Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

Updated Feb. 25, 2025

Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(8,582)
Comments
Read comments

The beauty of a soup like this — other than its bone-warming properties — is that you don’t need a recipe. You can pretty much simmer together any combination of vegetables with a little water or broth, purée it, top it with good olive oil and salt, and end up with something good to eat. The addition of miso paste and crushed coriander to the broth, and fresh lemon and cilantro at the end, zips things up without negating the comfort factor.

Featured in: When Fuzzy Slippers Aren’t Enough

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 1large white onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
  • 2large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 5medium carrots (1 pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
  • 3tablespoons white miso
  • 1small (or half of a large) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
  • ½teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
  • Smoky chile powder, for serving
  • Coarse sea salt, for serving
  • Cilantro leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

190 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 793 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large, dry pot over medium heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant and dark golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely crush.

  2. Step 2

    Return the pot to medium heat. Add the oil and heat until warm. Stir in onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Add carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 cups water to the pot. Stir in the miso until it dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can let soup cool slightly then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender.) If necessary, return the puréed soup to the heat to warm through. Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chile, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

Ratings

5 out of 5
8,582 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

One question: I toasted the coriander seeds and coarsely crushed them with a mortar and pestle. I followed the recipe in detail. The soup was great but we were spitting out the husks (or hulls) of the coriander. Did I do something wrong? Did others have the same experience?

To the editors: I would like it if instead of saying, "1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower" you would give the weight of cauliflower needed.

This soup is delightful! I used veg broth instead of water, roasted the cauliflower and carrots rather than cooking in the broth, and added bay leaves and then some scallions at the end. The soup somehow ends up tasting like a bowl of creamy, cheesy cauliflower-cheddar even though there isn't a drop of dairy. Highly recommended!

I roasted the cauliflower and carrots with olive oil, smoky paprika, salt, pepper & ras el hanout at 400 for about 20 mins and then added that to the onions/garlic saute and used 3 tbs miso and 1.5 tbs chicken stock for the broth. Big hit!

This soup was also very good served cold on a summer evening.

Really enjoyed this recipe. It’s fast, easy and delicious. I liked it better with more finely ground coriander and lots of lemon.

Private comments are only visible to you.

or to save this recipe.