This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn qualifying purchases. Click here for more about this policy.
This creamy Cauliflower Soup has a thick, velvety texture, made with roasted cauliflower blended with coconut milk and broth, using no cream or flour to thicken it. Adding tender shredded chicken makes it a hearty soup with 33 grams of protein per serving.
Quick Summary: Chicken Cauliflower Soup
- Why Make This Recipe: A creamy low-carb soup that’s warm and nourishing while under 400 calories per bowl.
- Nutrition: 372 calories, 33 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber
- Diet: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo, Low-Carb
- Time: Prep Time – 15 minutes, Cook Time – 40 minutes, Cool Time – 10 minutes, Total Time – 1 hour 5 minutes
- Method: Chicken and cauliflower are cooked in the oven while the soup is blended and then finished on the stove.
- Best for: A cozy winter meal and creamy soup cravings.
- Tip: Shred the chicken for the soup while it’s still warm so it comes apart more easily.
Skip the creamy canned soups and make a soup that is good for you, packed with protein, and only 372 calories per serving. This dairy-free creamy chicken soup is made with blended cauliflower, coconut milk, and low-sodium broth and topped with shredded chicken.
It’s thick and tastes rich but doesn’t have cream, butter, or flour. You can also freeze this soup, so you always have a bowl on hand when the weather turns colder.
If you like roasted cauliflower recipes, you will love cauliflower and broccoli gratin and cauliflower frittata!
Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy Without Using Cream or Flour: Instead of relying on fatty heavy cream and flour, I blend the roasted cauliflower and coconut milk together for a creamy texture without dairy, flour, or fat. use the same technique for the creamy base in my low-calorie chicken pot pie soup.
- Roasting Concentrates Flavor: Roasting the cauliflower helps cook off the excess moisture, which helps create that creamy texture. It also concentrates the flavor of the cauliflower so it shines through in the soup.
- Chicken and Cauliflower Roast Together: The chicken and cauliflower roast on different sheet pans at the same oven temperature. Pull the cauliflower after 20–25 minutes and let the chicken finish at 30. I love this hands-free cooking method.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best, but you could also use chicken thighs. Since the chicken is shredded, you can also save time and make my Instant Pot shredded chicken, use leftover chicken, or pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store.
- Cauliflower: Use a medium-large head of cauliflower, about 2 pounds, and cut it into evenly sized florets so they roast evenly.
- Coconut Milk: Full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk is the best option for this recipe, but you could use any type of milk you prefer.
- Chicken Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is best to avoid excessive sodium. You can always add salt later if needed.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Flavor Boosts: Transform the flavor of your cauliflower chicken soup by adding more spices and flavors. Roast garlic cloves with your cauliflower and blend them into the soup, or add red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon for acidity and a little heat. You could also add a few teaspoons of curry powder, which pairs well with the coconut milk.
- Add More Vegetables: You can never have too many veggies in a soup! Stir in leafy greens like kale or spinach right at the end with the shredded chicken. You could also add carrots or celery, and roast these in the oven with the cauliflower.
- Chunky-style: Blend only half of the cauliflower for bites of cauliflower in the soup along with the chicken.
How to Make Chicken Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower and chicken soup takes about an hour to prepare from start to finish, but a large portion of that time is hands-off cooking while the chicken and cauliflower are roasting in the oven. You’ll need to preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper before you start cooking.
- Step 1: Bake the Chicken. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle it with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake the chicken at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F per the USDA.
- Step 2: Roast the Cauliflower. Arrange the cauliflower florets in an even, single layer on another large prepared baking sheet. Roast the cauliflower at the same time as the chicken for 20-25 minutes. It should turn lightly brown around the edges and be tender.
- Step 3: Blend the Cauliflower. Let the cauliflower cool for about 10 minutes, then add it to a food processor or blender. Add the coconut milk and blend it on high until it’s smooth.
- Step 4: Add Spices. After it’s smooth, add the chicken broth, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Blend again until it turns thick and creamy.
- Step 5: Transfer to Pot. Pour the cauliflower mixture into a large pot and bring it to a medium heat. Cover the pot and then shred the chicken using a standing mixer or two forks.
