Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

5 from 143 votes

Sweet potato cauliflower soup made creamy with coconut milk and roasted cauliflower. This cozy, dairy-free soup is blended smooth and full of warm spices.

Jump to Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Comments
48

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

I’ve made a lot of cauliflower soup over the years, but roasting the cauliflower first is still my favorite way to do it. For this sweet potato cauliflower soup, I roast it until browned around the edges, then blend it with sweet potatoes, tomatoes, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, and warm spices. The sweet potatoes give the soup some fullness and a little sweetness, while the coconut milk makes it creamy without needing any dairy. I usually save a few pieces of roasted cauliflower for the top because I like having a little texture instead of blending every last bit.

Two bowls of soup with a little extra swirl of coconut milk and some roasted cauliflower spooned on top, garnished with cilantro, crust bread nearby.
Save this recipe!
Type your email & I’ll send it to you!

Recipe Testing Notes

For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this sweet potato cauliflower soup recipe.

The first time I made this sweet potato cauliflower soup recipe, I tried throwing everything in the pot together to save a step, and the soup came out fine but a little flat and one-note. Roasting the cauliflower first until the edges caramelized gave the whole soup a deeper, almost nutty flavor that you just can’t get from boiling it. It’s the extra step I’d tell you not to skip.

The coconut milk was the other thing I landed on after testing. I wanted that creamy texture without reaching for heavy cream, and the full can of coconut milk blended in at the end got me there while keeping it dairy-free. Adding it at the finish rather than early on kept it from breaking or thinning out over the long simmer.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup Ingredients

Ingredients before prepped.
  • Cauliflower: Cut the florets into similar-sized pieces so they roast evenly. Read my tips on how to cut cauliflower. Or use pre-cut florets to save time. I like to save a handful of the roasted florets for serving because they add a nice bit of texture on top.
  • Sweet potatoes and tomatoes: Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into even ½-inch cubes so they cook at the same rate. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to cut sweet potatoes. I used canned diced tomatoes, but crushed tomatoes work too if that’s what you have. The finished soup will just be slightly smoother.
  • Vegetable broth and coconut milk: I use low-sodium vegetable broth to control the seasoning better. And I like using full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest texture, but light coconut milk will also work if you prefer a lighter soup.
  • Aromatics: Onion, garlic, fresh ginger, olive oil, coriander, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper build the base of the soup. Read my tips on how to chop an onion and how to mince garlic. Fresh ginger works best here, but you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger in place of the 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger if that’s what you have.
  • For serving: I finish the sweet potato cauliflower soup with the reserved roasted cauliflower and chopped cilantro. If cilantro isn’t your favorite, chopped fresh parsley works well instead.

How to Make Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make sweet potato cauliflower soup. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup Recipe

1. Prepare the cauliflower

Cauliflower tossed in oil, salt and pepper on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Spread the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss until everything is evenly coated.

2. Roast the cauliflower

Cauliflower on a baking sheet after roasting.

Bake until the florets are tender and caramelized around the edges. Roasting the cauliflower before adding it to the soup gives it a deeper flavor than simmering it in the broth. Set aside, reserving a handful for topping the soup later.

3. Cook the aromatics

Onion, garlic, ginger, and seasonings in a large pot before tossing together.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot, then add the onion, garlic, ginger, salt, coriander, turmeric, and cumin. Cook until the onions soften and everything smells fragrant.

4. Soften the onions

Onion, garlic, ginger, and seasonings in a large pot after cooking down.

Stir everything together until the onions are coated in the spices and have softened.

5. Add the potatoes and tomatoes

Sweet potato, tomatoes and broth being added to the pot.

Add the diced sweet potatoes and canned tomatoes to the pot.

6. Pour in the broth

The pot of soup after adding the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and broth.

Add the vegetable broth and stir everything together. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

7. Simmer the soup mixture until tender

The pot of soup after cooking down.

Continue cooking until the vegetables are completely softened and the broth has reduced slightly.

8. Add the coconut milk and cauliflower

The soup after cooking with coconut milk and most of the roasted cauliflower added.

Pour in the coconut milk and stir in most of the roasted cauliflower, saving a few florets for serving.

9. Blend the soup

Immersion blender dipped inside with partially blended soup.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s completely smooth and creamy. If using a regular blender, work in batches and be careful with the hot liquid.

10. Serve and garnish

The pot of soup after blending.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the reserved roasted cauliflower and chopped cilantro before serving.

Full Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Two bowls of soup with a little extra swirl of coconut milk and some roasted cauliflower spooned on top, garnished with cilantro, crust bread nearby.

