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Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup – Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Hearty and Delicious. Saucepan Option. Just 5 mins prep. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Recipe. Can be Nut-free. Jump to Recipe
This Cauliflower Soup is Easy, Creamy, Super Quick. It takes just 5 minutes to assemble, blend, then add to the Instant Pot and done!
I blend the Cauliflower before adding to the instant pot. It’s easier and faster than cooking the florets (with or without pre roasting) and using an immersion blender later. Also easier than transferring the hot soup to a blender to blend. Blend before and get the same result! Ah-ha. The blended mix when cooked under pressure cooks out the rawness completely and also adds a flavor as if the cauliflower was lightly roasted!
I add some red bell pepper for color and flavor and herbs and smoked paprika. Then fold in some cashew cream or other non dairy cream of choice to make it creamy and ready to serve. Top with favorite toppings like croutons, veggie bacon crumbles, roasted cajun cauliflower. Delicious and Simple!
More new quicker techniques, tips and Easy options are often found on my Instant Pot Recipe posts. If you make any of these, do let me know in the comments how it worked out and suggestions for tweaks and adjustments that worked!
More Loved Instant Pot Recipes!
- Japanese Veggie Curry. GF
- Potato Chickpea Spinach Soup. GF
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup with Red lentils. – So Easy
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chickin(soycurls). GF – Creamy, Delicious
- Sweet Potato Chard/Kale Curry – IP aloo Saag. GF
- More Instant Pot Recipes!
I add the non-dairy cream later after pressure cooking. Creams like cashew cream if added earlier can thicken the mixture too quickly and scorch the bottom or just generally hinder the right kind of cooking of the cauliflower mixture.
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Step by Step Photos
Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower or 1/2 a large head
- 1/2 small onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, 4 small cloves or 2 large
- 1/2 red bell pepper, (or use roasted red bell pepper for variation)
- 1.5 cup water, or veggie broth
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- a good dash of all spice or cinnamon, (optional, but adds great depth of flavor)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 cup cashew milk ( 1/3 cup cashews , and 1 tsp flour blended with 1 cup of water (use rice flour for gluten-free))
- basil/cilantro, vegan bacon,, black pepper and other toppings of choice
Instructions
- Blend the first 4 ingredients with 1.5 cups of water or broth. **(see note). Add to the instant pot. Alternatively**, saute the onion and garlic in 1 tsp oil until translucent. Then add blended cauliflower Or add florets, chopped bell pepper and broth and proceed. Use an immersion blender at step 3 after adding cashew milk.
- Add the spices, herbs, salt and nutritional yeast, Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook (manual hi) for 14 mins.
- Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, add cashew milk and mix in. Press Saute, cover and cook for for 4 -5 mins (The soup will tend to splash when boiling, so cover with a well fitting lid. If the lid is too large, the moisture will trickle out and flow along the pot to the bottom which is electrical, which isn't a good thing).
- Taste and adjust salt, flavor, spice. Add some chili blend, or sweetener if needed. Add some more broth if needed for preferred consistency.
- Serve with toppings of choice such as fresh basil or cilantro, vegan bacon crumbles, bbq chips, roasted cajun cauliflower! or other and a side of garlic bread or toasted+buttered bread or dinner rolls. So good!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made the stove-top version tonight. Oh my…. yummy good!! Thank you, Richa!
Hello! What size Instant Pot do you have or recommend? 3, 6, or 8 quart? Looking to buy one for this and all of your other recipes. Thank you!
6 qt
I made this tonight. It looks good but smells bad. What do you think I did wrong? I wasn’t expecting that. Otherwise it was super easy to make. I’ll try it again to figure out where I went wrong.
hmm i am not sure. Can you describe the smell? what other food stuff does it smell like?
the only thing that i can think of is cauliflower. Old cauliflower can have a more pungent smell.
Smoky cauliflower soup was fresh tasting and super nutritious. I followed the recipe closely, with just one substitution. I didn’t have cashews, so instead I smoothed out the soup with packaged almond milk. I wonder how you achieved that beautiful golden color. My soup was kind of pink.
Hi Richa!!!
Oh I can’t wait to make this tomorrow! Many thanks for providing Stove Top instructions!!!!
Looks delicious! Yay!!!! 😃
Thanks! Brenda
This was delicious! Although 5 minutes on high pressure, with quick release, was plenty of cooking time. The recipe leaves room for many little variations. I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks for posting it!
awesome! I did try it for shorter time and a bit of raw flavor from the cauliflower or peppers was showing through. So i added more time. anywhere from 5 mins onwards will work. i like it with many different spice blends
Is there a reason for the natural release vs quick release after the 14 min?
i prefer natural release in creamy soups as the quick release might spray some of the soup out, while releasing.
Hi Richa!
Great recipe. Can i use green bell pepper instead of red? I cant wait to make this and have green pepper at home so would it work?
yes should work just fine. The color might be different. Just garnish with colorful things 🙂
This is a such a yummy Indianiszed spicy version of Cauli soup. Many thanks.
Very innovative.
Shall make this soup morrow.
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Wishing you best, always.
Thank you so much! So glad everyone enjoys the books!
Oh Richa, I drooled when this came through to my email! I can’t wait to try this!
Thank you Brandi, its so easy and so luscious!
Thank you for this delicious soup recipe! I don’t have an instant pot. Can I make this on a stove top?
Thanks!
❤️🙏
Kathleen
oops forgot to add the saucepan instructions. Added to the notes.
Saucepan/Stovetop: Cook the chopped onion and garlic until translucent over medium heat. Add the peppers, cauliflower, spices, mix well and cook for 3 to 4 mins. Add the water/broth and cashew milk and bring to a boil. Continue to cook partially covered for 10 mins or until cauliflower is cooked through. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. Taste and adjust, add more broth if needed.