Curried Cauliflower Chowder

This curried cauliflower chowder is the perfect balance of hearty, satisfying chowder with bright and fresh curry flavor, and lots of veggies too!

You are probably aware how I feel about putting coconut milk where it doesn’t belong. Generally, chowder is somewhere that I would protest. But this cauliflower fully embraces flavors that complement coconut: ginger, shallot, curry powder, and lime. And of course, lots of garlic.

It also couldn’t be much easier to make – you can complete this creamy curried cauliflower soup in one pot if you have an immersion blender. If not, it’s just a quick trip to the blender or food processor to puree a portion of the soup, and otherwise cooks on the stove.

Upon blending a portion of the soup base, the cauliflower, potato, and coconut milk all combine to create a creamy-without-the-cream richness that (while boasting a little bit of saturated fat from the coconut) is also nutritious.

(Want to see more of my secretly healthy soups? Try my broccoli “cheddar” soup, creamy wild rice soup, or simply check out my vegan soups gallery to browse all of the many recipes I have on the site. Soup is one of my specialties!)

Leaving behind some whole bites of veggies means that you still get textural variation too. Why call this a chowder at all? You’ll just have to try it to know. Chowder is the perfect term for this rich and hearty dish.

While I often like to base my curries off of garam masala (as seen in my my fan favorite chickpea curry), the fruitier notes of curry powder (which is not a traditional Indian ingredient, but rather an Americanized blend of spices such as fenugreek) work well in this curried cauliflower chowder setting, and help keep the recipe ingredients very simple so you can easily make this on a weeknight!

If you try this cauliflower curry soup, let me know in the comments or by tagging me with @yupitsvegan on Instagram!

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5 from 5 votes

Curried Cauliflower Chowder

Decadent yet nutritious, this creamy curried cauliflower chowder is an easy weeknight soup option that packs in the veggies and is made with mostly pantry ingredients.

Course Soup

Cuisine American, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword cauliflower chowder, curried cauliflower soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2 quarts

Calories 326kcal

Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 yellow or white onion (or use 2 shallots) diced
• 3 medium red potatoes (about 12 oz.) diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery (optional) diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp minced or grated ginger
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5 oz.)
• 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp)
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional) for garnish

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add the potato, carrot and celery and stir well. Continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes, until the celery begins to soften.
• Stir in the garlic, ginger, and curry powder; cook for about 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, cauliflower, soy sauce, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender, partially puree the soup according to preference. Or, transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender or food processor, blend until smooth, and return to the pot.
• Stir in the lime juice, and season to taste with additional lime juice and salt. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pint | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 1487mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g

Adapted from The Kitchn.