This lemony carrot and cauliflower soup is a creamy vegan soup bursting with deep flavor. It's low-calorie and full of sweet, hearty vegetables that pair perfectly with dried herbs and fresh lemon juice. It’s perfect for a cold winter's day!
Right before serving, top each bowl with a pinch of lemon zest, about a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, a little smoky paprika, a few green scallion pieces, and a few homemade croutons made from this French bread or gluten-free bread. The flavors and textures pair together so well that you’ll think about this soup all day long!
Why you’ll love this lemony carrot and cauliflower soup
- Ready in 40 minutes - Take your time to build flavor, and gradually saute each ingredient before pureing them together. It’s so worth the effort.
- So rich and creamy - As the tender onions, carrots, and cauliflower blend, they become the most perfectly creamy, flavor-packed bowl of soup. So satisfying!
- Amazing balance of flavors - Thanks to the herby flavors of sage and thyme, aromatic vegetables, soy sauce, and lemon juice, you’ll notice flavors in every part of your palate. The lemony, green onion garnish takes the whole bowl over the top!
Ingredients
- Olive oil - Use your favorite neutral cooking oil to saute the herbs and vegetables.
- Dried herbs - Sautee dried sage and thyme for an extra savory flavor.
- Onion - Choose yellow onions, which are naturally sweeter than white onions.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic has the best flavor, but you can use minced garlic in a pinch.
- Ground turmeric - This brightens up the orange color of the carrots and adds a mild earthiness.
- Water - The other ingredients have so much flavor you don’t need to use broth or stock.
- Lite soy sauce - Choose a lite soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, look for wheat-free tamari.
- Kosher salt - Taste and season as you go to ensure the soup is fully seasoned.
- Carrots - Use 4 large carrots or substitute baby carrots in a pinch.
- Cauliflower - Remove the dried ends of the stalks and cut off any gray or discolored sections.
Garnish ingredients
- Smoked paprika adds a subtle smokiness that tastes great with carrots and cauliflower's rich, sweet flavors.
- Scallions - Green onions' bright, herby flavor pairs so well with the rich, creamy root vegetables.
- Lemon juice & zest - These brighten up the whole soup and cut through the richness in the most refreshing way.
Variations
- Use stock or broth - Use your favorite vegetable or chicken stock for extra flavor instead of water.
- Make a double batch - Since this recipe makes 4 servings, you might want to double it for more leftovers.
- Add fresh ginger - The refreshing bite of ginger pairs well with the turmeric, carrots, cauliflower, and other ingredients. Add about a teaspoon of minced ginger and saute it with the garlic.
How to Make Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot until hot.
- Add the thyme and sage and continue heating for about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is transparent (about 7 minutes).
- Add the garlic and stir, heating for about 30 seconds.
- Add the turmeric and stir, heating for about 30 seconds.
- Add the water, soy sauce, salt, carrots, and cauliflower to boil it.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender (or a regular blender) until thoroughly blended.
- Serve hot, topped with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a pinch of lemon zest, a pinch of smoky paprika, a few sliced scallions, and a few homemade croutons (if desired).
Expert Tips
- Look for fork tender veg - It’s really easy to under or overcook the vegetables. For the best texture, they should be fork-tender. This means you should be able to easily stick a fork in the vegetable without forcing it at all. If the fork slides through without effort, the vegetables are slightly overcooked. If you have to push the fork in, the vegetables will have a gritty texture and not be as enjoyable to eat.
- Choose the right pot - Be sure to choose a Dutch oven or a large soup pot, not a regular saucepan. You must give the vegetables and broth room to bubble and simmer together. Your pot should hold at least 4 quarts.
- Peel faster - To peel your carrots in half the time, run the peeler up and down instead of only peeling in a downward motion.
Recipe FAQs
Although you don’t taste it as much when you eat raw carrots, this root vegetable is naturally sweet. That sweetness becomes concentrated and more pronounced when they’re cooked, and it’s common to find carrot soups to taste somewhat sweet. Add an umami flavor, like soy sauce or some vinegar or lemon juice to balance the sweetness.
As the vegetables in this soup cook down, they soften and absorb the flavorful broth. Once you blend the vegetables together, they’ll add a rich, creamy texture to this soup that is so enjoyable to eat. No cream or cornstarch slurry is necessary!
Carrots and cauliflower pair really well together in soup! If you’ve ever roasted these vegetables, you know that carrot is naturally sweet and has a soft, dense texture that’s really enjoyable to eat. Cauliflower has a little nuttiness and mild sweetness with a different texture. When combined in soup, these different flavors and textures taste great together and complement each other really well.
More Plant Based Recipes To Try
- Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup
- Leek and Potato Soup
- Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Smoky Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Gluten Free Butternut Squash Soup
- Gingery Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash Vichyssoise Soup
Lemony Carrot And Cauliflower Soup
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
- ½ teaspoon sage dried leaf
- 1 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic about 1 teaspoon minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Lite soy sauce use gluten free if you need GF
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large carrots cleaned, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
- 1 small cauliflower trimmed and cut into small pieces, about 4 cups
Garnish (This is the best part; don't leave it out.)
- ½ teaspoon smoky paprika
- 2 scallions white and green parts only, sliced
- zest of one lemon
- juice of one lemon about ¼ cup
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot until hot.
- Add the thyme and sage and continue heating for about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is transparent (about 7 minutes).
- Add the garlic and stir, heating for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tumeric and stir, heating for about 30 seconds.
- Add the water, soy sauce, salt, carrots and cauliflower and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend the soup until thoroughly blended.
- Serve hot, topped with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, a pinch of lemon zest, a pinch of smoky paprika, a few sliced scallions, and a few Homemade Croutons (if desired).
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
