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    Home » soup

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup – Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup (Stovetop option)

    Published: May 4, 2018 · Modified: Apr 13, 2019 by Richa 42 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    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   
    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Hearty and Delicious. Just 5 mins Prep, no Immersion blending needed. Saucepan Option. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Recipe. Can be #Nutfree #veganricha | VeganRicha.com

    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!

    Our Vegan Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup in white bowls


    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Just 5 mins pre, no Immersion blender needed. Hearty and Delicious. Saucepan Option. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Recipe. Can be #Nutfree #veganricha | VeganRicha.com

    More Loved Instant Pot Recipes!

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    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.

    While you are here, look through these impactful visuals of what’s inside some baby birds. You guessed it right, plastic and more plastic.

    Step by Step Photos

    Ingredients for Our Vegan Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup in Bowls
    Blended cauliflower and pepper for Our Vegan Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
    Our Vegan Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup in Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Hearty and Delicious. Saucepan Option. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Recipe. Can be #Nutfree #veganricha | VeganRicha.com

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Hearty and Delicious. Saucepan Option. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Recipe. Can be #Nutfree #veganricha | VeganRicha.com
    Print Recipe
    4.85 from 13 votes

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Hearty and Delicious. Saucepan Option. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Recipe. Can be Nut-free.
    Just 5 Mins prep. No Immersion Blender needed!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American, Gluten-free, Vegan Glutenfree
    Keyword: One pot Cauliflower Soup, Roasted PEpper Cauliflower Soup
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 118kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    • 1 small head of cauliflower or 1/2 a large head
    • 1/2 (0.5) small onion
    • 4 cloves of garlic 4 small cloves or 2 large
    • 1/2 (0.5) red bell pepper (or use roasted red bell pepper for variation)
    • 1.5 cup (375 ml) water or veggie broth
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 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 (0.5 tsp) dried thyme
    • 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 cup (1.52 oz) 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

    ** This blended mix gets cooked well under pressure. If you are unsure of the raw onion and garlic, you can saute chopped onion and garlic on saute mode until golden. Transfer half of the mix to the blender with the cauliflower and blend. 
    Raw onion and garlic when blended sometimes can be a much stronger flavor and smell if they are old or get over blended and can overpower the soup. Saute before blending. 
     
    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. 
     
    Nut-free option: Use pumpkin seeds, coconut cream or other nut free cream /thick milk (about 1 cup) or a combination.
     
    If you add the cashew milk before cooking, the mixture will thicken too quickly and the IP might give a burn signal.
     
    Nutrition is 1 of 3 serves

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 118 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 598mg26%
    Potassium 335mg10%
    Carbohydrates 11g4%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 785IU16%
    Vitamin C 45.1mg55%
    Calcium 28mg3%
    Iron 1.7mg9%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup - Smoky Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika. Hearty and Delicious. Saucepan Option. #Vegan #Glutenfree #Soyfree #Recipe. Can be #Nutfree #veganricha | VeganRicha.com

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    1. Keren

      January 12, 2023 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight when I was feeling tired and needed to use up some cauliflower. It was so easy and delicious! The flavors got better as time went on too! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        January 13, 2023 at 11:04 am

        Love it!

        Reply
    2. Heather

      January 22, 2022 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      This soup is delicious! I took some shortcuts—I put everything in the instant pot and cooked it for 15 minutes. After the natural release, I put it in the blender (Vitamix), along with the cashews and about 2/3 cup of water. No changes in ingredients. You are quickly becoming my go-to for soups!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        January 26, 2022 at 9:24 am

        good to know, thanks Heather!

        Reply
    3. Vicki

      February 03, 2021 at 2:15 pm

      I usually love your recipes, but this was a flop. Not only did it taste bad, it stunk up the house for two days. I had to replace the pressure cooker gasket as I could not get rid of the bad smell. I don’t usually post negative comments, but I just want to let others know that they might want to skip this one.

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 03, 2021 at 11:02 pm

        Oh no. Sorry it dint work out for you. This can happen with old onion. When you blend the onion it releases a lot kore smell which doesn’t have a way to escape in the instant pot. Use the alternate method of sauntering chopped onion when not sure.

        Reply
    4. Alex

      January 16, 2020 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      Looks amazing, can’t wait to try it! If I wanted to add lentils to this recipe, would it change much? When should I add them?

      Thanks!

      Alex

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 16, 2020 at 5:14 pm

        depends on the kind of lentils and if you want them to stay whole or pureed

        Reply
    5. debbi

      December 26, 2019 at 6:28 am

      Has any one tried this in the Instant Pot Ace Blender? I was thinking of throwing all the ingredients in (including the cashews) and thinning it out with broth or plant milk after it finishes.

