Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale

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This Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale is the perfect hearty yet wholesome weeknight dinner. It’s made with just 10 ingredients and is the ultimate hearty comfort food! Includes stovetop and Instant Pot instructions.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Total 50 minutes
5 from 71 votes

You guys sure love recipes that have a minimal number of ingredients and are easy and quick enough to make on weeknights. Well, good news – this Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale ticks all those boxes!

Y’all seemed to really enjoy my Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale and Gremolata, so I wanted to offer another easy soup recipe that is extremely flavorful and delicious.

Table of contents:
1. Why you’re going to like this recipe
2. Ingredient notes
3. Tips for making this recipe
4. How to take this soup over the top
5. Recipe card with notes

Three bowls of cauliflower on a grey table next to a pink linen napkin.

Why you’re going to like this recipe 

10 main ingredients. Okay, I’m not counting water, salt and pepper. But yeah, 10 main ingredients, yay!

Weeknight-friendly. It takes 45 minutes to make, from start to finish, including all the prep time.

Hearty yet wholesome. Cauliflower soup is hearty and comforting, the kind of soup that’ll stick to your ribs and make you feel oh-so-satisfied, thanks to its creamy texture and the addition of vegan sausage. This makes it a great meal for the whole family, including any and all omnivores! But remember, you’re still eating cauliflower, cashews, and kale, so it’s good for you :)

woman's hands holding bowl of cauliflower soup on a grey table.

Ingredient notes

Cauliflower. As you might have noticed from the title of this recipe, this soup is creamy! And it’s naturally creamy from just two ingredients, and no there’s no coconut milk involved! The first ingredient is cauliflower.

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Oh, ye, humble cauliflower. Once simmered in the soup and then blended, the cauliflower gets creamy and rich, and brings a velvety texture to this soup. Be sure to cut your cauliflower into small-to-medium sized florets to ensure they soften fully. They don’t need to be tiny, just don’t make ‘em huge.

Cashews. This is the second source of the soup’s thick creamy texture. I soak the raw cashews in boiling water for about 15 minutes while I prep the other ingredients to ensure the cashews adequately soften (they’ll also simmer in the soup for 15 minutes).

Bowl of cauliflower soup with a spoon on a grey table.

Leeks. There’s something very alluring about using leeks in soup. They belong to the onion family but carry a distinct flavor–grassy yet sweet, and milder than onions. If you can’t find leeks, though, feel free to substitute with shallots or a sweet onion.

But leeks are dirty little things. Once you remove the outer layers, please wash them thoroughly, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Then, cut off the roots and slice the leeks in half, lengthwise. If they’re very fat, slice those halves in half.

The dark green tops are quite tough and strong tasting, so I recommend omitting them. But don’t toss them – add them to a freezer bag and save for making vegetable broth.

Then chop up the light green and white parts finely. Add the chopped leaks to a bowl and fill with cool water, swirling around to get rid of any dirt that might be still lurkin in there. Then drain in a colander.

Side view of a bowl of cauliflower soup on a grey table next to a hunk of bread.

Garlic. Please use fresh garlic! It is much more potent and flavorful than garlic powder, especially when it’s sautéed in a bit of oil before adding the other ingredients.

Vegan Sausage. I used Beyond Meat vegan sausages in this recipe, but you can use the type/brand of vegan sausage you like best or can find at your local store. I love Beyond Meat sausages in general (they’re non-GMO and made with gluten-free, soy-free pea protein), but I also like that they’re crumbleable.

Okay, so crumbleable is definitely not a word, but I like that you can crumble these sausages because it brings that comfort-decadence factor associated with traditional sausage, and you get little bits of texture throughout the entire soup. I crumble the sausage with my hands directly into the pan, and then break it up even more with a spatula or spoon as I cook it. It only took about 5 minutes with the Beyond Meat sausage.

That said, if you can’t find a vegan sausage that crumbles, it’s totally fine. Just slice the sausages at an angle and brown them in a skillet. If you take this route, I recommend stirring in most but not all of the browned sausage slices into the soup, and then garnishing the soup bowls with a few of the remaining slices.

