Roasted Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup

cauliflower pumpkin soup in orange bowl beside roasted garlic, pepitas, toasted baguette, pumpkins

5 from 5 votes

Roasted Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup

This roasted cauliflower and pumpkin soup is rich, garlicky, and oh-so comforting! The smooth, creamy texture is perfectly complemented by crunchy kale and pancetta, making this simple soup surprisingly sophisticated! Did I mention it's gluten-free?

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cauliflower and pumpkin soup, cauliflower pumpkin soup, pumpkin and cauliflower soup, pumpkin cauliflowwer soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 588kcal

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower
1 shallot
3 cups sugar pie pumpkin (diced)
2 garlic head
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp salt (divided)
½ tsp black pepper (divided)
3 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion
4 cups veggie broth
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1-3 sprigs sage
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups kale
4 oz pancetta

Instructions

Chop cauliflower into florets, thinly slice shallot, and chop pumpkin into 1" cubes. Slice garlic heads, exposing the cloves. Arrange vegetables on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 375° F for 40 minutes or until veggies are fork-tender.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or pot, melt butter and sauté chopped onion on very low heat. Sauté for about 40 minutes or until caramelized, stirring occasionally.
Add roasted veggies to the same pot as the onion along with vegetable broth.
Add a sprig of rosemary, a sprig of thyme, and 1-3 sprigs of sage to a tea sachet and submerge in soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Remove herb sachet and blend ingredients using an immersion blender. Add remaining salt & pepper as well as heavy cream and stir to combine.
Mix chopped kale into the soup, removing spines first if necessary. Continue to simmer on low heat for 1-2 minutes or until kale begins to wilt slightly. Remove from heat.
In a small saucepan, fry diced pancetta until crispy, over medium heat about 5-7 minutes. Discard grease.
Serve in individual bowls and top with a swirl of heavy cream, pancetta, and more fresh kale before serving.

Notes

Check out this guide if you don’t know how to cut a pumpkin!
I recommend using a potato peeler to remove the skin of the pumpkin, as using a knife to remove it may result in removing too much of the pumpkin flesh.
I suggest drizzling at least a tablespoon of oil on each garlic bulb and placing them near the edge of the pan. The garlic bulbs may need 5-10 minutes longer in the oven than the rest of the veggies, but wrapping them in foil may help them roast faster.
I also like to line my baking sheet with foil just to make cleanup easier.
The sachet makes it easier to remove the herbs after the soup is infused. If you don’t have a sachet, you can add the herbs directly into the soup, removing them before blending.
You can add the pancetta grease into the soup to give it more flavor if you want, or you can reserve it and use it for something else.
You may want to set aside some of the fresh herbs to use as a garnish!
If the soup is too thick for your liking you can add 1 cup of water to thin it out.

Nutrition