Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with Thai curry paste. This comforting vegan soup recipe is perfect for chilly days.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on February 26, 2026
This boldly flavored soup is made with roasted cauliflower, coconut milk and Thai red curry paste. The flavors meld together to create a soup that tastes almost magical. This recipe is a dairy-free spin on classic cauliflower soup that’s loaded with good-for-you vegetables and spices.
If you enjoy Thai red curry, please add this curried cauliflower soup recipe to your list, even if you’re not a big fan of cauliflower. When you blend roasted cauliflower thoroughly, it yields a soup that tastes extra creamy, hearty and savory. Give it a try! I’m confident you’ll want to make it again and again.
How to Make Curried Cauliflower Soup
I’ve enjoyed this soup for over ten years, ever since I found it in an unlikely source, The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook. I’ve recently retested it and added more guidance and better step-by-step photos.
You’ll find the full recipe at the end of the post, and an instructional video below. Here’s a brief rundown:
- Roast the cauliflower. Wait until the cauliflower is done roasting before you start cooking the soup (or roast it in advance and refrigerate it for later). While it’s roasting, you’ll have time to prep the remaining ingredients.
- Sauté an onion until tender, then add the curry paste and lemon zest to brighten the flavors.
- Add white wine (optional) for another layer of complexity. I’ve tried it without the wine and loved it nonetheless, so it’s not a deal breaker by any means.
- Add half of the roasted cauliflower (we’re saving the rest to garnish the soup), followed by vegetable broth and coconut milk. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, then blend the soup well.
- Season the soup to taste with rice vinegar, salt and pepper. It will taste amazing once you’ve added enough. Serve the soup in bowls garnished with any combination of roasted cauliflower, green onions, basil and red pepper flakes.
Watch How to Make This Soup
Curry Paste Notes
I’ve tested this recipe with Thai Kitchen and Mekhala brands of Thai red curry paste. I prefer Thai Kitchen since it offers greater control over the spice level. Mekhala is quite spicy, even when using the lowest amount suggested in the recipe. Both of these options are vegan (some other Thai curry pastes contain shrimp). Look for curry paste in the Asian food aisle, near the coconut milk.
Serving Suggestions
This comforting vegan soup is quite filling on its own. It makes great leftovers, tastes even better the next day, and freezes well for future meals. Here are some complementary options to round out your meatless meal:
- Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps
- Edamame Hummus
- Colorful Chopped Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing (or a simple salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing)
- Improvise a salad with Thai Peanut Dressing (you’ll find suggested ingredients within the post)
Please let me know how your soup turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Creamy, vegan cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with Thai curry paste. This healthy, comforting soup recipe is perfect for chilly days. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large head of cauliflower (2 to 3 pounds), broken into small florets
- Up to 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste* (depending on the brand and your preferred spice level)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: ½ cup unoaked white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)**
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (14 ounces) light or regular coconut milk
- 1 to 3 teaspoons rice vinegar, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Optional garnishes: ¼ cup chopped green onions or chives, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (preferably Thai), or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower with enough oil to lightly coat it (up to 3 tablespoons). Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes.
- Wait until the cauliflower is done before starting the soup (this is a good time to prep the remaining ingredients). In a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is turning translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the curry paste and lemon zest and stir to incorporate. If you’re using the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, pour it in, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add half of the cauliflower florets and all of the stems to the pot. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering for 5 to 10 more minutes to meld the flavors, reducing the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Let the soup cool for a few minutes. For the creamiest results, transfer the soup in small batches to a blender, blending until each batch is smooth. (Don’t fill your blender past the maximum fill line; beware of the steam escaping from the lid.) Or, use an immersion blender and blend well.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup needs more acidity, stir in 1 to 2 additional teaspoons of vinegar (it will taste fantastic once you’ve added enough). Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each with ¼ of the cauliflower florets and a sprinkle of green onions, basil, and pepper flakes (if using). Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Adapted from The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook.
*Thai red curry paste: I’ve tested this recipe with Thai Kitchen and Mekhala brands of Thai red curry paste, which are both vegan (some other Thai curry pastes contain shrimp). I prefer Thai Kitchen because Mekhala is significantly spicier (I used just 1 tablespoon of Mekhala, and the soup was still pretty spicy). Look for curry paste in the Asian food aisle, near the coconut milk.
2025 recipe edits: I revisited this recipe and made a few edits/notes. I omitted the sugar, increased the broth, verified that the soup is great without the wine, and tweaked the roasting time.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Lovely! I added some lime curry paste, which made it a ting to sour, so left out the vinegar… Perfect as it was -15C here today :)
Thanks for sharing!
Amazing. 3 tablespoons yes, and the toppings were a great addition. Ate every last drop (but just three of us :)
Love it! Thank you for sharing, Melanie.