Other vegan sausages to try are Field Roast (love the Italian flavor; it’s soy-free but contains gluten); Lightlife; and Tofurkey (contains gluten and soy)(affiliate links).

I also used the Hot Italian (affiliate link) Beyond Meat flavor (have I mentioned I like spicy food? JK, I mention it all the time…c’mon, I’m Indian!). If you do buy a spicy Italian sausage, you might want to omit the red pepper flakes (unless you also like things quite spicy!). Otherwise, a plain(ish)/neutrali(ish) flavor works just fine.

Vegetable Broth. Any store-bought vegetable broth will work, but I happened to have homemade vegetable broth on hand, and it made the recipe even more flavorful and amazing. If you use a low-sodium broth and/or depending on the saltiness of your vegan sausage, you might need to add a bit more salt than the recipe calls for.

Kale. This is a comforting, creamy soup, but that doesn’t mean we can’t balance it out with some greens, amirite? I love finishing heavy cooked dishes with some greens at the end. It’s super simple (just heat them through for a few minutes until they wilt), and it ensures you eat your greens. Which can be hard in colder months when I have zero interest in chomping salads.

You can use curly kale, as I did, or Tuscan/lacinato/dino kale.

Three bowls of cauliflower soup next to a loaf of bread on a grey table.

Tips for making this recipe

1. To make things efficient as possible, start by pouring some boiling water over the cashews. Then chop up the leeks, garlic, and cauliflower, and do any other prep work. Start making the soup, and while it simmers for 15 minutes, chop up the kale and brown the sausage in a separate pan.

2. This recipe calls for 4 cups of vegetable broth, but depending on the type of pan you use, this might not be quite enough liquid to fully cover the cauliflower. If that’s the case, pour in about 1 cup of water (or if you have more broth), or enough to cover the cauliflower. That’s what I did, and the soup still turned out very thick and creamy (as you can see from the photos). If you prefer a thinner, soupier texture, just add another ½-1 cup of water.

3. If using a stand blender, transfer the soup in batches. Remove the center cap from the blender and cover it with a dish towel to prevent steam from building up inside the blender. Or, you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot to keep things simple (and to wash fewer dishes).

Bowl of cauliflower soup on a grey table.

How to take this soup over the top

1. This recipe uses dried thyme and oregano to keep things simple and quick, but to add even more flavor, use fresh herbs. You have two options. (1) Chop up fresh thyme and rosemary and saute them along with the garlic.

Or, (2) make a bouquet garni out of fresh thyme sprigs, oregano sprigs, and bay leaves – more on how to do that here. Remove the bouquet garni from the soup before pureeing it.

2. Before serving, drizzle this soup with a bit of good-quality extra virgin olive oil. It really takes the soup over the top, flavorwise but also texture-wise in a very subtle way.

And sorry to channel by inner Ina Garten, but I need to specify that it be good-quality extra virgin olive oil because a plain old olive oil is not going to do anything for this soup except make it a bit oily. So if you don’t have a good extra virgin olive oil, you’re better off skipping this last part.

3. Finally, garnish each soup bowl with freshly chopped thyme and parsley

Close up overhead shot of a bowl of cauliflower soup on a grey table.

If you give this Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!

Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale

5 from 71 votes
This Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale is the perfect hearty yet wholesome weeknight dinner. It’s made with just 10 ingredients and is the ultimate hearty comfort food! Includes stovetop and Instant Pot instructions.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: New American
Diet Vegan
Serving size: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (~140)g raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
  • 2 large leeks, washed, trimmed and diced (light green and white parts only)**
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme***
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano***
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional; omit if your sausage is spicy)
  • 4 cups (946 mL) vegetable broth
  • 20 ounces (~570g) cauliflower, cut into small-medium florets
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 – 2 cups (240-480 mL) water
  • 3-4 ounces, or 2-3 large handfuls or kale
  • 10-14 ounces (285-400g) vegan sausage
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional, but adds a nice fresh peppy taste at the end)
  • Optional garnishes: fresh thyme and parsley, chopped

Instructions

Directions (Stovetop)

