Sweet Corn Cauliflower Soup

This vegetarian Sweet Corn Cauliflower Soup is full of Southwest flavor! It's made with fresh corn, white beans, chili powder and lime juice.

If you're looking for a soup that's packed with fresh flavors, be sure to check out this Cauliflower Corn Soup. This soup is great enjoyed any time of the year!

I love soups that are hearty, healthy, and utilize seasonal vegetables. This one is perfect during the late summer and early fall months when our gardens and the local farmer's market are bursting at the seams with veggies. It's made with fresh sweet corn, cauliflower, and thickened with white beans.

The corn gives this soup a natural sweetness that's complemented by the earthiness of the cauliflower. It has a Southwestern twist and is seasoned with spices like chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander along with garlic, onions, and jalapeno peppers.

All of the elements are simmered together on the stove top in a Dutch oven and then pureed with an immersion blender, so the texture is somewhere between a soup and a chowder. It's creamy, but made without heavy cream or dairy.

This soup is perfect garnished with some queso fresco cheese, diced avocadoes, and a squeeze of lime juice. The great thing about it is that you can customize the toppings according to your tastes.

Jump to:

• How To Prepare Sweet Corn
• How To Add Flavor To Cauliflower Corn Soup
• Ingredients For Sweet Corn Cauliflower Soup
• How To Make Corn Cauliflower Soup
• How To Thicken Cauliflower Corn Soup
• How To Puree The Soup
• What To Serve With Southwest Corn Cauliflower Soup
• How Long Does This Soup Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Sweet Corn Cauliflower Soup

How To Prepare Sweet Corn

This recipe calls for fresh sweet corn and it's best to use local sweet corn on the cob when it's in season. Sweet corn in season is naturally sweet and has optimal taste and texture.

Of course, you can always grab whatever sweet corn is available at your local supermarket any time of the year.

When it comes to choosing the best sweet corn, opt for corn cobs that have bright green husks, golden colored silk that's not dried out and is even a little sticky. If the cob of corn appears dried out, it will lack in texture in flavor.

All that's needed to prepare the sweet corn for this Corn Cauliflower Soup is to remove the husks and silk from 4-5 cobs of fresh sweet corn. The kernels are then cut from the cob with a knife, sauteed, simmered in broth, and pureed with the rest of the soup.

There is no need to cook the corn ahead of time.

Feel free to use frozen corn in place of fresh if needed. Keep in mind that the flavor and texture may vary slightly if using frozen corn.

How To Add Flavor To Cauliflower Corn Soup

This soup is made without meat or dairy, but that doesn't mean it lacks in flavor or richness. Here are a few tips that help to add flavor to vegetarian soups.

• Use plenty of aromatics like garlic, onions, and jalapeno peppers. The aromatics are minced and then sauteed in olive oil, which provides this soup with a solid base of flavor.
• Season the soup generously with kosher salt and pepper throughout the cooking process. Properly seasoning the veggies helps to bring out their natural flavors.
• Adding an acidic ingredient, such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, or tomatoes helps to brighten up the flavors of any soup. Lime juice is added at the end of the cooking time to help bump up the flavor.
• Adding spices or fresh herbs provides soups like this one with great flavor. This soup is flavored with chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander to give it a Southwest flair.
• Garnishing soup with your favorite toppings helps to provide extra color, flavor, and texture. Grated cheese, fresh herbs, croutons, crispy bacon, seeds, or a spoonful of sour cream are all great soup toppings.

Ingredients For Sweet Corn Cauliflower Soup

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

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion (any color)
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper (seeds and membranes removed for less heat)
• 4-5 cobs Sweet Corn (yields 4-5 cups corn kernels)
• 4-5 cups Cauliflower Florets (yields 1 small head cauliflower)
• 1 15.5 oz. can Cannellini Beans (drained) (also known as white kidney beans)
• 4 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (or low sodium chicken broth if not vegetarian)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• ½ tsp. Ground Cumin
• ½ tsp. Ground Coriander
• 1 ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• ¾ tsp. Pepper (split)
• 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice plus more for garnish
• Queso Fresco or grated cheese of choice (optional)
• Avocado (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)

How To Make Corn Cauliflower Soup

This soup is easy to prepare and only takes about 30 minutes to make.

All that's needed to make it is to chop the aromatics and vegetables and then to sauté all of the ingredients in a Dutch oven along with the spices.

The vegetable broth and cannellini beans are then added to the Dutch oven and the whole thing simmers on the stove top for about 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are tender, the soup is pureed until smooth with an immersion blender.

