This soup is our last recipe of 2019! We couldn’t think of a better final dish to share than a comforting, warm hug in the form of creamy soup in the midst of winter.
This 1-pot soup is Indian-inspired with a blend of red lentils, ginger, our go-to curry powder, carrots, and cauliflower, making it full of fiber and plant-based protein and big on flavor. Let us show you how it’s done!
This soup starts with sautéing onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot. Then add cauliflower, broth, and lentils.
For spices, we kept things simple with fresh ginger, curry powder, and a pinch of cayenne, which complements the sweetness of the carrots beautifully.
Note: Curry powder is not a common ingredient used in traditional Indian cooking, but rather an invention of the British to evoke the flavors of Indian cuisine. The term “curry” in Indian cooking refers to a sauce or gravy served with vegetables or meat. (source)
A touch of coconut milk before blending makes for the ultimate creamy texture. Swoon!
We hope you LOVE this soup! It’s:
- Creamy
- Comforting
- Nutrient-rich
- Quick & easy to make
- Versatile
- & Delicious
This would make the perfect weeknight soup when you need something nourishing on the table fast. It’s delicious on its own, but would also pair well with our Apple Pecan Arugula Salad, Garlic Herb Flatbread (or Naan), or our Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken.
Bonus: It reheats beautifully, making it ideal for leftovers, lunches, and freezer meals!
More Comforting Soups
- Simple Pumpkin Soup
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- 1-Pot Golden Curry Lentil Soup
- 1-Pot Easy Vegan Tom Yum
- Romesco Soup with Smashed Chickpeas
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Curried Cauliflower Lentil Soup (1 Pot!)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp avocado oil (or sub water for oil-free)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
- 1 ½ tsp minced fresh ginger
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces (~4 cups as original recipe is written)
- 2-3 tsp curry powder
- 1 pinch cayenne (optional)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or sub chicken broth if not vegan or vegetarian)
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 Tbsp coconut cream (or sub 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk as the recipe is written // adjust amount if altering serving size)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, carrots, and celery (optional) and sauté for 4-5 minutes — stirring occasionally. Then add ginger and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes more or until fragrant.
- Add cauliflower, curry powder, cayenne (optional), broth, lentils, and salt. Bring to a low boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils and cauliflower are tender.
- Add coconut cream and blend with an immersion blender until creamy and no bits remain (if it has trouble blending, you can optionally transfer to a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth).
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more curry powder for spice, cayenne for heat, or salt for overall flavor. Continue cooking for a few more minutes over medium heat.
- Serve as is or with garnish of choice (we went with fresh cilantro and an additional swirl of coconut milk). Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Melody says
Could I sub red or yellow curry paste instead of curry powder? tx
Hi Melody, We think that would be tasty! You may want to add more of it. We’d say double to triple the amount. Let us know how it goes!
Cook Joshua says
I’m a cook for some of the toughest critics….. Children. I prepare meals solo for up to 72 mouths every day, this recipe was a hit! Most of the kids in the daycare are used to Western spiced food. This dish was a nice introduction to other styles of culture cooking. All from ages 1-40 agree with this fast, easy, and most of all tasty dish.
Personally I’ve never been overly fond of curry, however this won me over.
Great recipe 😀
AMAZING! We’re so glad it was a hit with everyone! Also..SO impressed that you cook for that many people and love that you’re introducing them to different styles of cooking. Thank you for the lovely review, Joshua!
Maya says
So delicious and creamy! I skipped the cayenne and wound up with a soup that was a little less vibrant than I was hoping for… I think adding a bit of turmeric with the garlic/ginger would fit the flavor profile, keep it mild, and add a bit more color? I’ll definitely make this again.
Thanks for the lovely review, Maya! Those modifications sound tasty!
Kristin says
DELICIOUS!! Didn’t change a thing. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kristin. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
KB says
Excellent recipe but it is only 10 minutes if everything is pre chopped. Depending on how long it takes you to cut all vegetables that will add 20-30 minutes. Good recipe just deceiving.
Maya says
This is an excellent soup – and I just pureed a portion, gave the soup some texture! Fabulous!!
Ooo yum! Thanks for the review, Maya!
Maya says
Again, a most amazing soup, like your other recipes – excellent flavor, simple! I pureed only half of the ingredients, making the soup a bit more ‘textured.’ Served over quinoa with slices of tomato and avocado :)
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Maya! xo
Julie says
Would green lentils work please
Hi Julie, green lentils definitely aren’t as pretty in this one, but still tasty =). You might have to cook them slightly longer!
Ginsta says
For some reason lentils do not sit well on my tummy, what is a good option for a substitute? Chick peas? Thanks a million!
Chickpeas won’t blend to as smooth of a texture, but otherwise, they should work! Another option would be to sub potatoes (but avoid overblending). Another idea – you could make crispy chickpeas and put them on top, or go for smashed chickpeas (similar to this recipe). Hope that helps!
Julia says
I make this recipe all the time and love it, love it, love it.
So nutritious and delicious!
I often make a loaf of rustic bread to eat with it too!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Julia! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Linda says
I made this and added some sprouted greens, sour “cream”, and sunflower seeds. So delish!
Yum! Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Linda!
Samantha H. says
Wonderful! This was totally yummy! Very quick and easy to make and I will make it again. Thank you!
Woohoo! Thanks, Samantha!
Megan T says
I made this for lunch today — aiming to use up some red lentils! I had 8 oz of cauliflower rice in my freezer that I used instead of fresh cauliflower, it was easy and tasted perfect. Once it is all blended you don’t know the difference. I also used a tablespoon of dried coconut milk powder instead of the canned milk – less waste and saves the trouble of random unopened cans of coconut milk. At the end I stirred in some shredded “chickun” style seitan from the Gentle Chef cookbook for a big boost of vegan protein. Delicious!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! Thank you for sharing! xo
Sandy says
Hi, I would love to make this soup in the Instant pot and wonder if you could give me any idea if it would work and if so how long you would recommend for cooking time please.
It really looks amazing. Many thanks, Sandy
That should work great! We’d suggest cooking on high pressure for 4 minutes (after sautéing). Let us know how it goes!
Audrey says
For what it’s worth, my version looked nothing like the one on here – it was yellow (I used chicken broth) and my immersion blender barely cut through the veggies, so it was soupy with chunks of cauliflower. That said, the flavors are absolutely delicious! I added more salt at the end to boost the overall flavor, and I’ve also been serving it over quinoa to make it more of a meal. I would definitely make it again but if you’re looking for a creamy soup you should probably use a blender.
Hi Audrey, thank you for sharing your experience! Yes, a high-speed blender will make it more creamy! For the color, using chicken broth was likely the difference there. We used vegetable broth with tomato paste in it, which gives it a red tone. Glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor! xo
Anon says
I think the orange colour comes from the mix of dried chilli powder (red) and turmeric (yellow). Simply yellow hue sounds like you didn’t add dried chilli powder. Secondly I have an immersion/stick blender and I get smooth soup when I whizz a portion or two of soup (400-800ml or roughly 1 1/2 cups – 3 cups) over a whole pan (which is too much volume – a rogue piece of veg gets unwhizzed). Also it sounds like your veg wasn’t cooked enough if your stick blender “barely cut through”… Just my thoughts :)
sophie says
love love this soup, made multiple times already!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Sophie!
Mike says
Sorry, I forgot the other change I made – roasting the cauliflower ( tossed in 1 tbsp olive oil and a bit of S&P first) at 220c for 20-30 mins makes all the difference as you get a slight smoky flavour. Roasted cauliflower rules!!!!
Mike says
This soup was so amazing – made it for two and am already planning to make a bigger batch to freeze :-)
I made a few minor changes:
1) used a tbsp of ghee instead of oil and fried off 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds then added about 10 fresh curry leaves and left them both to crackle and spatter for 30 seconds – this gives the ghee a fabulous flavour to cook the veggies in.
2) Used a zucchini instead of the celery as I’m not a fan of celery
3) Added finely chopped coriander to each serving.
So not massive changes but honestly this is possibly the best soup I’ve ever made so thanks a million for a great, simple recipe :-)
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Mike. We’re so glad you enjoyed! xo
Kirsty Knight says
Quite bland, this page used to be so good years ago, needed lots of TLC, I added fresh coriander and extra cumin, ground coriander and garam masala to save it. I should have known not to trust using curry powder for a decent recipe 😆 fortunately there are so many better pages for recipes
Hi Kirsty, sorry to hear you were disappointed in the result. If you didn’t use our DIY curry powder and vegetable broth, we would suggest those for best results. Also, making sure your spices are fresh (less than 6 months old) will ensure best flavor.
Anonymous says
Sounds like you used a bad curry powder! Aldi for example is rubbish because it’s mostly maltodextrin with a little spice, but other British supermarkets sell curry powder with a wide range of spices (ones I can’t find easily), which do add complexity to your final dish (using water instead of expensive veg stock too)…
Beverley A Phelan says
This soup is exceptional, for its ease of making, flavour and nutrition. It is a meal in itself.
We made it last week and again today as it is almost a must have to eat when you are hungry, when it is cold (& is here as is our winter- Australia Victoria ). Thank you Minimalist Baker. I’ll be looking out for more of your delights from the kitchen.
Beverley Phelan
Highly recommended. Make it and let others know how absolutely delicious this soup is.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Beverley! Thank you so much for your lovely review! xo
Elizabeth Kelly says
A lovely & substantial soup that is perfect for a main meal, and also incredibly easy to make. I only made a few tiny changes to the recipe: – stock powder (because I’m too lazy to make my own);
– no ginger (only because I didn’t have any);
– added an extra teaspoon (or so) of curry (a mid strength one) which gave a lovely warmth to the soup;
– didn’t actually measure the water, simply used what looked right;
– a touch of cream rather than coconut milk.
This will be another keeper of a recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Staci D says
I dunno… to me it tastes bland, even though I cooked it in the instant pot for extra depth.
Sorry to hear that, Staci! A few ideas- 1) Is your curry powder fresh? 2) Were you using a large head of cauliflower? Or did you measure out 4 cups? 3) You can add more coconut milk or cream for richness and curry powder for flavor. Hope that helps!
Tammy says
This was amazing! Made the recipe exactly as is, and it was perfect. Really warms and comforts the insides. 🧡 My teenage son loved it too! So easy to make, will be adding this to my recipe box.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Tammy! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Mary Beck says
Hello, again! I had a massive amount of cauliflower to use, and this delicious and healthy soup was the perfect way. I am too lazy to deal with any kind of broth, so I always just use water, and it still turned out very flavorful. I love coconut cream (omg). Thanks again for another wonderful recipe. :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mary! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Terri says
Delicious!! I had a small head of cauliflower and a medium. Put them BOTH in. Flavors are just fantastic.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Terri!
Erin says
This was super satisfying and filling. Some tweaks: I made a traditional mirapoix with celery, carrot and onion. Added 1 extra cup of veggie broth, and used about 4 cups of fresh riced cauliflower to make blending easier. (I’m also lazy and cooking for one.) I felt it needed 1 1/2 tsp of salt, and the juice of 1 lemon, about a half-teaspoon of cumin, and used (per another suggestion) an extra teaspoon of curry powder. Garnished with chopped cilantro, a swirl of coconut cream, and a shake of pepper. Accompanied by whole wheat baguette broiled with Earth Balance, garlic and EVOO, and topped with hummus…DINNER! Thank you as always!
How lovely! Thanks for sharing, Erin!!
Christina says
I enjoyed this warming and cozy soup!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Christina!
Ashley says
This soup is great! I used green lentils (what I had on hand) and let them simmer for 20 minutes. I only blended half because I like a chunkier soup. I made croutons and sprinkled green onions on top. Will make again!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Ashley. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Shannon Carpenter says
I am doing a detox diet and this recipe nearly fits all the criteria for a very limited selection of foods (lentils was the only ingredient I wasn’t supposed to eat).
Most importantly, it was incredibly tasty, easy and fast to make, and a perfect, hearty, winter soup!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Shannon! xo
Karly says
Love this soup so much. I appreciate that it feels very rich and hearty but is still vegan. I get annoyed breaking down fresh cauliflower, so I used Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower rice, which was easy and worked well. We made a double batch and ate it several days in a row over cilantro lime rice and garnished with some crispy chickpeas.
So kind! Thanks for sharing, Karly!
Taylor says
This is the first recipe from here I’ll never made again. As written, it came out really bland and required significantly more coconut milk and curry than called for. We tried to add rice or something to put with it, but somehow the rice absorbed whatever flavor in a really unpleasant way.
Hi Taylor, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! This recipe is usually a reader favorite. A couple ideas: 1) too large of a head of cauliflower can dilute the flavors- did you use more than 4 cups? and/or 2) in our experience, some brands of vegetable broth are not flavorful or have a strange taste. Did you use a brand you usually enjoy? We prefer Pacific, Imagine, or our DIY version.
Lindsey says
Maybe you have the coronavirus – because this is a very flavorful soup!
Loved the recipe, Dana! I can’t wait to make some bread with it next time!
Interesting idea! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lindsey! xo
Antesa says
This recipe is EPIC. It’s light while being substantial, satisfies almost any palette, is incredibly easy to make, doubles perfect, freezes wonderfully, tastes delicious… I love the idea of pureeing soups with lentils – there is a thickness to this that is excellent. Will be rotating this one into the weekly meal plan for all of winter.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Antesa!
Jessica says
We really liked this soup. We ate it for dinner on Sunday and have enjoyed it for lunches over the past two days. It was easy to make and used ingredients that we almost always have in the fridge/pantry. I used non-fat coconut milk and the texture was still very creamy thanks to the texture of the blended cauliflower (I have a feeling I’ll be adding cauliflower to most blended soups from now on – it’s so handy to keep some in the freezer). I also added a can of chickpeas after blending to add some texture.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Jessica!
Shelley says
Amazing recipe…will be added to my collection and make again. I added bok choy, at the end, and gave a bit of crunch to the soup.
Thx for a great recipe!!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Shelley!
Joan Giannetti says
This is so good. I am not a fan of meat in my soup and this was so good. I will make it again. Perfect!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Joan!
J Martin says
Hello, I just wanted to say that this is one of our favourite soup recipes. It’s amazing, easy to make, full of flavour, vegetarian, and really filling. We love it! Greetings from Vilnius.
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Sarah Paik says
I just love all your recipes and make dinner from your book or website at least twice weekly. This soup was amazing! I added twice as much curry powder, turmeric and a dash of maple syrup and a squeeze of lime. So delicious! Thank you
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Christine Benjamin says
I just made this last night for myself and my son’s girlfriend. We both loved the spicy taste and creamy texture. It’s great to eat something that tastes decadent, but is healthy. I garnished it with fresh chopped cilantro and raw pumpkin seeds (Trader Joe’s). I also poured it over quinoa – small second helping. Going to be making this many more times.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Christine! Thanks so much for sharing!
Magda says
Super tasty soup! I had multiple bowls!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Magda!
Sandy says
DELICIOUS! I’m a huge fan of your recipes and tried this one, I was surprised by all the flavor and umami. Will definitely bookmark this recipe for the future!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sandy! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Madison says
I made this tonight for dinner! I’m new to the plant based scene and can’t get over how easy it is… I didn’t have cayenne but added hot chilli powder instead, and a lot more garlic / curry powder. Amazed at how delicious this was, I had a massive bowl and was so full but still went back for seconds!!! Thanks for sharing xx
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Madison! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Jeanne says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s wonderful. I did include the optional celery and cayenne (upped it to 1/8 teaspoon). Used vegetable Better Than Bouillon stock and chose to use the coconut cream and swirled some extra to finish at serving. Everyone at the table loved it. I’m trying to cook more vegetarian so will revisit your website for sure!
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Jeanne!
Samantha says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was definitely a winner! I didn’t have celery or garlic but still tasted bomb. Thanks!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Samantha! xo
Samantha says
This recipe looks amazing! When you add the lentils, are they raw or precooked?
Raw
Carli says
Delicious! And very quick/easy for today’s lunch. I used green lentils as that’s what I had on hand and they did take longer to cook. They also made the colour of the soup… ah, not quite as pretty as the photos haha. But very very tasty. I accidentally used 2 Tablespoons of curry, but that was a perfect spice level for my family. Squeezed a bit of lemon over my bowl, as I do with most curries. Thank you!
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Carli! Green lentils definitely aren’t as pretty in this one, but still tasty =) Thanks for sharing!
Megan Haase says
This was SO good! The whole family loved it.
Whoop! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Nina says
This looks great- I’ll probably try making it tonight or maybe tomorrow- was looking for a new twist on Lentil soup (i know, there’s a lot of them out there..) I had a question: I only have a handful of red lentils left and really wanted to make a (brown) lentil soup since have Much more of them.. Would using the brown ones totally (as I suspect) change the texture of- and other important things about-the soup TOO MUCH? If so, do you have another recipe here (I cannot browse the site today as I’m already pretty far behind schedule and once I start looking- that’s it, I’m on it for literally an hour at a shot!) that rocks those lentils? Thanks in advance (sorry to be annoying).. LOVE, LOVE LOVE this food blog!!
You can sub brown or green lentils, they just take longer to cook!
Chelsea Fredrickson says
Made this for dinner tonight/lunch tomorrow and WHOA! So unbelievably delicious (as all of the MB recipes are). I actually only had a cup on veggie broth left, so I subbed a cup of water and its still super flavorful. My husband loves it too! And how awesome that its one pot…the world’s easiest cleanup! We will definitely be making this again! 👌😊
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Chelsea! xo
Megan says
Added just a bit of garam masala and it was incredible! Thanks for the new recipe!
Love the addition, Megan! Thanks so much for sharing!
Lisa says
This was quick and delicious. I only blended half of it to keep some texture and I topped it with some raw cashews for added crunch, flavor and protein.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Love the modifications, Lisa! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Zoe says
Thank you for featuring so many great vegan recipes! I never quite know what to do with Cauliflower but this was delicious – will definitely make it again.
I subbed the carrots for parsnips, the red lentils for brown ones & chucked in my own spices to taste instead of using Curry powder as we’re quarantining at the moment & so I’m having to make do with what’s in the cupboard. It made a lovely soup this way & I’m looking forward to trying it with the suggested ingredients next time.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Joe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jamila says
This was awesome. Used 3/4 c low fat coconut milk at the end instead of coconut cream based on someone else’s recommendation in the comments.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jamila! Thanks for sharing!
Sheri says
Amazing soup. I left the carrots out because I didn’t have any and used coconut oil.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sheri! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Vanessa says
Yummy! I didn’t blend my soup because I like chunky soups, and it was delicious! We served it with chunks of avocado on top and a squeeze of lime. Thanks for the great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Vanessa! Thanks so much for sharing!
Gabrielle s says
So delicious! Tasty, hearty, creamy and a new go to! After blending, mine came out as a lovely golden yellow colour, it looked and tasted amazing.
Thank you Dana, I’ll add this recipe to my already very long list of Minimalist Baker favourites!
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Gabrielle! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Kyra says
Super delicious! It’s easy to make and has so many good ingredients in it. I had the whole lot for myself :-)
Adi Loevsky says
Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out delicious! Added an extra cup of broth since I put a whole cup of lentils in. Also added a teaspoon of garam masala with the curry powder, and then topped the soup with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
Thank you for a great healthy recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Adi! Thanks for sharing!
Kathryn says
Delicious! Love all of Minimalist bakers Vegan recipes! When I first tasted it, it was so-so, added a pinch of salt and zing! all the flavors popped and it’s delicious! Followed recipe as is – next time I might add more lentils as another review suggested (for even more fiber and protein). Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Kathryn! xo
Allison says
We loved this recipe — we blended in our Vitamix, which made it silky smooth. Would highly recommend eating it over brown rice/farro/barley for added texture. 10/10!
karen manfrede says
Looks awesome. Do you think plain yogurt would work instead of cashew cream/coconut milk?
We haven’t tried it, but we think it would! Let us know how it goes!
Yasmine says
This was delicious, thank you :-)
Making it again today.
Yay! Thanks for sharing! xo
Sneha says
Absolutely love this soup in the fall, and it helped me use up cauliflower I had on hand! Super easy, warm, and if anything I made sure to add a bit more spice to give it some kick.
ashley says
Made this without oil and included the tiniest pinch of cayenne. The soup is so satisfying, comforting and delicious. Really want to try my hand at the flatbread next. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley! Thanks for sharing!