  • Pour some boiling water to cover the cashews while you prep everything else – about 15 minutes. Drain before using.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the leeks. Sauté until they are softened and starting to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  • Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pot, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Then add the soaked and drained cashews, cauliflower florets, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt black pepper to taste. Add enough water to cover the cauliflower (I added 1 cup or 240 mL, but you can add more if you want a thinner, soupier texture).
  • Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and soft.
  • While the soup is simmering, chop the kale into thin strips. Set aside.
  • Also meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, crumble the vegan sausage into the pan and stir around occasionally, until the sausage is browned. Or, if you’ve sliced your sausage, cook until seared on both sides. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Once the soup is done cooking, blend it up until thick, creamy, and smooth. You can transfer it to a stand blender (in two batches), or use an immersion blender. If you use a stand blender, remove the center cap of the blender and cover it with a dish towel to allow the steam to escape.
  • Return the pureed soup to the soup pot and bring it back to a simmer. If it is too thick for your liking, add more water to thin. Add the sliced kale and browned sausage, and simmer until the kale is tender and wilted, about 3 minutes. Squeeze in some lemon juice, if using. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
  • Serve each soup bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and if desired, fresh thyme and parsley.

Directions (Instant Pot)

  • Select the Sauté setting and add the oil. Allow the oil to heat up, and after a few minutes, add the leeks. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until starting to turn brown. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
  • Pour in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add 1 cup of water, the soaked and drained cashews, cauliflower florets, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt black pepper to taste. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure for 7 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, crumble the vegan sausage into the pan and stir around occasionally, until the sausage is browned. Or, if you’ve sliced your sausage, cook until seared on both sides. Remove from the heat and set aside. You could also brown the sausage in the Instant Pot before starting on the soup and set it aside.
  • Once the 7-minute timer goes off, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then switch the Pressure Release knob from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining steam. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot (or if you don’t have one, transfer the soup to a blender and follow the instructions above). Once blended, stir in the browned sausage and kale to heat through until kale is wilted, about 3-4 minutes.

Notes

* Beyond Meat Sausage is gluten-free and soy-free. If you are either gluten-free or soy-free, be sure to look for a gluten-free and/or soy-free vegan sausage. I include other suggested vegan sausage brands in the “ingredient rundown” section.
** See “ingredient rundown” section for tips on how to wash and cut leeks.
*** See “how to take this recipe over the top“ section for how to substitute with fresh herbs.

Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 975mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3667IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 6mg

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108 comments on Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale

  1. Wren

    5 stars
    Really love this soup! The flavours are amazing. I have this with flatbread that I brush chilli oil on and then put in the grill (broiler) for a few minutes. Tastes incredible!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Wow, we are drooling at the thought of that meal, Wren! Thank you for sharing – great to hear you enjoy the soup :)

  2. Judy Pratt

    5 stars
    So hearty and filling. Love the flavors.

  3. Regena

    5 stars
    This soup is delicious! A great combination of flavors and nice textures. I used shallots in place of leeks b/c my grocery store was out of leeks, and it was great!

    1. Hannah @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Regena, we’re so happy you enjoyed the flavors and textures of this dish. Thanks for sharing! :)

  4. Phyllis Warner

    I love the texture of this soup. I didn’t have the plant-based sausage so I added some dice carrots. I’m going out tomorrow to get the sausage to add to the soup. I think the, it will be awesome

    1. Hannah @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Phyllis, we’re so glad you enjoyed the flavors and textures of this soup! :) Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

  5. Meiji

    5 stars
    this is super delish with the cashew & cauli lending their own creaminess. the olive oil and lemon juice at the end gives the added zing to complement all the creaminess. the kale imparts some bite to munch on. had mine without the sausage

  6. Tammy

    5 stars
    Another great soup from the RPL team! The use of cauliflower here is clever to make the soup hearty and creamy but not too heavy. Looking forward to making this again with fresh herbs to step it up.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Happy to hear you loved the soup, Tammy!

