This creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup recipe is made with cauliflower, dairy free milk and tempeh and topped with crispy kale chips for added texture. Cozy up to a warm bowl of cauliflower soup, because it may just be the BEST way to eat cauliflower!
It’s soup season! I mean, it kind of is. It’s September, which means it’s a strong mix of warm and cold, especially here in Pennsylvania. However, I was sick a couple of days ago and this soup recipe absolutely hit the spot.
I know–how can cauliflower possibly hit the spot–I sound like one of those people. I don’t really know when cauliflower because so trendy, but I imagine there was a time when people only ate cauliflower as a side. Weird! Now there’s cauliflower pizza, cauliflower rice, cauliflower meatballs, and now cauliflower soup.
WHY THIS VEGAN CAULIFLOWER SOUP IS SO GOOD
- Half of it gets blended up in a blender, meaning it’s has the creamiest texture
- It’s has tempeh in it, which makes the flavor even better
- It’s topped with crispy kale chips, which is the best way to sneak in extra veggies
VEGAN CAULIFLOWER SOUP RECIPE
This cauliflower soup uses a combination of milk, vegetable broth and cauliflower to create a creamy texture. Those three things plus the addition of veggies, including kale, and tempeh make for a delicious and good-for-you soup recipe.
Have you ever tried tempeh? If you haven’t, please do because I’m obsessed! It tends to be my go-to “meat” for lunch, and goes perfectly in this soup. Many people love potato soup with bacon, so this is like the vegan version to that but with cauliflower and tempeh.
TIPS FOR MAKING CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP
USE A HIGH-POWER BLENDER: I know this tip is kind of silly, but as you might assume, a high-power blender is going to make this soup extra creamy and delicious. I know quality blenders make a difference because I used to own a cheap one and it was the worst. This is my current blender, and I LOVE it.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TEMPEH: What is the “right” tempeh? For this recipe, it’s tempeh that’s already marinated. Personally, I like the LightLife “fakin’ bacon” flavor.
THE PERFECT KALE CHIPS: Kale chips are underrated in my opinion, but they add a great texture to this soup, though they do get soft once they’re fully immersed in the soup, so it’s best to keep them on top of the soup if possible.
WHAT MAKES THIS SOUP VEGAN?
This recipe calls for almond milk, though you can technically use ANY dairy free milk. It also uses vegetable broth. Those two things, along with cauliflower and vegetables like onion and celery, make this a vegan-friendly soup.
DOES IT TASTE LIKE CAULIFLOWER?
The garlic, onion and marinated tempeh all give this soup a wonderful flavor, one that which only sort of tastes like cauliflower. I love this soup, and it just tasted like straight cauliflower I wouldn’t be sharing it with you.
I hope you enjoy this vegan cauliflower soup as much as I did!
OTHER TASTY SOUP RECIPES
Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Tempeh
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion diced (1/2 yellow onion)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk*
- 2 heads of cauliflower chopped with leaves removed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4-8 strips flavored tempeh cooked
- 2 cups kale stems removed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Then, add garlic and celery and cook for an extra 2 minutes.
- Add broth, milk and cauliflower, cover skillet and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
- Meanwhile, place kale on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and cook for 5 minutes or until kale is crispy but not burnt. It cooks quickly, so be sure to check every few minutes. One cooked, place kale aside.
- At this point, you're also going to want to cook the tempeh if you haven't already. I cook mine in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.
- Once soup is done, place HALF of the soup in a KitchenAid KSB6060BM High Performance Series Blender, Black Matte" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">blender and pulse until smooth. Pour mixture back into the skillet and stir in the cooked tempeh.
- Pour soup into bowls and top with kale chips. Season with extra salt and pepper if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
What a gorgeous soup! Your photography is amazing, Erin!
Thank you so much Kathleen!
Love your photos Erin! The soup looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you! Let me know if you try it.
Wow, can’t believe you just recently tried tempeh! I LOVE the texture, and love the idea of adding it to this soup to make it a bit more filling with protein! 🙂
YUM!!!!! I love the addition of tempeh here. This sounds so comforting and delicious!!!