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

  • This is a great soup.

  • I used veggie broth instead. I also used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream and white pepper instead of black.

  • One of Daniel Boulud’s restaurants here in New York offered his version of this soup. I was hesitant to order it one night because, while I like the taste of curry, I don’t care for too much heat. Well, his recipe was just right so I gave this one a shot. Both soups are perfectly delicious and now I have a recipe to match the one in the restaurant!

  • Amazing. I couldn’t believe it. The only thing I did differently was exchange the black pepper for a pinch of cayenne. Love it. I’m totally amazed. This is my second recipe attempt from your site. Last night we had the white chicken chili. Thanks for being consistently awesome.

    • So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!

  • I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious, although I added a bit of cumin to add more flavor and used creme fraiche instead of heavy cream. I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving. Is this something I can make ahead and freeze, without the garnish of course!

    • Hi Janet, Glad you enjoyed! It’s perfectly fine to make ahead and freeze, but it’s best not to add the cream/creme fraiche until right before serving.

  • Could I use some creme fraiche instead of heavy cream? I happen to have it my fridge.

    • Hi Janet, Yes that should work fine.

      • Might try a dash of cayenne as well!

  • Delicious; I made two very different pots of soup this evening figuring this one was mine, for my husband doesn’t like cauliflower. Guess what, hubby loves this, as do I. This recipe, as is, is a keeper in our house. I made no additions or subtractions. Thank you very much.

  • I’m making this for high holy days this week and want to make it in the morning – should I just omit the cream and add it before serving? Any suggestions for prepping this the morning of?

    • Hi Michelle, You can make the recipe to completion, including the cream, as long as you’re not planning on freezing it. It’s absolutely fine to make the morning of, or even a day or two before. Happy New Year 🙂

  • I made this last night. It turned out great. I also made some roasted curry chickpeas to go with the soup. Wonderful!

    • Love that idea, Laura. I will definitely try that 🙂

  • So yummy. Curry, what’s not to love ?
    Also try combining parsnip, apple and curry for a lovely soup with a different flavor. One of my families favorites!

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