- Step 6: Mix in Chicken. Add the shredded chicken to the pot, then stir it together and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve up bowls of soup with a batch of these almond flour biscuits.
Expert Tips
- Shred the Chicken Warm: It’s easier to shred chicken while it’s warm, so don’t let it cool for too long before you start shredding.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Be sure the cauliflower is arranged in a single, evenly spaced layer to ensure it roasts evenly.
- Cool Before Blending: For your safety, don’t add hot cauliflower to the blender. Let it cook for at least 10 minutes to reduce your chances of being burned.
- Make Consistency Adjustments: If your soup is too thick, add more broth to the blender ¼ cup at a time until it reaches a better consistency. If it’s too thin, thicken it by letting it simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing beats a bowl of warm, creamy soup on a cold evening, especially when it’s full of protein and fiber to help you feel full and satisfied. This low-carb chicken soup is the perfect fall or winter dinner to serve the family or to make as part of your meal prep. Serve it with bread or a veggie side to make it even more of a meal.
- Make a low-carb side of bread with my cauliflower bread recipe. It’s perfect for dipping into your soup.
- Pair a soup and salad together to squeeze even more veggies into dinner. A butternut squash salad is full of fall flavors that are perfect for soup season.
- While the oven is already turned on and roasting the cauliflower, you can also roast winter vegetables for a side dish. The warm root vegetables and Brussels sprouts pair perfectly with the flavor of the chicken and cauliflower soup.
Cauliflower Soup Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make this cauliflower and chicken soup with frozen cauliflower. You can roast it straight from the freezer. Keep in mind frozen cauliflower contains more water, so it won’t brown as well and may blend thinner than fresh cauliflower.
This soup is definitely low-carb, but it may not fit into every keto diet. There are about 7 grams of net carbs in each bowl, which is low, but not necessarily keto-friendly.
Place leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also portion the soup into Souper Cubes or freezer bags and freeze the soup for up to 2 months. Reheat leftovers over medium heat on the stove, stirring continuously to avoid the coconut milk curdling. Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
If you tried this Chicken Cauliflower Soup recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless
- 1 head Cauliflower , cut into florets
- 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, or milk of choice
- 4 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoons Parsley
- 1 teaspoon Salt, plus extra for chicken
- 1 teaspoon Pepper, plus extra for chicken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the chicken on a prepared baking sheet covered with a slipmat or parchment paper. Sprinkle the chicken with oil, salt and pepper then place in the oven.
- Bake the chicken 30 minutes at 350 F or until the center is no longer pink on the inside.
- While the chicken cooks, place the cauliflower florets in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven with the chicken and roast 20-25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned around the edges.
- Remove everything from the oven when done cooking. Let it cool 8-10 minutes on the baking sheet.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor or blender. Add milk and blend on high until smooth. Once smooth, add the broth, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Blend again until smooth. The consistency should be creamy and thick.
- Transfer the mixture to a large pot and bring to medium heat covered. While the pot heats, shred the chicken using two forks. Add the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir together the ingredients and cook another 10 minutes just to heat. Note, if you are making the recipe for meal prep, you can skip this step and just heat when you are ready to eat.
- Store the soup in the refrigerator up to 7 days in an airtight container or in the freezer up to 60 days.
Notes
- Shred the chicken while it’s still warm, so it easily pulls apart.
- Let the roasted cauliflower cool for about 10 minutes before adding it to the blender to ensure it’s not too hot.
- Adjust the soup’s consistency by adding more cauliflower to thicken it or more broth to thin it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummy soup for this week’s lunches! My food processor didn’t get it as creamy as I’d have liked it to but the taste is still wonderful.
I’m going to add a little cheese to the top just before serving 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Curious where the 21g fat comes from on this one?
It’s from the coconut milk, chicken breasts and olive oil.
This looks so good! I would love to see your recipes stating metric figures too – for your non-US readers 🙂
Thanks Bea so glad you like it and thanks for feedback. Unfortunately, my readership is 95% US based and doing metrics costs upwards of $1000 so I can’t justify doing it right now due to the cost.
Thank you Megan. Perhaps you could write 1 lb=450 g, etc?