The BEST soup I have ever had! Thanks so much for sharing! I will most definitely be making this again
You’re welcome, Allison!
I timed this recipe x 8 for 32 people as I had a dinner party for 24 and wanted some left over to freeze. Everyone loved it! Two things I changed as I made such a large quantity: I passed the cauliflower through the Magimix before roasting to make it easier to blend and added smoked paprika and Chinese five spice to taste. Thank you for sharing. I think that tjis will have to be a regular starter from now on it was so popular!
I’m glad it was a hit! Thanks for reporting back, Monique!
This turned out well. I was short on time, so I didn’t roast the cauliflower but cooked it with the onions – actually, I used leeks. So I’m sure it’s even better with roasted cauliflower. Went together super quick. I garnished with pumpkin seeds and chipped cilantro.
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! I love the garnish.
Is there a good substitute for the curry paste that would make it less spicy, nonetheless still delicious? Looking forward to trying it!
You could cut back the amount. Hope this helps!
Used lemon instead of vinegar and added a little garlic. Came out great!
the addition of garlic sounds splendid….
I’m happy to hear that, Alexis! Thank you for your review!
Simple yet flavorful and down right delicious!!!
Thank you, Sandi!
This recipe is the first one I ever used with Thai red curry paste and I’ve been hooked ever since! I’ve been making it for the past couple of years. Everyone adores it, and I am asked to make it for winter staff meetings when we do a soup lunch. Thank you!
Hooray! What a great soup to share with your co-workers. Thanks for the review, Pat!
Amazing soup! My friend shared this recipe with me, and it’s one I’ll come back to again and again.
Thanks for letting me know you loved it, Robyn!
Hi! Is it possible to transfer to a food processor instead of a blender?
That should be ok. Let me know what you think!
I love this recipe and make it all the time for my family. It’s so satisfying, easy to make, and full of flavor. Great with rice and naan. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Ali! Thanks for your review.
Hi Kate great recipe but it’s not vegan because thai curry paste has fish sauce in it!
Hi! You can actually find curry without fish sauce, you just have to look at the ingredients when buying. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you Kate. I’ve looked for it but haven’t found it yet. I’ll keep searching. Great website by the way
FYI: Thai Kitchen makes red curry paste that is vegan.
One of my favorite recipes :) I make it all the time ❤️
I love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Eileen!
Threw some spinach in because it was going to go off, which added a nice variation in texture (and a good way to get some extra greens). Absolutely love it. (And love this website. I have yet to cook a recipe from you that hasn’t turned out well!)
Delicious! I loved this recipe and I am making it again right now…thank you, Kate (and Cookie) :-)
Thank you, Rita!
This is definitely going in our winter dinner rotation! I used chicken stock instead of veggie stock (we’re not vegetarian and I wanted to add a little protein), I added a small red bell pepper with the onion because I had one that needed used up, and I omitted the wine and sugar. It was FANTASTIC! Even my 2 yr old gobbled up 2 bowls of it. I’ll have to double the recipe next time so we’ll have some leftovers. I used 3 tbsp of curry paste and didn’t find it overly spicy (it was the perfect spice level for my kids) so I might at a little squirt of sriracha to my bowl or garnish with slices of hot pepper next time.
Great to hear, Kerry! Thank you for sharing.
Just made your curried cauliflower soup for the first time….it was excellent….hubby said you can make more of that asap….thanks for a great recipe….x
This soup is delicious and easy to make. I wanted to make it more of a meal on it’s own, so added some cooked red lentils (1 cup uncooked) before blending for some protein. It didn’t have much impact on the flavour or texture and went a long way!
Thank you for your review, Olivia!
Delicious, brought to a family meal and everybody asked for the recipe! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Annie!
Can this be made in an instant pot?
I haven’t tried it, Sorry!
Such a lovely soup for a fall evening and it’s so filling! Will definitely be making this again!
Wonderful to hear, Jana! Thanks for your review.
Delicious! The whole family loved it.
Good texture and simple. I found this too sweet event with the rice wine. It was a bit bland for my taste. I added more sweet curry powder and red pepper flakes and garnished with fresh basil chiffonade.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. I appreciate your feedback!
This soup is so delicious, I’ve made it so many times and it goes so well every time. Very creamy- fantastic for taking to work for lunch!
My daughter made this soup. The best she’s ever made! Thank you for the recipe
Made this tonight because I needed to use a head of cauliflower before it went bad. So glad I did! Exactly the taste I was looking for. Next time I will use 3 tablespoons of the Red Curry because the 2 Tablespoons gave a slight heat but nowhere close to my liking. Thanks for a great recipe! I’ll be making this again for sure!
This is more than adapted from the Chubby Vegetarian cookbook. Seems misleading here that you said it’s authored by you – should say modified slightly but authored by The Southern Vegetarian cookbook. Please give better credit to recipes you’ve changed slightly.
My whole family really likes this soup. Thank you!
