This Saffron Coconut Pumpkin and Cauliflower Soup is thick and creamy (without using any cream) and tastes so delicious. Saffron, turmeric and ginger pair so well with the coconut milk taking this roasted pumpkin and cauliflower soup from ordinary to amazing.
When the weather cools down there is nothing I want more than a nice comforting bowl of soup to warm me up. While I love pumpkin soup and cauliflower soup separately, the combination of them both together in one soup is SO good. The cauliflower reduces the sweetness of the pumpkin, creating the perfect flavour. I’ve topped the soup with my Crispy Chickpeas for some added texture and protein and some crispy chilli oil for some spice.
What’s to Love About Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free and vegan.
- great to meal prep – add this soup to your Winter meal prep routine and freeze in individual portions. Or make a double batch and freeze one lot for an easy dinner on a busy night.
- nutritious – this healthy soup is loaded with wholesome ingredients like vegetables, vegetable broth and coconut milk. It has healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre and loads of vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
You will need a handful of simple ingredients to make this soup, all of which I was able to find at my local grocery store. I’ve listed all of the ingredients you’ll need below along with any ingredient notes and possible substitutions. The ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Jap pumpkin – Jap pumpkin can be swapped for Kent pumpkin or even butternut squash or sweet potatoes. I prefer to use fresh pumpkin over canned pumpkin puree as it is more nutrient rich.
- cauliflower florets – cauliflower is a great source or fibre and vitamin C. It’s one of my favourite Winter vegetables to use because of how versatile they are.
- brown onions
- garlic – the garlic cloves roast with the pumpkin and cauliflower for a deeper flavour.
- spices – you will need saffron threads, ground turmeric and ground ginger for this recipe as well as sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper.
- olive oil – I always recommend using extra virgin olive oil over olive oil as it is more nutritious and richer in antioxidants.
- coconut milk – coconut milk really adds to the creaminess of this soup.
- vegetable broth – you can swap vegetable broth for chicken broth or chicken stock.
How to Make This Cauliflower Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Follow these instructions and you’ll have the most perfect, creamy and comforting soup in no time.
Start by preheating the oven and greasing a large baking dish with olive oil or lining a large baking tray with parchment paper.
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Add the pumpkin pieces and cauliflower florets to the dish along with the garlic cloves, still with their skins on. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and the pumpkin can be pierced easily with a fork.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large saucepan or pot and bring to a medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until translucent. Add the ground ginger and turmeric and stir to combine.
Next, add the roasted pumpkin and cauliflower. Pop the garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the pot. Pour in the coconut milk and broth and then the saffron threads. Stir to mixture and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for around 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a heat-proof high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. You might want to wait for the mixture to cool a little first before blending if choosing this option.
Serve warm topped with a dollop of yoghurt (choose a dairy free yoghurt if you are needing dairy free) and a little crispy chili oil if you would like some extra spice.
Storage
Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat before eating.
Saffron Pumpkin and Cauliflower Soup
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Large Pot
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg Jap pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, cut into 4cm pieces
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 brown onions, diced
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 750 ml (3 cups) vegetable broth
- 270 ml coconut milk
- pinch saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- Cracked black pepper to taste
To serve
- Crispy chilli oil
- Bread of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F. Grease a large baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
- Add the cauliflower florets and the pumpkin pieces to the second baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat evenly, add the garlic cloves, skin on, to the baking dish and then place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot to a medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until they are starting to caramelise. Add the ginger and turmeric and stir to combine.
- Add the roasted pumpkin and cauliflower to the pot along with the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the pot along with the saffron threads, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling reduce the heat to low to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend until creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a heat proof benchtop blender to blend until creamy. You may want wait until the mixture cools slightly before doing this if choosing this option.
- Serve hot topped with a some crispy chilli oil and buttered bread.
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