An easy vegan cauliflower soup with white beans and gently spiced for extra flavour. Blend it smooth or just part blend it.

Easy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with White Beans

Name: Easy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with White Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: British, vegan
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 stalks of celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 3 medium carrots, grated; 1 cauliflower, broken into florets and halved or quartered; 1 tablespoon dried parsley (or a handful of fresh, chopped); 1 1/2 litres (5 cups) vegetable stock (3 vegetable stock cubes); 400g (140z can) cannellini beans, rinsed; Salt and pepper; 6 tablespoons vegan cream (optional). to serve

Boy, it's still really chilly up here in Scotland. Perfect soup weather.

I make a big pot of soup every week and this week's soup is this easy vegan cauliflower soup with white beans.

I served it with a swirl of vegan cream.

So, so tasty!

Ingredients for vegan cauliflower soup

Here are the simple ingredients you need for this vegan cauliflower soup recipe.

Olive oil
Onion
Celery
Garlic
Cauliflower
Carrots
White beans
Parsley - dried or fresh
Cumin - ground
Coriander - ground
Vegetable stock
Salt & pepper

Love soup? Try this Scottish Tattie Soup.

Fresh or frozen cauliflower?

You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower to make this dairy-free cauliflower soup.

Frozen vegetables are often cheaper and they are packed with vitamins as they are packed and frozen so quickly after they are cooked.

You can choose which you use when making cauliflower soup.

Both will make a delicious soup.

Love cauliflower? Try my Easy Lebanese Cauliflower and Potato Bake with Tahini Dressing next.

Why add beans to soup?

There are three good reasons for adding beans to soup.

The first is adding protein to the soup

Secondly, the beans can make the soup more satisfying and leave you feel fuller.

The third reason is if you blend the soup, the beans will thicken the mixture and give a creamy finish.

I only added one can of white beans, but you can add more for a thicker soup.

Also, try my Scottish fridge lentil soup made with red lentils and leftover veg.

Which type of beans?

I used canned cannellini beans for this soup, but you can buy them in jars or soak them from dry.

Butter beans or chickpeas would also be good options if you choose to blend the soup smooth.

You could leave the soup chunky with whole cannellini beans or chickpeas, but butter beans are rather big, so I would definitely blend those in.

Cauliflower soup (blended smooth) in a pot.

Chunky soup or blended soup?

Generally I like a chunky soup, but I often partially blend it, just to thicken up the broth.

For this vegan cauliflower soup, I like to blend it smooth.

I do find it blends smoother in a blender or food processor (once cooled), rather than with a stick blender, which can leave it a bit grainy.

I don't mind that, but it's something to think about.

Graham (my husband) prefers it perfectly smooth and did comment on it being grainy, as I used a stick blender and just gave it a quick blend.

Blending soup tips

Here are a few tips to remember when blending soup.

If you are blending while the soup is hot, remove the wooden spoon, turn off the heat and blend in the pan using a stick blender.

Do be careful not to lift it as it blends as it could splash you and it will be hot.
Don't blend hot soup in a food processor or blender!

When blending in a food processor, or blender, let it cool, so it's warm (or cold), not hot. You can return to the heat to reheat if you like your soup really hot.
Make sure that lid is on really tightly before blending or you could decorate yourself and the kitchen with soup.
Don't overfill the blender or food processor.
A blender with blend smoother than a food processor!

Vegan cauliflower soup in a bowl, topped with a swirl of cream.

Storing cauliflower soup

Once cool, this soup can be stored in the fridge, then reheated before serving.

To cool quickly, remove from the pot and spoon into one or more containers and leave it to cool with the lid off.

The soup will cool quicker when it is out of the hot pot and in a cold container.

Only add the lid when it's cool, the pop in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezing cauliflower soup

Soup freezes so well and you can freeze it in big batches or individual portions.

Again, cool the soup first, then add to labelled freezer bags or tubs, and pop in the freezer for 3-4 months.

To defrost, take out the freezer the night before you need it and leave it in the fridge overnight to slowly defrost.

Then reheat in the microwave or in a pot.

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More vegan cauliflower recipes

Here are a few more delicious cauliflower recipes you might like to try next.

Cauliflower and Pea Pesto - a velvety green pesto packed with vitamins and minerals.
Cauliflower 'Steaks' with Red Pepper Sauce - Charred cauliflower steaks with a garlicky herb crumb on a roasted red pepper sauce.
Cheesy Cauliflower & Potato Bake with Spinach - A comforting cauliflower cheese bake with a difference. You will love it.
Cheesy Cauliflower Steaks - I'm obsessed by these, they are so, so good.
Creamy Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese - A comforting mac and cheese with some extra veg.
Home-Style Potato & Cauliflower Curry - Also called aloo gobi, this Indian dish is made with potatoes, cauliflower and Indian spices. A drier curry than many, this one isn't swimming in sauce, but it is full of flavour.

Vegan recipes with white beans

Here are a few more recipes made with white beans.

Vegan Cowboy Beans with Crushed Potatoes.

Air Fryer White Bean Falafel with Sesame Seeds - An easy recipe for white bean falafel coated in sesame seeds and baked in an air fryer for a crisp finish with less oil.
Cowboy Beans with Herby Crushed Potatoes -
Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce - Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce is a traditional Greek dish that's an easy-to-make but hearty dish.
Slow Cooker Sausage & White Bean Casserole - An easy vegan sausage stew with white beans and peppers. slow-cooked in the crockpot with a rich sauce.
White Bean Pate with Olives - An easy vegan pâté, flavoured with miso, which is basically a quick bean spread or dip & full of protein.

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How to cook vegan cauliflower and bean soup

Scroll down for step-by-step photos followed by a full printable recipe.

If you don't have a printer, hit print then save as a PDF.

Step 1

In a large pot saute onion, celery and garlic with a little olive oil until soft.
Don't worry if the pan starts to brown a little as you cook the onions, as Jamie Oliver says, that's just extra flavour. Just add a splash of water if you think the veg is sticking.
Add the spices and cook for a minute to bring out the flavour. (I forgot to add them at this stage when taking photos and added them later doh!)
Then add the washed cauliflower florets and the grated carrots.

Step 2

Next, add the hot vegetable stock and stir well.
If you are adding dried herbs, add them now.
If you are using fresh herbs, add them at the end.

Step 3

Now add your cooked beans (tinned or dried beans soaked and cooked) and stir in.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Leave to cool until just warm before blending in a food processor or blender until smooth.
You can blend when hot with a stick blender, but take off the heat, remove the spoon and be careful not to lift as you blend so you don't splash yourself.
Season with salt and pepper and taste to check the seasoning.
Serve with a swirl of vegan cream.
Enjoy!

soup, vegan soup, vegetarian soup, cauliflower soup, cauliflower and white bean soup, smooth soup, easy soup, dairy-free soup

lunch

British, vegan

Yield: 6-8

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum