This Roasted Cauliflower Soup is creamy and hearty with just the right balance of sweet from pops of corn and heat from jalapeno - this recipe is a must-try if you're as deep into soup season as I am!
Soup season is well underway, at least for us Midwesterners who seek refuge from the frigid temperatures outside in a bowl of steamy hot deliciousness. A realization of sorts occurred to me the other day - soup season has LAYERS. When Fall hits, I'm all about lighter soups, like tomato basil, chicken noodle, minestrone. But not now. I've left that light soup layer behind.
Those lighter soups just aren't cutting it. Because January has me DEEP into soup season and only the creamiest, heartiest soups will do. Chunky chili, comforting chicken wild rice soup, and all of the chowders please and thank you. Specifically, this Roasted Cauliflower Corn Chowder I'm going to tell you all about.
Creamy? Check.
Hearty? Check.
Oh, and how about some zing? We may be deep into soup season, but that doesn't mean we aren't also craving some spice. Roasted Cauliflower Soup checks that box too.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
It's creamy and hearty. This soup is thick in the best way possible! An entire head of cauliflower gets roasted and blended into this soup, providing the perfect creamy base for this hearty soup. By the way, if you love hearty soups, you should check out this semi-homemade black bean soup that uses canned beans. Or this quick and easy Chicken Tortilla Soup made with chicken thighs.
It's well-balanced. Pepperjack cheese and jalapeno add some heat, while carrots and corn bring some sweetness. It's creamy and hearty at it's roots, but subtle hints of sweet and heat bring balance.
It's a great way to use up a head of cauliflower. I have this habit of buying a head of cauliflower with lofty dinner ambitions in mind. For sure I'm going to attempt cauliflower crust pizza or today is the day cauliflower fried rice is happening. Let's be real here: 9 times out of 10 I wind up roasting it in the oven anyway, so this soup is often on deck so I can use up that entire head of cauliflower.
But being this deep into the hearty soup layer has me inspired. Cauliflower is incredibly versatile, but one of its best uses is in soup. Not only does it provide great flavor, but it can also be used to thicken soup, providing a range of pleasing consistencies.
So you already know where this is going.
(ME) Open fridge. Stare at cauliflower. Abandon cauliflower ambitions and prep for roasting. Creamy, hearty soup craving hits. Follow craving. Make soup with roasted cauliflower. And corn and cream and cheese and other comforting, delicious ingredients.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower - You'll need a whole head of cauliflower for this recipe.
- White onion - Or yellow onion, but avoid red in this soup for final color reasons.
- Carrot - Lends sweetness, just belongs in this veggie-forward soup.
- Garlic - This is my "holy trinity" - garlic, onion, carrots. I use them together often because I love garlic, especially in this soup.
- Jalapeno - To bring the heat and keep taking it a Tex-Mex flavor-inspired direction.
- Chicken stock - Or beef or vegetable. Or try making your own, like this homemade beef bone broth made in the Instant Pot.
- Heavy cream - Is there any other kind? I love the creaminess it adds, okay? If you want to keep it light, you can use 2% or Skim milk.
- Seasonings - Mexican oregano (or regular oregano), salt, and white pepper are my go-to seasonings here. The oregano brings some earthiness and salt and white pepper help fine-tune the resulting taste, letting the roasted veggies shine.
- Whole kernel corn - This soup is amazing with freshly roasted corn, but frozen or canned corn is just fine to use. And is admittedly what I use most often.
- Pepper jack cheese - Buy a block and shred it for this soup, it's the move.
- Soup garnishes - bacon crumbles, scallions, hot sauce, more cheese
I kept the ingredients simple; after all, I was inspired, not ambitious. And I knew I wanted some spice, a little heat for warmth. Pepper jack cheese and jalapeno add just the right amount of heat to this Roasted Cauliflower Corn Soup while keeping the focus on the creamy cauliflower and pleasing pops provided by sweet kernels of corn.
Variations
Loaded Roasted Cauliflower Soup - Take inspiration from a loaded baked potato and load this soup up. I like to reach for all the usual suspects, like bacon bits, sliced green onion, and sour cream! Maybe a little extra shredded cheese too?
Lighter Roasted Cauliflower Soup - If you want to lighten up the calories a bit, try swapping heavy cream for 2% or Skim milk, opt for a lower fat stock, and leave the cheese out. It pains me to suggest this, but this cauliflower soup is also wonderful without cheese.
How to Make Creamy Cauliflower Soup - Directions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or bacon grease.
- Step 2: Roast cauliflower in oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet until needed. Don't worry if they aren't super tender at this point, they will cook more in the soup.
- Step 3: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, jalapeno, and garlic and cook until softened, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4: Add cream, chicken stock, and Mexican oregano. Bring to a rapid simmer.
- Step 5: Add roasted cauliflower. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Step 6: Blend to desired consistency. I used a stick blender, but you can also blend in batches using a countertop blender. I prefer a little texture here as opposed to a super smooth consistency.
- Step 7: Add in corn and pepper jack cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.The soup will be pretty thick at this point. If you're happy with the consistency, proceed to the next step. If you want to thin it out a bit, gradually add more chicken stock until you've reached your preferred consistency.
- Step 8: Add salt and white pepper, starting with ½ teaspoon or less of each. Stir and taste. Increase amounts of salt and/or pepper if necessary.
- Step 9: Garnish with bacon crumbles, scallions, and hot sauce. Dig in!
Embrace the creamy, hearty soup layer. Be inspired. Satisfy your cold-weather soup cravings with Roasted Cauliflower Chowder.
Top Tips for the BEST Cauliflower Corn Chowder
Tip 1. Blend it! Blend the cauliflower into the soup to create a rich, creamy base. You can do this with either an immersion or stick blender, or blend it in batches in a blender.
Tip 2. Garnish it! I love adding bacon crumbles and green onion. But you could also add shredded cheese or crumble in some crackers for crunch.
Recipe FAQs
This cauliflower soup will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this soup, but for best results, use within 3 months.
Other Soups to Try!
If you tried this Roasted Cauliflower Soup recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into smaller pieces for roasting
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or liquid bacon grease*
- 1 medium white onion chopped (approximately 1 generous cup)
- 1 carrot stick shredded (approximately 1 generous cup)
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
- 1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ - 1 teaspoon white pepper
- bacon crumbles, scallions, hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or bacon grease. Lightly salt and pepper.1 head cauliflower, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or liquid bacon grease*
- Roast cauliflower in oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet until needed. Don't worry if they aren't super tender at this point, they will cook more in the soup.
- Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, jalapeno, and garlic and cook until softened, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.1 medium white onion, 1 carrot stick, 5-6 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 jalapeno
- Add cream, chicken stock, and Mexican oregano. Bring to a rapid simmer.2 ½ cups chicken stock, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Add roasted cauliflower. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Blend to desired consistency. I used a stick blender, but you can also blend in batches using a countertop blender. I prefer a little texture here as opposed to a super smooth consistency.
- Add in corn and pepper jack cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.The soup will be pretty thick at this point. If you're happy with the consistency, proceed to the next step. If you want to thin it out a bit, gradually add more chicken stock until you've reached your preferred consistency.1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn, 1 cup pepper jack cheese
- Add salt and white pepper, starting with ½ teaspoon or less of each. Stir and taste. Increase amounts of salt and/or pepper if necessary.½ - 1 teaspoon salt, ½ - 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Garnish with bacon crumbles, scallions, and hot sauce. Dig in!bacon crumbles, scallions, hot sauce
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