Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup

This chunky Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup is flavored with warming Indian spices and coconut milk. It's vegan, dairy free, and gluten free!

There's nothing better than a big bowl of this Indian Spiced Potato Cauliflower Soup to warm you up on a cold winter day! It's full of hearty veggies that are simmered in a savory tomato broth.

We're in the middle of a massive winter storm here in Minnesota this week, which means it's the perfect time to whip up a batch of hearty soup. This one is packed with chunky vegetables and full of warming spices.

This soup is made from scratch, but it's easy to prepare and is ready in a little more than 30 minutes. It's great for a weeknight dinner, the leftovers are perfect for lunch throughout the week, or it can be frozen and enjoyed later.

It's made with potatoes, cauliflower, and peas that are sautéed with garlic, onions, ginger, and Indian spices like curry powder and garam masala. This soup is made with coconut milk, so it's vegan and dairy free.

I love to serve a soup like this one with some warmed pita or naan bread for dipping.

Jump to:

• Which Potatoes Are Best For Soup?
• Should Potatoes Be Peeled For Soup?
• Ingredients For Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup
• How To Add Flavor To Potato Cauliflower Soup
• What Kind Of Curry Powder Should I Use?
• What Is Garam Masala?
• How To Make Curry Cauliflower Potato Soup
• How Long Does This Soup Take To Cook?
• What To Serve With Curried Potato Cauliflower Soup
• How Long Does This Soup Last In The Fridge?
• Can I Freeze This Soup?
• Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup

Which Potatoes Are Best For Soup?

Potatoes and cauliflower make up for a significant portion of this soup and it's important to use the correct potato for optimal taste and texture.

When it comes to chunky vegetable soups like this one, I prefer a waxy variety of potato like red or Yukon gold.

Waxy varieties such as red or Yukon gold potatoes retain their texture and do not become mushy or grainy when cooked, which is often the case with Russet potatoes.

I find that the flavor of both red and Yukon gold potatoes is more robust and better suited for chunky vegetable soups. It's important to use a variety of potato with superior flavor, especially when it's one of the main ingredients.

Should Potatoes Be Peeled For Soup?

It is not necessary to peel the potatoes when making chunky vegetable soups like this one, but it's important to thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt or bacteria.

Ingredients For Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion (any color)
• 1 inch Ginger Root
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbsp. Curry Powder
• ½ tsp. Garam Masala
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• ¼ tsp. Pepper
• 4-5 Red Potatoes (or Yukon gold potatoes)
• 4-5 cups Cauliflower Florets (equals 1 small head cauliflower)
• 4 cups Vegetable Broth
• ½ cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
• 1 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
• 2 cups Frozen Peas
• Fresh Cilantro or herbs of choice (optional)

How To Add Flavor To Potato Cauliflower Soup

This soup is full of flavor, much of which comes from aromatics like garlic, onions, and ginger. The aromatics are sautéed in olive oil along with Indian spices like curry powder and garam masala.

Sautéing the aromatics and spices helps to release their natural sugars and oils, which creates a flavorful base for this soup.

Tomato paste is added to create more depth of flavor. The tomato paste, along with the addition of tomato sauce provides richness and tanginess to the broth.

1. The first step is to mince 6 cloves and 1 onion (any color).
2. Peel a 1 inch portion of fresh ginger root. Grate the ginger root using a Microplane or small zester (yields 1 Tbsp. grated ginger).
3. Wash and scrub 4-5 red, Yukon gold, or any variety of waxy potatoes. Dice the potatoes into chunks (yields 4-5 cups).
4. Remove any outer leaves from 1 small head of cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower in half, remove the core, and chop the cauliflower into florets (yields 4-5 cups).
5. Make sure that the potatoes and cauliflower are relatively equal in size to ensure that they cook evenly.
6. Place a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pan on the stove top and heat to medium-high.
7. Once the pot is heated, add 3 Tbsp. olive oil.
8. Once heated, add the minced garlic and onions, along with the grated ginger. Sauté the aromatics for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add 1 Tbsp. curry powder and ½ tsp. garam masala to the aromatics. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Feel free to substitute ½ tsp. ground ginger if you do not have fresh ginger on hand.

