Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Pesto Soup (Dairy-Free, Fall Comfort Meal)

The ultimate fall comfort food! This creamy, herby vegan cauliflower pesto soup is entirely dairy-free. Easy to make and perfect topped with crunchy pine nuts and a zingy pickle.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Total Time: 45 min
• Yield: 4-6 bowls of soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves
• 1 head (~1 lb) cauliflower
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ½ tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp pine nuts (or sesame seeds!)
• 1 C loosely packed basil leaves
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

• Trim the cauliflower, removing the leaves and core and chop it into even ~ 1 in pieces. You don’t need to cut the cauliflower too much as we will immersion blend it later to create a creamy soup. Then set the pieces of cauliflower aside for later.
• Next, mince 4 medium garlic cloves.
• Then, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot over low-medium heat and immediately add the minced garlic to the pot, starting a gentle fry. Let the garlic slowly sizzle as the oil heats up. Cooking the garlic this way will lead to crispy garlic from the slow evaporation of water in the garlic as well as provide a controlled Maillard reaction which will give you a more nutty flavor without creating bitterness! Cook the garlic for 1 minute, until lightly golden brown.
• Once the garlic is ready, add the chopped cauliflower pieces, 3 cups of vegetable broth, and then salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover the pot and let the broth simmer 10–12 minutes, until the cauliflower pieces are tender.
• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth with cornstarch until smooth.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture into the larger pot of soup and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Optional step - If you’d like to top your soup with toasty nuts, while the soup is simmering for 5 minutes, do the following: In a small, dry skillet over low heat, toast the pine nuts (or sesame seeds) until fragrant and golden.
• Lastly, add all but a few basil leaves to the large pot of soup, and then remove it from heat.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy, or leave in a few chunks of cauliflower in it if you’d prefer.
• Taste the soup, and adjust seasoning as needed like adding additional salt and pepper, or topping the soup with some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, and top them with remaining basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and toasted pine nuts (or sesame seeds).

Tips

• Try pickling a few cauliflower florets or adding finely diced carrots for a little crunch and color. No cooking needed, just cut the pieces very small so they don’t overpower the soup!