender already. I ate two bowls and was considering a third!

    • — Beth G on May 24, 2023
    • Reply
  • We LOVED this soup! The directions were so easy to follow and the flavors are wonderful. Thanks, again, Jenn, for your delicious recipes.

    • — Michelle Lopus on February 26, 2023
    • Reply
  • Sounds delicious but my family is vegetarian except me so could I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?
    Thank you

    • — Jill on April 2, 2022
    • Reply
    • Definitely – enjoy!

      • — Jenn on April 4, 2022
      • Reply
      • Loved the flavour but came out a bit too thin. Maybe my cauliflower head weighted a bit less than the recipe. Maybe next time I will add a potato to be sure.

        • — Eugenia on May 7, 2023
        • Reply
  • I LOVE this soup. Sweet, salty, savory. Delicious!

    • — Jessica on March 26, 2022
    • Reply
  • I LOVED this soup. However, I made a few adjustments which I think made it even better. I used a large head of cauliflower but it was a little too thin for me. So I added cooked delicate and kabocha squash which had been roasted with curry powder. This thickened it up nicely and added a punch of flavor.

  • I had cauliflower on hand and I just needed to do something with it!! I was very much on the fence if I would like this because sometimes I think curry can be overwhelming. This was so much better than I even expected. I thought the apple would be more prominent and it wasn’t. What a pleasant lovely balanced soup. Trust Jenn — everything is always amazing.

  • We love your recipes, Jenn! This soup was perfect for our cold, rainy Washington weather. I have both of your cookbooks, use your blog, and continue to purchase your cookbooks for friends as gifts. Keep those recipes coming! 🤩

    • — Lauren Sheridan
    • Reply
  • This soup was delicious! If I wanted to double the recipe do I double spices, apple etc? Sometimes when I double my soup recipes they don’t seem to work. Thanks

    • Glad you liked it! Yes, I would double all the ingredients. 🙂

  • This was much easier to make than I expected. And soooo good. It reminds me of soup that was served before the meal at my favorite Indian restaurant in Germany. Thanks!

  • Just made this! Comes together so quickly and is very easy to make. The flavor is outstanding– I used exactly 2.5 lbs cauliflower (two smaller heads) and subbed light cream for heavy to cut calories. Added a big pinch of salt at the end. YUM!

  • I LOVE this soup. Really good and easy. THANK YOU.

  • Delicious and quickly put together!

    The only other comment I’d add is to ensure you use a large cauliflower (2-3 pounds as written in the recipe), otherwise you risk having a thin, watery soup.

    This is a keeper! Thanks, Jenn!

  • This has become a staple in our house! Everyone loves it. I used milk rather than cream to keep the calories down and it turned out so yummy and smooth! With the leftover soup, I added cubed cooked chicken, thickened it alittle with flour and put it in individual pie Shells! Served it with rice and salad! To die for!!

  • This is a delicious soup! Will be making it again in the next few days and can’t wait. With below-zero wind chill predicted, I’m sure it will taste even better!

  • I followed the recipe exactly. The consistency was perfect. After I had a bowl, I decided I would like a stronger flavor. I just added a little more salt, and at least another tablespoon of curry, then it was perfect for me.

  • This soup is delicious!! Your soup recipes are easy to follow and they are all yummy. Thank you for sharing your recipes.

  • Fantastic soup!! I weighed my cauliflower to make sure I had the 2.5-3 pounds that Jenn recommends and had to use 2 cauliflower to get that weight. I wonder whether other reviews underwhelmed by the flavor used too small a cauliflower. The correct quantity makes a difference in the taste and thickness of the finished soup. Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!

    • I love how you provide recipes so easy to follow- no forgetting, so delicious to ingest too! Love love love!

  • Hi Jenn,
    I have a question? I made this soup and it smells lovely! and taste is developing as I am still simmering it! I am just wondering what you would suggest to do with the dark parts of the leeks? I dont use them too often.
    cheers,
    Michele Rush

    • Hi Michelle, I’m assuming this is a general question as this soup doesn’t have leeks. 🙂
      The texture of the dark part of leeks is tough so the one thing that comes to mind is using it in homemade broth to add flavor. Hope that helps!

  • I love Jenn’s Recipes, but I didn’t have a big success with this one. It was a bit watery (although simmering the purée helped some) and the flavor was only so so (my Asian curry powder?)

  • I’m a big follower of OUAC, have your cookbook and have directed many family and friends to your site as we absolutely love your recipes. Made this recipe as we love anything curry. Followed the recipe to a T and was extremely underwhelmed by the lack of flavor, watery texture and the addition of honey. I am hoping that perhaps letting it sit for a day or so in the fridge enhances flavors – still optimistic, Jen:)

    Am surprised at the number of positive reviews; although noticed a number of the 5 stars were people who had not even made the recipe yet.?.

  • Love your recipes!!!! I was going to make your Curried Cauliflower and Apple Soup this afternoon. My problem is that the curry in my cabinet is probably 10 years old. I do have Red Curry Paste in the refrigerator but am not sure if I can substitute. Would you use the old curry or the curry paste. Thanks, Trish

    • — Patricia Maple
    • Reply
    • Hi Patricia, I’d probably stick with the curry powder. It may not be as pungent so you could use an extra pinch. Hope you enjoy!

  • We’ve been greatly enjoying your recipes! Can I substitute whole milk yogurt for the cream in this recipe?

    • Sure, I think that should work (and glad you like the recipes)! 🙂

  • Delicious soup! My whole family loved it. A nutritious soup that feels rich. A great fun flavor change from basic soups.

  • I loved this soup, and have made it a dozen or so times with variations. Today we had only 2/3 the recommended amount of cauliflower and no spple, so we added a sweet potato and a handful of baby carrots to mimic the sweetness. I’ve made it with cream, without cream, with coconut milk, and substituted sour cream for the cream. All were delicious! This really is a flexible soup. At the end, I remove 3 cups of the broth, puree, and then add back the broth as needed to get the texture I want. A warming and delicious soup any time of year, easy for beginners, and minimal cleanup to boot!

  • Very good flavors but the consistency was too thin (my cauliflower was small so I put less liquid. I add more cream but it didn’t do the trick

    • Hi Annik, if you make this again, I’d simmer it a bit longer than the recipe indicates to give it an opportunity to thicken more.

  • Is it possible to use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh? If so, what amount do you recommend? Thanks.

    • Hi Karen, I’ve never used frozen cauliflower here but I suspect it should work. You’ll need about 2 1/2 pounds. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

  • Hi, I don’t have curry powder (and I’m avoiding going out), is there a spice I could use as a substitute?
    Thank you!

    • — Lisa Silverman
    • Reply
    • Hi Lisa, Garam Masala would be a good substitute. 🙂

  • Excellent soup!

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