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This Low-Carb Cauliflower Leek Soup tastes just like potato leek soup—incredibly flavorful and super creamy without any dairy needed! Made in just 30 minutes, this Paleo + Whole30-approved soup will warm you up. It’s easily made vegan.
I’ve been promising you more amazing healthy soup recipes for a while now, and I’m finally following through! With one of my all-time FAVORITES, no less.
We grew up eating potato leek soup all the time at our house. My mom always made it homemade, usually with some cauliflower snuck in there, and mopped up with crunchy homemade garlic bread. The memories could make me drool.
Over time, my mom eventually replaced all the cauliflower with potatoes, and neither my sister nor I had any idea. I recently asked my mom for the potato leek soup recipe she always makes, and it was only then that I learned she didn’t use potatoes, just cauliflower. She was secretly serving us Cauliflower Leek Soup all the while!
This is news to me, but seriously, you don’t miss the potato. This low-carb leek soup is luxuriously creamy, and there’s no need for cream, butter, or potatoes. When cooked until perfectly tender, the cauliflower does it all on its own. It also makes it extra good for you!
My mom’s recipe was simple- just leeks, maybe some onion, cauliflower, chicken stock, and salt and pepper. I kept it similar to the classic but added a few flavor-boosting goodies.
How to make this Cauliflower Leek Soup:
I caramelize the onions and leeks, contributing to the soup’s darker color and giving it a richer, deeper flavor. I also added some dried thyme, which pairs wonderfully here. Fresh thyme can also be used if you have it.
I also added roasted garlic- it was calling me from the fridge, and I knew it’d be an excellent addition. If you don’t want to roast garlic just for this but still want some garlicky flavor, toss in a clove or two of raw garlic, depending on how strong you like it.
I used homemade chicken stock I had on hand. At the end, I added a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten it up.
To blend the cauliflower leek soup into a creamy, smooth texture, put the soup in your blender (I used my Vitamix) or use an immersion blender and blend right in the pot! A sprinkle of fresh green onions is the perfect garnish. You could also use chives if you prefer.
To keep this recipe vegan, you can use veggie broth instead of chicken broth, which will be just as good! Everything else in the recipe is vegan as-is.
How to store leftovers
Cauliflower leek soup is delicious as leftovers, and proper storage and reheating will maintain its creamy texture and delicate flavors. Here’s how to keep it fresh and warm it up perfectly:
How to store in the refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool completely before storing (no more than 2 hours at room temperature for safety.) Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3-4 days maximum. Glass containers work best for preventing any flavor transfer!
How to store in the freezer: For longer storage, freeze in airtight, freezer-safe containers. Leave about 1 inch of headspace as the soup will expand when frozen. Portion into individual servings for easier reheating and label with date and contents. This soup keeps well for 2-3 months in the freezer.
To reheat
Stovetop (The Best Option for Maintaining Texture): If needed, thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator. Pour the soup into a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Warm gently until heated through (about 5-7 minutes). Add a splash of broth or milk if the soup seems too thick.
Microwave (Quickest Method): Transfer soup to a microwave-safe bowl and cover loosely with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel. Heat on medium power (70%) in 1-minute intervals and stir between intervals for even heating until steaming hot throughout (typically 2-3 minutes per serving).
The soup may thicken when stored, so adjusting consistency with a little broth, water, or milk while reheating is perfectly normal.
Let me know if you like seeing my savory recipes, and I’ll start sharing more of them in addition to my sweet goodies :) Enjoy, my friends!
Want more healthy soup recipes?
- Vegan Chili
- The Best Keto Chili
- Creamy Broccoli Quinoa Soup
- Vegetable Miso Noodle Soup
- Vegan Red Lentil Soup
Cauliflower Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 leeks, sliced thin, only the white part
- 1 large head or 2 small heads cauliflower, about 1.5 lbs. (fresh recommended, but frozen will work)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, use vegetable stock to keep vegan
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3-5 cloves roasted garlic, optional
- ½ of 1 fresh lemon
- Salt + pepper, to taste
To garnish
- Prosciutto or bacon, sautéed until crunchy + crumbled up, skip this to keep vegan
- Green onions, sliced
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and saute until the onions are starting to caramelize and the leeks are starting to turn golden brown.
- Add the cauliflower and sauté until it starts to brown. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and dried thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower florets are tender and cooked through.
- Add the roasted garlic if using, and lemon juice and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. You can also ladle the soup into a blender to blend until smooth.
- Taste the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. If it’s thicker than you’d like, thin it out with a bit of extra stock. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, crispy prosciutto, and green onions.
Absolutely delicious and satisfying! Will definitely make it again
One of my favorites too – glad you enjoyed it!
Very good recipe! Made with vegetable broth – vegan. I’ll definitely make again!!!
So glad you loved it, Nancy!
This recipe looks like it would be very tasty. I am searching for a cream-of-something type of substitute for cream of mushroom soup because I think that mushrooms cause me some health problems, and I am allergic to chicken so cream of chicken as a substitute is not an option. Do you think that this soup would act similarly to a cream of mushroom soup in a casserole? (Yes, I know that it’s very rare to be allergic to chicken, but my allergy test was positive at my allergist’s office. I was in denial about my chicken allergy for a while because I did NOT want to give up chicken, but now that I have finally embraced my chicken allergy and avoid it, I must say that I feel better).
Hi Robin, unfortunately, it has been SO long since I’ve had a cream-of-chicken or mushroom soup I can’t say for sure, but this is a nice and creamy soup, so it could do the trick! IT’s definitely worth a shot :) I don’t think it would ruin the recipe, may just have a different taste than you’re looking for.
Thank you!!
This was good. I added a little tahini and that made it even better. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!
This soup is incredibly flavorful. The browning makes such a difference. I did use 3 onions instead of 1.
Thanks so much
Glad you’re loving it, Howard!
I used your recipe as a base since I had more cauliflower than leek and realized I was out of stock as well. Since I was slow cooking a roast, I used some of the broth from it. It has a delightful umami flavor.
Sounds great, so glad you enjoyed it!
I just finished making this soup and it is absolutely delicious. I used frozen cauliflower and left out the thyme because I didn’t have any. The lemon adds such a nice burst of acidic yumminess.
So glad you’re enjoying it, David! One of my favorites that my mom always made for us growing up :)
can I please get your cauliflower and leek soup please
I’m not sure what you mean – it’s in this post!