Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

By Melissa Clark

Updated Feb. 25, 2025

Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(9,210)
Comments
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The beauty of a soup like this — other than its bone-warming properties — is that you don’t need a recipe. You can pretty much simmer together any combination of vegetables with a little water or broth, purée it, top it with good olive oil and salt, and end up with something good to eat. The addition of miso paste and crushed coriander to the broth, and fresh lemon and cilantro at the end, zips things up without negating the comfort factor.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 1large white onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
  • 2large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 5medium carrots (1 pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
  • 3tablespoons white miso
  • 1small (or half of a large) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
  • ½teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
  • Smoky chile powder, for serving
  • Coarse sea salt, for serving
  • Cilantro leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

154 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 532 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large, dry pot over medium heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant and dark golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely crush.

  2. Step 2

    Return the pot to medium heat. Add the oil and heat until warm. Stir in onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Add carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 cups water to the pot. Stir in the miso until it dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can let soup cool slightly then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender.) If necessary, return the puréed soup to the heat to warm through. Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chile, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
9,210 user ratings
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Comments

Karen

One question: I toasted the coriander seeds and coarsely crushed them with a mortar and pestle. I followed the recipe in detail. The soup was great but we were spitting out the husks (or hulls) of the coriander. Did I do something wrong? Did others have the same experience?

Donna

To the editors: I would like it if instead of saying, "1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower" you would give the weight of cauliflower needed.

Lauren

This soup is delightful! I used veg broth instead of water, roasted the cauliflower and carrots rather than cooking in the broth, and added bay leaves and then some scallions at the end. The soup somehow ends up tasting like a bowl of creamy, cheesy cauliflower-cheddar even though there isn't a drop of dairy. Highly recommended!

John L

I roasted the vegetables for extra flavor. Used broth instead of water. Added extra coriander. Extra lemon zest, but still found it very bland. And the color was no where near the picture. More of a pinkish gray. I even added a squeeze of tomato paste for color, as one reviewer suggested. I never got it to taste like anything better than slightly spicy baby food.

Lakeside

I’m new to NYT Cooking, and so far the recipes have been hit or miss. Except this one, which was stellar. I made it without mods except that I used ground coriander (and so a little less) an I added a tiny bit of bullion (half a cube). So good and healthy. Perfect new year soup.

Motoko

dear Melissa, I'm a great admirer of the rigor of your recipes and this is the first time I am commenting. Having grown up in Japan I question the timing of adding miso. As you know when making miso soup it is the last thing that goes in. To be sure this is a vegetable soup not broth but delicate miso being subjected to a prolonged simmer alarms me - could it be added when it is time to purée the soup? Otherwise it's a delightful recipe - the combination of coriander and miso is a revelation!

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