What Kind Of Curry Powder Should I Use?

I find that yellow curry powder works great for this Curried Cauliflower Potato Soup. Yellow curry powder is used extensively in Indian cuisine and easily purchased in the spice aisle of your local grocery store or food coop.

Curry powder is slightly spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.

I love to use curry powder to make these Curried Chickpea Sandwiches.

What Is Garam Masala?

Garam masala is an Indian spice blend composed of warming spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. It's earthy and fragrant and a great complement to the curry powder.

Garam masala may also be found in the spice aisle of your local grocery store or food coop. It can be purchased online if you are unable to find it in store.

How To Make Curry Cauliflower Potato Soup

As the aromatic and spices are sautéed in olive oil, tomato paste is added to bump up the flavors.

The diced potatoes and cauliflower florets are added to the pot and sautéed for a few minutes to help soften them. The veggies are then simmered in vegetable broth until softened and combined with coconut milk, tomato sauce, and frozen peas.

1. After the spices have sautéed for 1-2 minutes, add 2 Tbsp. tomato paste to the Dutch oven. Sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add the diced potatoes and cauliflower florets to the pot, along with 1 tsp. kosher salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Sauté the veggies for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Once the veggies have sautéed for a few minutes, add 4 cups of vegetable broth to the pot.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes (the potatoes and cauliflower should be slightly softened by this point), add ½ cup full fat coconut milk, 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of frozen peas to the soup.
6. Cook on a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, or until the veggies are soft, but not mushy. Feel free to cook for an additional couple of minutes if necessary.

The soup is fully cooked when the potatoes and cauliflower are soft, but not mushy and the peas are warmed through completely.

How Long Does This Soup Take To Cook?

This is one of those soups that seems like it would take hours to prepare, but in reality only takes a bit more than 30 minutes on the stove top.

The great thing about both potatoes and cauliflower is that they cook quickly. It takes roughly 10 minutes for the veggies to soften when cooked on a low boil in the broth and an additional 5 minutes for the peas to cook through completely.

The overall cook time for this soup is roughly 30 minutes. It takes 5-10 minutes to chop the aromatics and vegetables, making for an overall cooking time of 40 minutes.

What To Serve With Curried Potato Cauliflower Soup

I love to serve this soup with some fresh minced cilantro to help brighten up the flavors. You can also garnish it with some minced chives, parsley, or herbs of choice.

This soup is reminiscent of a dish that you might find in your local Indian restaurant. It's perfect served with some naan bread, gluten free naan bread, gluten free pita bread, regular pita bread, or any type of flatbread.

The BFree Gluten Free Pita Bread is a great choice if you're looking for store bought gluten free pita or flatbreads.

The savory tomato broth is perfect for dipping your favorite bread or toasted sandwich.

Love healthy soups? Check out these recipes!

• Cannellini Bean Kale Soup
• Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup
• Vegetable Soup and Pesto Grilled Cheese
• Tuscan Vegetable Noodle Soup
• Healthy Harvest Vegetable Soup
• Sweet Potato Kale Soup
• Vegetable Dumpling Stew

How Long Does This Soup Last In The Fridge?

It should last 3-4 days in an stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Can I Freeze This Soup?

Yes! Vegan soups make for a great freezer meal.

How To Freeze

1. Allow the soup to come to room temperature.
2. Place in heavy-duty freezer bags, label with the date, and remove any air from the bags.
3. Store in the freezer up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

1. Place the container of frozen soup in the fridge for 24 hours and allow to thaw.
2. Alternately, you can place the container of frozen soup in a bowl or sink full of warm water until it thaws a bit.
3. Once it loosens, place the soup into a Dutch oven or soup pot, add a bit of water or vegetable broth, and heat on medium until it reaches your desired thickness and texture.

Looking for more vegan soup recipes? Don't miss these!

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• Winter Root Vegetable Soup
• Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup
• Potato Leek Cauliflower Soup
• Hearty Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Spinach Lentil Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup

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