  7. Janet

    5 stars
    SO DELICIOUS!! It cooked so quickly in the instant pot. This will definitely be a go to dinner for me. It made for a warm, cozy, nutritious dinner on a nice rainy night :)

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for the lovely feedback, Janet! :)

  8. Diane

    5 stars
    I made it today for a lunch with a salad and it was wonderful after a swim workout ! I used Field Roast Italian Garlic and Fennel sausage! I “deglazed” the sausage pan with a bit of water and added those bits to the instant pot!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome, Diane. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  9. Nancy

    I’m not a soup fan but this was Oh So Good! My husband and I have been enjoying the 31 day vegan challenge and have not once missed meat. This soup had a lot of flavor and I liked that it wasn’t runny, which it’s what I think when I hear soup. I added extra kale because we love it but I will say, Nisha you have not failed us with such great tasting food. Thanks!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Nancy, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

  10. S. Whittaker

    this soup is amazing

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      We’re thrilled you think so!

  11. Maggie

    5 stars
    It was very good, made it today . I have a Magic Chef multi cooker . I sautéed the sausage in that and it was pain staking to scrub clean. Would recommend not using that to cook the ‘sausage’.
    Thanks. I have your cookbook snd I also follow you on line making a lot of your recipes.
    Looking forward to your next cookbook, too. Keep on keeping on. I am newly wfpb since August. This is first time using meat substitute.
    Could you do some Seitan recipes?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Maggie, we’re thrilled you love the recipes! And we’ll pass the request on to Nisha :)

  12. Brooke

    5 stars
    This was soooo good! I ended up having to use 2-3 cups of water to cover my cauliflower and was worried it wouldn’t be as creamy as I’d like – wasn’t a problem at all! Tasted like comfort food without being heavy, totally going to make this for my family.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for the lovely feedback, Brooke!

  13. Simran

    5 stars
    This was so good! Definitely recommend! It was so creamy! If you get the chance you need to try this! Thanks Nisha!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for the lovely feedback, Simran!

  14. Erin Burns-Flett (home)

    5 stars
    I just made this soup the other evening – it was wonderful. The instant pot was my choice of cooking and I used an immersion blender. Wonderful flavours and texture and pleasing to the eye.
    I have been incorporating more plant based eating into daily eating and my family diet, and it has been difficult to satisfy my husband’s pallet – this soup, however, was a very big success.
    As a side note, my daughter is vegan and gave jars of this soup to other family members for Christmas and it was a big success there too!

    Thank you for contributing to our journey toward a healthier and more planet friendly lifestyle.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      That’s so lovely to hear, Erin! Thanks for sharing and following Rainbow Plant Life :)

  15. Rob H.

    5 stars
    I was a little skeptical at first with the ingredients but I’ve yet to be disappointed with any of your recipes I’ve tried so far. Following this recipe as written I/we (the wife) were amazed at the flavor of this soup. This will be added into the weekly rotation and is a close second to your red lentil curry! You’ve made our change to a vegan diet easy and find ourselves not missing our former eating style. Thanks!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Aw, so lovely to hear, Rob! Thank you for putting trust into the recipes and sharing this with us :) I’ll pass the message to Nisha!

  16. Sheebs

    5 stars
    I made this for my vegetarian in-laws and it turned out delicious! I did miscalculate the cauliflower (I didn’t actually have enough) and so initially my soup wasn’t as creamy as I wanted it. I fixed this by letting it reduce a bit more and throwing in a can of butter beans and pureeing it again. Absolutely tasty, hearty, and warming on a cold January day.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for sharing your experience, Sheebs! Glad you were able to make it work and enjoyed the recipe :)

  17. Michele Stone

    5 stars
    This is a winner! I used Field Roast’s Italian Garlic and Fennel sausage. Perfect flavour and consistency. The kale and sausage added a nice texture to the creamy base. I will make this again. Perfect soup for a cold day!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Wonderful, Michele! Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving a lovely review!

  18. Carolyn

    Can this soup be made a day ahead?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Carolyn, definitely!

  19. Janine Barclay

    5 stars
    So I found a recipe for vegan sausage and I planned to make it for the soup. I should have made it before making the soup. Unfortunately I made the soup first and it vanished before any sausage could be added. I don’t like cauliflower and I rarely eat it. I am nutty for this soup it is amazing. Wow can’t say enough good about this it is awesome. 10 stars all the way

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Woohoo, what a win! Thanks for sharing, Janine :)

  20. Janice

    5 stars
    Done this soup multiple times and a few variations and love it more every time! I actually crave it… a lot! Thank you!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Janice :)

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