Nourishing and simple Cauliflower Lentil Soup is a perfect vegan and gluten-free one-pan meal, packed with bold flavors and lots of fresh vegetables. It also cooks quickly, making it perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
This healthy lentil soup comes together in one pot and takes about 30 minutes to make (most of the time is hands-off). With a handful of fresh ingredients and some pantry staples, you most likely already have everything you need to make this warm and comforting cauliflower and lentil soup. If you like healthy, vegetarian soups like this one, try our Orzo Vegetable Soup, Hearty Red Cabbage Soup or our Butter Bean and Kale Stew. And if you love lentils as much as we do in our house, try our Lentil and Red Pepper Soup.
Cauliflower Lentil Soup is naturally vegan and gluten-free, but it certainly won't leave you missing protein! That is because red lentils are packed with protein, fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals. We love lentils in more than just soups and stews, too. Try them in our crispy Red Lentil Patties for a protein-packed vegan-friendly lentil fritter.
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Ingredients that Matter
This recipe uses a handful of fresh ingredients along with some pantry staples. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Red Lentils. As previously discussed, lentils are quite good for you and a mainstay for many vegetarians and vegans. Red lentils also cook fast and burst once tender, helping to thicken our soup slightly. It's a good idea to wash your lentils as they are an agricultural product and should be cleaned and sorted before using.
- Cauliflower. For this recipe I recommend starting with a small to medium head of cauliflower, and cutting it into small florets yourself. You want about 4 cups of small florets, which equals 1 pound. You can, of course, use frozen cauliflower florets for this recipe, though frozen won't get the same browning as fresh (which is totally fine!).
- Mirepoix. The other vegetables in this soup include a mirepoix, which is a French culinary term for one part each celery and carrots to two parts onion. This provides a gentle backbone of flavor. I recommend cutting the carrots a bit bigger, simply for the texture.
- Garlic. Use a few garlic cloves, minced, to add lots of flavor to this soup.
- Olive Oil. The vegetables and aromatics are cooked in a couple tablespoons of oil. I recommend using extra-virgin olive oil (if you have it) or regular olive oil.
- Tomato Paste. Just a tablespoon of tomato paste stirred in before adding the vegetable broth adds a nice richness to this soup. It's important to briefly cook the tomato paste to "bloom" it and enhance its flavor.
- Spices. Here you can pick your favorite spices. For all the photos in this recipe, I used garam masala, a spice mixture that includes cinnamon, cumin, coriander, peppercorns and cardamom. The cinnamon is not for everyone (my wife, for example), so you can swap in some ground cumin and coriander in its place.
- Vegetable Broth. I recommend using vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegetarian. If you aren't concerned about keeping it vegetarian (and vegan), you can certainly use chicken broth.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This lentil soup with cauliflower is quite simple, plus there is tons of wiggle room in terms of timing if you get pulled away while making it. Here is how to make this recipe:
Start by heating oil in a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottom pot then add the onions, cauliflower, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 6-8 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables at this point. Sprinkle with salt.
Push the vegetables to the side of the pot or Dutch oven and add the tomato paste, garlic and spices. Cook, gently stirring to avoid burning, until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir the vegetables into the tomato paste and continue to cook until the vegetables are slightly browned, another 2 minutes.
Add the red lentils and stir well to coat in the vegetables.
Pour in the vegetable broth and simmer over low heat, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the lentils are plump and burst, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and use a potato masher to mash some of the soup. You could also use an immersion blender, but do not blend this soup until completely smooth--you want to leave it fairly chunky.
Substitutions
This recipe is appropriate for nearly every dietary restriction, but there are some further tweaks you can make based on your flavor preferences and other dietary needs. Consider these substitutions:
- Spices - Garam masala is not for everyone! If you aren't a fan of the cinnamon flavor in this spice mixture, try swapping in 1 teaspoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon ground coriander instead (or ¾ teaspoon each). You could also change the flavor profile up ever further by using Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. I recommend going easy on the spices and keep it less than 2 teaspoons total.
- Cauliflower - For this recipe I recommend using 1 pound of bite-sized cauliflower florets. You can get this from a small cauliflower (using the whole cauliflower) or about half of a large cauliflower. If you want to use even more cauliflower (like a full large head), simply add another 2 cups of water or vegetable broth.
- Vegetable Broth - Use your favorite brand of vegetable broth. Since this recipe calls for 6 cups of broth, you can always use 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water. Or, you can simply use 8 cups of broth and add more vegetables.