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Author: Yumna Jawad
5 from 143 votes
This sweet potato cauliflower soup blends roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and coconut milk into a smooth, creamy soup with warm spices.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings6 servings
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 medium head cauliflower cut into small florets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes diced and peeled (about 3 cups)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
  • Chopped cilantro for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the cauliflower, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper on the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to toss to combine. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower softens and becomes golden brown and caramelized on the edges.
  • Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, turmeric and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onions soften and become fragrant.
  • Add the sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, and continue cooking uncovered for 35-40 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
  • Pour the coconut milk and most of the roasted cauliflower (save some for topping) to the pot with the sweet potatoes. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
  • Ladle into bowls, garnish with the reserved cauliflower florets and cilantro, and serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Notes

My Top Tip: Make the soup in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven. The thickness of the bottom of the pan means that the heat is distributed more evenly, so you’re less likely to burn the bottom of the soup.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days in the fridge. Reheat on the stove until warmed through.
Freezing: Once this soup cools completely, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove directly from frozen until warmed through.
This recipe has been updated in June 2026, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
1 15-ounce can canned diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups sweet potatoes, diced and peeled
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower to the spices along with 1 tablespoon oil and toss to combine. Transfer the cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and roast until the edges are browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots and cook until the onions soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Stir in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and sweet potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk and the roasted cauliflower. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and consistent.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups, Calories: 310kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 753mg, Potassium: 773mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 10693IU, Vitamin C: 51mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Recipe Variations

  • Mix in red lentils: Add ½ cup dry red lentils when you add the broth. They’ll cook down as the soup simmers and make it even creamier.
  • Add greens: Stir in 2 cups chopped kale or baby spinach after blending and cook just until wilted.
  • Finish with a crunch: I love topping this soup with garlic croutons or roasted chickpeas!

Recipe Tips

  1. Don’t skip the cauliflower-roasting! It can be tempting to add your florets directly to the pot to boil, but roasting the cauliflower really brings out its natural nuttiness and helps to flavor the soup.
  2. Let the sweet potatoes get completely tender before blending. If they’re still firm in the center, the soup won’t blend as smoothly.
  3. Blend until completely smooth. Even after everything looks combined, give it another 30 to 60 seconds. It makes a noticeable difference in the final texture. I find using an immersion blender is the easiest and simplest way, but you can also ladle the soup in batches into a stand blender. Either way, be sure you’ve blended your soup until there are no chunks left.

Serving Ideas

Troubleshooting

Why is my sweet potato cauliflower soup so thick?

This soup naturally thickens as it cools because the sweet potatoes continue to absorb liquid. If it’s thicker than you’d like, stir in a little extra vegetable broth until it reaches your preferred consistency. Warm it gently while stirring so it blends back together smoothly.

Why is my sweet potato cauliflower soup grainy?

This usually means the vegetables weren’t fully tender before blending or the soup wasn’t blended long enough. Make sure the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork before blending, then continue blending for another 30 to 60 seconds after it looks smooth. If you’re using a countertop blender, blending in batches often gives the silkiest texture.

Why did my coconut milk separate?

Coconut milk can separate if it’s added while very cold or if the soup boils vigorously after it’s stirred in. Add it near the end of cooking, then gently heat the soup just until warmed through before blending. If it does separate slightly, blending the soup again will usually bring it back together. 

One bowl with bread dipped into soup.

More Soup Recipes

5 from 143 votes (124 ratings without comment)

Rate and comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Nancy Erie says:

    I can’t believe you dreamed this soup up because you needed to do something with cauliflower. My mother in law always said eat up what’s there before you buy more. I always do that and I make soup every Sunday. But this is the best soup I ever made! It’s wonderful. I will be making this quite often. Thank you for this recipe. I made it exactly as you said.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww, so happy you loved it! Thank you so much, Nancy!!

  2. Sarah says:

    Didn’t really like the flavour the canned diced tomatoes added to the soup. Overpowered it for me.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thanks for the feedback, Sarah. So sorry it didn’t turn out how you wanted it to.

  3. Yumna J. says:

    Hi Donna, good questions. Those were both typos, so I added “chopped” cauliflower to the ingredients list and deleted that second “tomato.” Hope that helps!

  4. Jenny says:

    Yum-o! Delish and nutritious. Roasted vegetables first day and then finished it the next day. Great flavor and filling.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! So happy you liked it, Jenny!!

  5. J-Belle says:

    Oh my goodness, this soup was super tasty. My only recommendation would be to add some lemon juice or ACV before serving to enhance the flavour profile.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Love the recommendation, J-Belle! Glad you liked the soup!!

  6. Gianna says:

    A really lovely, bright, flavourful soup. I didn’t peel the carrots or the sweet potatoes, to save time, and, as the whole thing was being puréed, I preferred to keep the extra nutrients in there. I doubled the amount of stock and it still turned out creamy and lovely. Thank you for this

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! So happy to hear you liked it, Gianna!! Love to hear it turned out great with the skin on the carrots and sweet potatoes. Thank you!!

  7. jenna says:

    Just made this last night and it was AMAZING! I blended everything up except the cauliflower – I kept whole. The whole family loved it. Instead of just cinnamon I threw in some “pumpkin pie spice” …. really made it home-y for the golf ball sized hail we were getting while we ate it!

    1. Yumna says:

      Sounds delicious!

  8. Rachel says:

    I doubled the recipe and used one can of coconut milk and one package of silken tofu. Topped worth crispy pepitas and a bit of chunky salt. So good.

    1. Yumna says:

      Sounds amazing, thanks for sharing!

  9. GPG says:

    I didn’t have a sweet potato, but instead I had some leftover roasted kabocha squash. I just added it with the cauliflower and Wow, it was so delicious!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Oo, that does sound so good.

  10. Lisa Y. says:

    This recipe has been sitting on Pinterest board for awhile and we finally made it tonight! Smells delightful during the roasting and cooking phase and tastes delicious! Somehow more than the sum of its parts. We found the more we ate, the better it got and the first bite was awesome! Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’m so glad you got around to making it! Thank you, thank you!

  11. Mart b says:

    Love this. It’s now my go to soup! Any tips/methods on roasting the chick peas? Thanks

  12. kristina fraser says:

    made this last night and was super delicious! although i missed the salt and pepper and i think it would of made it even better. what step would you add the salt and pepper? as im not seeing it in the instructions….

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you! I would add it in the second step – I just went ahead and added it in.

  13. Stephanie says:

    I’ve made hundreds of online recipes but this is the first one I’ve ever felt compelled to leave a comment on. This is absolutely delicious, I’m making it for the second time tonight. Followed the recipe to a tee. The flavors are wonderful and not too overpowering, even my 20 month old and 3 year old downed this! Great recipe!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      That makes me so happy to hear! Love that you all enjoyed the recipe!

  14. Nicole says:

    Delicious, highly recommend! Followed the recipe exactly!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you so much!

  15. Robin Newton says:

    Loved it. Note I used tomato juice. The recipe calls for diced tomatoes but in the method it says add the tomato sauce. So I split the difference and used tomato juice bought for another recipe. The only other change I made was adding a half tsp of chili powder to the other spices. I wish I’d added a whole tsp. It was cool and gray here today snd this soup was the perfect supper.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Hey! I’ve corrected that discrepancy. Both work great since we are pureeing it, but I think the diced tomatoes add more flavor. I love the addition of the chili powder!

  16. Terry says:

    DELICIOUS! it’s easy to make with little ingredients and it’s delicious. The spices are just right and it’s light enough that I don’t feel heavy after eating. Must try!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thank you so much, Terry!

    2. Alex says:

      I didn’t have any carrot on hand but made it just the same and it was scrumptious!! Will definitely be coming back to this recipe! Love it!

      1. Yumna Jawad says:

        Glad it still worked out! Yay!!

  17. Aaron says:

    What can I substitute the coconut milk for?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      You can use heavy cream, half and half or regular milk. Adjust to make sure you like the consistency.

      1. Aaron Johnston says:

        Thanks for this! Will give this one a try.

  18. Elaine says:

    Love it ! Cape Town 🇿🇦

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yay! Thank you!

  19. Julia says:

    How is the cup? in ml 🙂

    1. Julia says:

      How big is the cup, i meant 😊

    2. Yumna Jawad says:

      About 235 ml

  20. Asma says:

    I made it tonight and it tasted great!! I didn’t top it off with anything like roasted chickpeas but I definitely think if I did it would have added more flavour to it! My mom and I will definitely make this recipe again! 🙂

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Thank you so much!

  21. Victoria says:

    Wow just wow.. it tasted amazing

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you loved it. Thank you!!

  22. mounira aldousari says:

    so good! though tried it with out the cauliflower but still tastes amazing!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear it. Thank you!!

  23. Amy says:

    Love the silky texture and the creamy delicious taste. Roasting the cauliflower did make a difference. Thanks for your great tips.