Kale and Cauliflower Soup
on Mar 08, 2021, Updated Nov 17, 2025
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This healthy and delicious kale and cauliflower soup is easy to make with 8 simple ingredients and is ready to enjoy in 30 minutes.
Featured Review
This is a great soup. Real comfort food. It is also quickly made and super healthy. I actually used my immersion blender on all of it and added some nutritional yeast. YUM!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Janis
Why You’ll Love Kale and Cauliflower Soup
This wholesome recipe will be a go-to recipe when you’re short on time but still want something nourishing and comforting. Here are a few reasons to love it:
- You’ll need just 30 minutes and 8 simple ingredients.
- It’s vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free and sugar-free.
- It’s low in fat, carbs and calories.
- It’s a budget-friendly recipe.
- It has a delicious creamy texture.
- It stores well so is great for meal prep and batch cooking.
Cauliflower is an excellent ingredient for making healthy soups. Once blended, it helps to achieve a creamy texture without the heavy cream. You can also try it in Vegan Broccoli Cauliflower Soup, Creamy Cauliflower Wild Rice Soup and Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup.
Ingredients
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Onion: White or yellow onion both work.
- Herbs : The recipe calls for dried parsley and ground thyme, adjust to your preference or try additional herbs like oregano.
- Vegetable Broth: Any store-bought or homemade vegetable stock or bouillon powder/cubes works.
- Kale: Can be substituted with spinach or chopped Swiss chard.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
How to Make Kale and Cauliflower Soup
Step 1. Saute the onions and garlic in a large soup pot over medium heat in 2 tbsp of vegetable stock until they start to soften and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Step 2. Stir in the chopped carrots, parsley and thyme. Cook for few more minutes, adding another splash of stock if needed if the pot starts to dry out.
Step 3. Add the broth and chopped cauliflower and bring the soup to a light simmer. Simmer lightly for about 12-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Step 4. Turn off the heat and carefully scoop half of the soup into a blender, leaving some pieces of cauliflower and carrot behind. Blend the soup until smooth then pour back into the pot.
Step 5. Stir in the chopped kale and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, then serve right away with fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley.
Notes from Deryn
- This soup is quite light and low in calories. For a heartier soup, stir in 1-2 cups cooked rice, white beans or chickpeas when you add the kale.
- Vegan sausage also makes a good addition if you want to add protein and substance to the soup. Brown the sausage in the pan first, then remove and proceed with the recipe. Stir the sausage back in when you add the kale.
- I like to add a good amount of fresh lemon juice with the kale to help brighten up the flavours. You can also just add lemon with each serving.
- Celery makes a good addition if you want to add an additional veggie. Add 1 cup when you add the onions and garlic.
- For “cheesy” soup like my vegan cauliflower wild rice soup, blend in up to 1/3 nutritional yeast when you blend the soup.
Storing
- Fridge: Let cool then store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let cool then store in a freezer-safe container in one batch or in individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw as needed in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference, adding a little broth or water to adjust the consistency if it’s thickened substantially.
If you try this Kale and Cauliflower Soup or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Kale and Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced (390 g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, 175 g, approx. 1.5 cups chopped
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 head of cauliflower, 775 g, approx. 7 cups chopped
- 4 cups lightly packed, chopped, de-stemmed kale (120 g)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh lemon juice for serving, optional
Instructions
- Saute the onions and garlic in 2 tbsp of broth or water in a large soup pot over medium heat until they start to soften and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped carrots, dried parsley and ground thyme. Cook for few more minutes, adding another splash of stock if needed if the pan starts to dry out.
- Stir in the vegetable broth and chopped cauliflower and bring to a light simmer. Simmer lightly, uncovered, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Turn the heat off then carefully scoop about 1/2 of the soup into a blender, leaving some pieces of carrot and cauliflower behind. Blend until smooth and creamy (make sure you allow steam to escape when blending) and then pour the blended soup back into the pot and mix with the remaining soup.
- Stir in the chopped kale. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow kale to soften.
- Serve right away with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published May 14, 2015.
Bland. But that may have been my choice of veggie broth: Cento veggie bouillon paste. Next time I’ll try with Better than Broth veggie broth. Added stalk of celery, another teaspoon of thyme, salt, pepper, a teaspoon of dried basil and about 2 T. of nutritional yeast. Thanks for the base layers 🙂
I’ve never found this recipe to be bland, hopefully it’s better for you next time! Thanks for the comment.
How many calories per serving is this please?
Many Thanks ????
I’m sorry Emma, I don’t have the calculation for this recipe but it would be very low calorie since it’s just veggies! You could use My Fitness Pal or another nutritional info calculator to figure it out if you make it and weigh all the ingredients. Next time I make it, I will do that.
This recipe is GREAT! I always use half cauliflower and half potato and add pepper. I also remove 3 cups of soup and use an immersion blender in the pot then pour the 3 cups back in. Its super fast and soon good with sourdough bread!
Thanks Kelly! So happy you like it! Sounds so good with sourdough. 🙂
Do you have to place ingredients in the blender at the end?
You don’t have to, it just won’t be creamy like chowder. You could also use an immersion blender in the pot. Enjoy!
Can this soup be frozen? If so, how long will it keep?
Yes, it should be okay to freeze for up to 3 months.
This was awesome. I have made it twice now, the second time I doubled it. My boyfriend said it is his new favorite soup. This vegan rejoices that a meat eater loves this soup that much! It is so easy to make and makes the house smell amazing. Thanks so much for creating and sharing.
Haha, it’s the best when that happens, isn’t it? I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it.
It is sooo good!!
Awesome, so happy to hear that!!
Hi! Could you tell me the Calories per serving?
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Mmm this looks tasty! Perfect for the rainy weather.
It was amazing! Even better the next day too 🙂