Hi Kate!
Could you please recommend substitutions for the Thai paste, thanks. Can I just add some chili powder (cayenne/paparika) with garlic and ginger to get the same result? Thanks.
Hi Carol, Thai chili paste has a pretty unique flavor (it contains ground chili, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, etc.). You could certainly play around with chili powder, garlic and ginger and see what happens!
Just delicious! Thank you for a smashing recipe.
this was so delicious and easy! and surprisingly filling. I love love turmeric and cumin so I added a tsp of each when adding the curry paste.
I’m glad you loved the curry! Thanks for the review, Allysen
I’m about to make this today. Plan on adding some fresh Peruvian ginger and garlic.Will post results
Hello, Kate! I am looking to make this recipe (super excited about it really), and am wondering about the nutritional information listed…I am on a strict macro regime so I have to be very diligent about my recipes. Where does the 19g of fat come from? I am looking through the ingredients and am stunned that light coconut milk and coconut oil would give that much fat to a portion. Is it because of the wine and the stock? Could there possibly (fingers crossed :)) a misprint?
Thanks for reviewing my question.
Hi Kim! Those do impact the fat. You can always look up the specific ingredients if you are needing to know their specific nutritional information. More on my nutritional disclaimer can be found on the blog. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
Didn’t know that adding only 1 tsp of rice vinegar would make the whole dish taste so sour and unlikeable
Roasting the cauliflower is an extra step but is SO worth it. The depth of flavour is beautiful. I have already made it again at the request of my family. A perfect comfy fall meal
Made this again last night. YUM! I always roast a peeled, chopped up sweet potato along with the cauliflower–and use the whole jar of red curry paste. Amazing, as always!
This soup, just like all of the other recipes I’ve tried from this blog, was so delicious! I used full fat coconut milk, which made it so creamy- but not as healthy. Next time I’ll try it with the light stuff so that I won’t feel guilty eating SO much of it at once (it was hard save some for leftovers). Thank you, Kate!
This is literally the best soup I’ve ever made! Thank you!
I used full fat coconut milk because thats what was on hand, and lemon extract olive oil instead of lemon zest. And so much curry paste :) so so good
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Angela.
Love this soup. Simple to make and delicious.
This was so delicious! I had to use panang curry paste, but otherwise followed the recipe to a tee. I was surprised how easy it was to make. My husband raved about it (and he rarely says anything). This will definitely go into my rotation. Thanks so much!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Rikkina! I appreciate your review.
This has become my absolute favourite soup to the point that we make it for every holiday. I will admit I skip the wine, additional sugar and vinegar, and subbed lime zest for lemon because that’s what I had, but those are all pretty minor changes. It is DELICIOUS. MAKE THIS NOW!
Thank you for your review, Meghan! I’m happy you have loved it.
Utterly delicious.
I know my curry paste to be OVERLY HOT and was cautious enough to reduce the amount to one (big) teaspoon. I’m glad I did! Also, I used some pickled red onion (your recipe) instead of the chives I didn’t have (and no rice vinegar to compensate the added acidity).
Will be doing it many more times!
Wonderful to hear, Nathalie! Thank you for your review.
This recipe was so delicious. All the flavors just rolled around in your mouth. I cannot believe how wonderful vegetables can taste. Plant based for one month now and loving it. I love your recipes and the photos. Such colorful foods. Thank you
Thank you for sharing, Lori! I’m happy to hear that.
My daughter-in-law made this soup for us and it was amazing. I just made it myself today and it is again awesome. I agree more Thai chili paste is the way to go. I love the hit of vinegar – takes it to the next level. I wonder if lime juice might work also?
Hi! You can try some lime juice it you like. Let me know what you think.
This is heaven in a bowl. 10/10. We’ve been trying a lot of your recipes – this and the Thai butternut squash soup are amazing. We think this soup is Masterchef level good – the kind of soup that deserves a white tablecloth and silver cutlery. Can’t wait to try the rest. Thanks !
Hello,
Your soup tasted amazing. I only had green curry paste and it worked out really well. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you! Used this for meal prep this week, so nice to have it waiting in the freezer. I used Thai Kitchen brand curry paste and used 2 Tbsp.
Thank you for sharing, Courtney! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Thx so much for this amazing recipe! I found myself with a Costco sized bag of cauliflower and time was running out to use it. Somehow the idea of soup in summer did not deter me, and I found your recipe. Followed it pretty much to a T (had to sub chicken broth for veggie, as I had none), and it is AMAZING! A keeper for sure! Next time I’m going to experiment with lime instead of lemon, just for fun, but seriously, WOW! This was fantastic!!!
I’m glad you loved it, Wendy! I appreciate your review.
Mads this tonight. It was delicious.
That’s great! Thank you for your review.
This soup is amazing. I used Thai curry spice powder instead of the paste and it’s divine!