- Vegetables - In addition to cauliflower, onions, carrots and celery, try adding bell peppers, peas, green beans, baby spinach, zucchini, summer squash or other vegetables.
- Lentils - While I recommend using red lentils, you can instead use brown lentils (you can even use canned). Note that if you use black or French lentils, they will not burst like red lentils, resulting in a soup with more texture.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty lentil soup is delicious as is, but you can always serve it with bright and fresh side salad. If you want to keep the meal vegetarian, try this soup with our Arugula and Crispy Quinoa Salad, Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad, Kale and Apple Slaw or Arugula and Pear Salad with Spiced Pecans.
The cauliflower lentil soup also makes a great partner to other vegetarian mains, like our Pesto Orzo Salad, Easy Vegetable Lasagna or our Chickpea Patties.
Try topping the soup with fresh herbs like thinly sliced scallions, chopped fresh parsley or even dill. You can also add a dollop of sour cream or plant-based yogurt. Try serving the soup with some crusty bread.
Storage
Be sure to cool the soup to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. If you are in a hurry, the best way to do this is to remove the soup from the pot and spread it out in a baking dish or roasting pan to increase the surface area (and speed it cooling). Once refrigerated, the soup will last up to 4 days. To reheat, simply return the soup to a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Be sure to stir frequently to avoid scorching. You may want to adjust the consistency with a bit of water or broth.
Lentil and cauliflower soup also freezes well. Be sure to store it in a freezer safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can even divide the soup into portions and freeze these separately. Then you'll have lunches or quick dinners prepped for several weeks!
Top tip
Do not just dump all the ingredients into a pot and boil until the vegetables and lentils are tender. It's important to cook the vegetables first to develop flavor. Plus, it's always a good idea to cook tomato paste before adding liquid. This enhances the flavor and cuts out any tin flavor.
FAQ
The best lentils for soup include red and brown lentils as these both burst when cooked. Firmer lentils, like black or French, will hold their shape when cooked and are better for salads.
Yes, lentil soup (like all soups) tastes best the next day! Try making this soup, cooling to room temperature and then refrigerating overnight. The next day you'll have a super flavor soup!
Lentils may absorb the broth the longer the soup sits so you should add some water or broth to adjust the consistency when reheating.
Yes, you can grind up some of the vegetables and lentils in this soup using an immersion blender. Just be sure not to over blend the soup as you want a coarse, not smooth consistency.
More Soups
Looking for more satisfying soups like this? Try these:
Vegetarian
Here are some of my favorite vegetarian recipes:
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Recipe
Cauliflower Lentil Soup
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 cups 1x
Description
Nourishing and simple Cauliflower Lentil Soup is a perfect vegan and gluten-free one-pan meal, packed with bold flavors and lots of fresh vegetables. It also cooks quickly, making it perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 1 lb. cauliflower florets (from a small or medium cauliflower), about 4 cups
- ½ tsp. table salt, plus more for taste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 ½ tsp. garam masala *see note
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and sorted
- 6 cups vegetable broth, preferably reduced sodium (or 4 cups broth and 2 cups water)
- chopped scallions or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender. Be sure the vegetables do not get too browned. Sprinkle with salt and stir.
- Use a wooden spoon to move the vegetables to the side of the pot and add the garlic, tomato paste and garam masala. Cook, stirring gently, until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Stir the vegetables into the tomato mixture and continue to cook, until well coated and slightly browned, another 2 minutes.
- Add the lentils and stir to coat. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, covered, until the lentils burst and the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
- Mash some of the soup with a potato masher or use an immersion blender, being careful not to puree the entire soup (you want to just break down some of the lentils and vegetables to thicken the soup). Adjust the seasoning with more salt, if desired, and serve hot garnished with scallions or parsley.
Notes
- If you don't want to use garam masala, try instead using ¾ teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander. You could change the flavor profile and instead use Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Just be sure not to use more than about 2 teaspoons of herbs and spices or it may overwhelm the soup.
- Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. You can store leftovers for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze up to 3 months.
- When reheating leftovers, you may need to add a bit more broth or water to adjust the consistency. Reheat in a pot and bring to a boil.
- If you want to use a full large or medium head of cauliflower, try increase the broth to 8 cups.
- You can use frozen cauliflower florets for this recipe, if desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: simmering
- Cuisine: American
John says
This soup is very easy to make and has a nice taste. The garam masala adds a distinctive flavor.