Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnuts and Bacon

Thick and creamy roasted cauliflower soup is cozy yet light, flavored with white wine and fresh herbs, then topped with crispy bacon and toasted hazelnuts. This tastes like a rich potato soup, yet has way less calories. 

Note: I like this recipe so much that it’s one of the first recipes I ever wanted to post. I had the write up and recipe ready to go, along with my iPhone photos (taken in the dark, with odd angles, and a really ugly bowl thrown in too). The photos were so bad I couldn’t bring myself to publish the post. Luckily I had a chance to take new photos that do the recipe some justice so everyone can enjoy this exceptional soup all winter long!

If you can’t tell from my last post, apparently I like to combine my vegetables with bacon and hazelnuts. I also believe in adding a generous splash of wine to whatever you’re cooking. Unless it’s oatmeal. Don’t do that. You be the judge.

Soup season is in full swing!!

I LOVE soup. Whenever I make it, I try to make a big batch that will leave me with leftovers for a few days. Not many things are cozier than homemade soup, and I enjoy having a steamy bowl for work lunches. This has two big benefits:

1) I have an instant cheap, fast, healthy, and delicious lunch, and…

2) My office is actually an igloo. (Well, my former office, since I’m currently experiencing self-induced funemployment.) Having hot soup helps to keep me warm so I can survive arctic temperatures. Office jobs are no joke my friends.

Can you believe that soup made with all cauliflower (no potatoes!) can look and taste this good?!? It is true!

If I didn’t know that the main ingredient in this soup is cauliflower, I would’ve assumed it’s potatoes. This soup is that rich, hearty, and delicious! Don’t skip out on the toasted hazelnuts. They provide some fat and protein for staying power.

Do I have to roast the cauliflower?

Yes! Roasting cauliflower takes away its bitter cabbaginess (<-let’s pretend that’s a word, okay?), and turns it into the perfect soup base even for vegetable haters. This is an important step in making crave-worthy soup.

A few notes on the cooking steps:

First you cook some bacon and reserve a bit of fat to sauté the vegetables. (The cauliflower roasts in the oven during this process.)

Then you sauté onion, fennel, and garlic until soft, throwing in some wine at the end.

Once the vegetables have sautéed and the wine has cooked down, it will look like this and smell incredible. Keep scraping the leftover browned bacon bits off the bottom of the pan. They contain lots of flavor!

Finally, roasted cauliflower, herbs, and broth all go into the pot, and it looks like this goodness. You will not believe just how good this smells!

Once that has simmered together for a bit, remove the bay leaves, add a splash of cream, blend it together and… the most delicious cauliflower soup you’ve ever encountered is ready to be served!

I served this for dinner with a side of smoked tuna (made in the Traeger) topped with yogurt sauce, and a spinach salad. It would also go well with a toasted sandwich, and the leftovers make a great meal just on their own!

Print

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnuts and Bacon

Restaurant-quality soup topped with toasted hazelnuts and bacon bits!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 8

Author Lindsey

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

• 2 medium cauliflower heads, cut into small florets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Main soup base:

• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 large fennel bulb chopped
• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 7 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Divide between two trays lined with parchment paper (or greased foil). Roast until slightly browned and tender, about 35 minutes.

2. While cauliflower is roasting, cut bacon into ½” pieces. Heat a heavy pot over medium heat and cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 10-12 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels, reserving about 2 tbsp of bacon fat in the pan. 

3. Cook chopped fennel, onion, and garlic in bacon drippings, stirring occasionally until onion and fennel are very soft, 8-10 minutes. Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and roasted cauliflower. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer uncovered for approximately 10 minutes.

4. Put hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. While soup is simmering, turn oven to 400 degrees and toast hazelnuts until lightly browned, approximately 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, and then coarsely chop. 

5. Remove soup from heat, then remove bay leaves and stir in cream. Working in batches, puree soup until very smooth. (I did this in a blender.) Return to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top soup with toasted hazelnuts and bacon. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Bon Appétit.

If you liked this soup, be sure to check out my quick and healthy pumpkin soup next!