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 26, 2019 at 11:28 am

        havent tried that specific blender, but you can blend i beforee or after

        Reply
    6. Katrina L

      November 23, 2019 at 2:55 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe a few times and am reminded how lovely and easy it is! My whole family eats it up with out complaints (I have a teenager and 2 five year olds so this is a high compliment). I love how the first directions is to throw most of the ingredients into a blender. Done. Easy. Yet the result is a super creamy, decadent, rich, flavorful soup that is comforting. I have yet to try a recipe of Vegan Richa’s that isn’t a game changer for my meal planning.

      Reply
      • Richa

        November 23, 2019 at 6:09 pm

        yay!!

        Reply
    7. Karen

      October 19, 2019 at 1:23 pm

      Looks great! Can coconut milk be substituted for the cashew milk?

      Reply
      • Richa

        October 19, 2019 at 1:45 pm

        Yes, it will keep the soup a bit thinner

        Reply
    8. alison

      April 12, 2019 at 10:08 pm

      Hi, I am planning on making this tonight but am a little confused. In the recipe it says to add 1/3 of a cup of cashews, flour and water. In the method you talk about adding cashew milk. At what point do the cashews turn into milk? Are you meant to soak them first and then use a food processor? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 13, 2019 at 7:52 am

        yes its 1/3 cup cashews blended with 1 cup water which make the cashew milk. its written in the ingredients to blend, i’ll update it to be more clear in the instructions as well

        Reply
    9. Linda H

      March 18, 2019 at 10:22 am

      Would love to make this Smokey Vegan Cauliflower soup, but does it freeze well? I’m looking for soups to freeze :). Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa G

        March 18, 2019 at 11:21 am

        yes should be fine. Just whisk it well when reheating

        Reply
    10. Traci

      February 08, 2019 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      I’d never tried cinnamon in a soup like this. Such a rich flavor!

      I can’t easily get raw cashews to make cashew cream, so I throw a handful of macadamia nuts into the pot with the rest of the ingredients ( I still prefer to blend after cooking).

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 08, 2019 at 1:13 pm

        awesome! yes either works. i just find the blending afterwards a bit more problematic with the heat and sometimes it stains the blender

        Reply
    11. Janice

      January 24, 2019 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and it’s perfect! I used jarred roasted red peppers , minced garlic, dried onions, and full fat coconut milk just because it’s what we had and tin turned out fabulously.

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 24, 2019 at 12:40 pm

        awesome!

        Reply
    12. Julie Nano

      October 20, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      4 stars
      Yum! Changed it up a little. I added 1 potato, chopped and sautéed everything but the cashews instead of blending first, added an extra 1/2 cup water and 1/4 tsp more salt, put unblended cashews and water in w/ the pressure cooking, blended it all at the end. It served 4 w/ good crusty bread.

      Reply
    13. Sylvia

      October 06, 2018 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      I made the stove-top version tonight. Oh my…. yummy good!! Thank you, Richa!

      Reply
    14. Jared Feldman

      July 18, 2018 at 3:53 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 18, 2018 at 10:19 am

        6 qt

        Reply
    15. Punam Kalra

      July 17, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 18, 2018 at 12:22 am

        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.

        Reply
    16. AJ Schuman

      May 19, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
    17. Brenda

      May 18, 2018 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Richa!!!
      Oh I can’t wait to make this tomorrow! Many thanks for providing Stove Top instructions!!!!
      Looks delicious! Yay!!!! 😃
      Thanks! Brenda

      Reply
    18. Elizabeth M

      May 14, 2018 at 10:22 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 19, 2018 at 12:44 am

        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

        Reply
        • Corwin

          November 15, 2019 at 10:43 pm

          Is there a reason for the natural release vs quick release after the 14 min?

          Reply
          • Richa

            November 16, 2019 at 10:01 am

            i prefer natural release in creamy soups as the quick release might spray some of the soup out, while releasing.

            Reply
    19. Amy

      May 07, 2018 at 4:10 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 07, 2018 at 5:21 pm

        yes should work just fine. The color might be different. Just garnish with colorful things 🙂

        Reply
    20. Raag

      May 05, 2018 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      This is a such a yummy Indianiszed spicy version of Cauli soup. Many thanks.
      Very innovative.
      Shall make this soup morrow.
      I am a Librarian, and I have your books cataloged in our system, I am goona get the second book added too.. the copies are popular regularly with our patrons.
      Wishing you best, always.

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 05, 2018 at 3:22 pm

        Thank you so much! So glad everyone enjoys the books!

        Reply
    21. The Vegan 8

      May 04, 2018 at 7:42 pm

      Oh Richa, I drooled when this came through to my email! I can’t wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 05, 2018 at 3:24 pm

        Thank you Brandi, its so easy and so luscious!

        Reply
    22. Kathleen Kastner

      May 04, 2018 at 6:42 pm

      Thank you for this delicious soup recipe! I don’t have an instant pot. Can I make this on a stove top?
      Thanks!
      ❤️🙏
      Kathleen

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 04, 2018 at 6:56 pm

        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. 

        Reply

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