1. Start by mincing 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (any color).
2. Mince 1 jalapeno pepper, removing the seeds and membranes for less heat.
3. Remove the husks and silk from 4-5 cobs of fresh sweet corn. Cut the bottom of each cob with a knife, creating a flat surface. Using a knife, cut the kernels from each cob (yields 4-5 cups corn kernels).
4. Remove any outer leaves from 1 small head of cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into florets, making sure they are relatively the same size to ensure even cooking (yields 4-5 cups cauliflower florets).
5. Place a cast iron Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed soup pot onto the stove top and heat to medium-high.
6. Once heated, add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
7. Add the minced garlic, onions, and jalapenos to the Dutch oven. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
8. Add the corn kernels and cauliflower florets to the Dutch oven along with 1 tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. each of chili powder and smoked paprika, and ½ tsp. each of ground cumin and ground coriander. Stir until completely combined.
9. Sauté the veggies for another 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
10. Add 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (or low sodium chicken broth) and 1 15.5 oz. can of drained cannellini beans (or Great Northern Beans). Stir until combined.
11. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
12. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat (the vegetables should be tender, but not mushy).

If you don't have ground coriander, feel free to sub another ½ tsp. of ground cumin.

How To Thicken Cauliflower Corn Soup

This soup is made without cream, dairy or flour, but it has a great thick and creamy texture. The texture is actually somewhere between a soup and a chowder.

It's thickened with a can of cannellini beans. The starch in the beans helps to thicken the soup and their creamy texture once it's pureed with an immersion blender.

You can also use Great Northern Beans in place of cannellini beans.

It's best to drain the beans before adding them to the soup.

Sweet corn is also high in starch, which gives this soup a thick texture.

How To Puree The Soup

Once the soup is fully cooked (the corn and cauliflower should be tender, but not mushy at the end of the cooking time), the Dutch oven is removed from the heat and it's pureed until smooth with an immersion blender.

An immersion blender is a handheld blender that you place right into the pot. It allows you to blend the soup to your desired consistency without the need to transfer it to a regular blender.

If you don't have an immersion blender, feel free to use a potato masher to mash the vegetables in the soup until it reaches your desired consistency (keep in mind that the soup will not be as smooth and creamy if using a potato masher).

You can puree this soup as much or as little as you like. I recommend blending it at least until all of the vegetables are pureed, but you can blend it even more if you prefer a smoother, creamier texture.

1. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and carefully place an immersion blender into the soup pot.
2. Puree the soup on a low speed until it reaches your desired consistency (being careful not to scrape the bottom of the soup pot with the blender). Alternately, you can mash the vegetables with a potato masher.
3. Pureeing the soup helps to thicken it and creates more of a 'chowder' texture, so I recommend not skipping this step.
4. Add 2 Tbsp. of lime juice to the chowder and stir until completely combined.

The lime juice helps to brighten up all of the flavors of the soup.

What To Serve With Southwest Corn Cauliflower Soup

Once the soup is pureed, it's ready to serve.

The great thing about pureed soups like this one is that you can customize the toppings according to your tastes.

I recommend garnishing the soup with some Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese, diced avocadoes, and a squeeze of lime juice.

You can also top it with grated Pepper Jack cheese or cheese of choice, fresh cilantro or chives, fresh or pickled jalapenos, chopped or pickled red onions, or a dollop of sour cream.

This soup is perfect served with some crispy tortilla chips or warmed corn tortillas for dipping.

It's perfect paired with quesadillas, taquitos, Mexican cornbread, or Spanish rice.

Pureed soups pair nicely with warm, crusty bread for dipping as well as homemade biscuits, savory scones, and sandwiches like this Chipotle Chicken Panini and Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese.

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

• Slow Cooker Chicken Corn Soup
• Cauliflower Lentil Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Vegetable Orzo Soup
• Instant Pot Lentil Spinach Soup
• Hearty Vegetable Soup

How Long Does This Soup Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover soup should last 2-3 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make sure to allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

Yes, this soup makes a great freezer meal.

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the soup as directed (leaving off any toppings) and allow it to come to room temperature before transferring to the freezer for storage.
2. Place the cooled soup into heavy-duty freezer bags, press out any excess air, label with the date, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

1. Transfer the container of frozen soup to the refrigerator 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 broth, and heat on medium until it warms through completely.

Love pureed soups? Check out these recipes!

• Thai Potato Corn Chowder
• Asparagus Broccoli Soup
• Potato Leek Cauliflower Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Root Vegetable Soup
• Roasted Carrot Soup

Looking For More Healthy Soups? Don't Miss These!

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Purple Sweet Potato Soup

Hungarian Mushroom Soup