I am so excited to share today's Buffalo Cauliflower Soup recipe with you guys! This spicy plant based soup is made with simple and wholesome ingredients and is the perfect soup to mix it up. If you're a huge buffalo cauliflower fan like myself, this soup is the perfect fun new way to enjoy it!
What Is Buffalo Cauliflower Soup?
You've probably heard of buffalo cauliflower before. If you're familiar with buffalo cauliflower, you may be wondering how the heck does one make a soup out of it? I had the same thought when I thought about creating this recipe. Honestly I had second thoughts.
Luckily I trusted me gut and made the best Buffalo Cauliflower Soup ever! Unlike buffalo cauliflower which is deep fried, baked, or air fried, the cauliflower in this soup is simply added to a pot, Instant pot, Ninja Foodi, or any other pressure cooker. You can also cook it in a slow cooker, but it will obviously take longer.
There are no fancy steps needed for this soup, you just throw it together and let the flavors soak. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. It's super creamy and comforting with the perfect spicy kick!
Ingredients For This Buffalo Cauliflower Soup:
For The Buffalo Cauliflower Soup:
- Cauliflower - Obviously, this is the main ingredient in this soup. However there's actually a couple different things you can do to make this recipe easier, or more nutritious. You can use frozen cauliflower for a quicker option, and/or you can use orange, or purple cauliflower for more nutrients.
- Carrots - Just like cauliflower, you can use any carrot variety for more nutrients, or aesthetic.
- Celery - Is super important for creating flavorful soups. It also helps to bulk up the soup without adding additional unnecessarily calories.
- Onion - You can use red onions, sweet onions, or simply just regular onions. You can also add additional onion powder to spice up this recipe even more.
- Garlic - You can use fresh garlic cloves (what I recommend), and/or use garlic powder for more flavor.
- Coconut Milk - you can use either full fat for an extra creamy soup, or you can use lite coconut milk for a low calorie vegan soup. i personally prefer full fat for this recipe, since it doesn't have any other calorie dense ingredients.
- Vegetable Broth - Make sure to look for a low sodium vegetable broth. This recipe uses a lot of salty ingredients, so when possible look for low sodium. It is easy to make this recipe too salty, so just keep that in mind.
- Hot Sauce - You can use whatever hot sauce you prefer. It's important to look for a hot sauce that is made without preservatives, and only contains clean ingredients. I've linked my favorite.
- Smoked Paprika - Make sure to used smoked paprika, and not paprika. Smoked has the perfect savory flavor that really elevates the flavor of this soup.
- Turmeric Powder - Used to achieve that vibrant orange color.
- Red Pepper Flakes (Optional) - For additional heat.
- Tapioca Powder - This helps to thicken up the soup. You can use any thickeners like cornstarch, arrowroot, or plain flour. They pretty much all work the same.
Toppings:
- Green Onions - For topping.
- Air-Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower (Optional) - You can add additional crunchy cauliflower for the perfect crouton like sensation.
How To Make This Buffalo Cauliflower Soup:
This Buffalo Cauliflower Soup is super easy to make! It only requires one pot, and minimal hands on work.
Begin by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, and slicing the carrot and celery into rings/half moons. Add to a large pot with about Ā½ cup of the vegetable broth. Cook until the onions/celery begins to become clear, and the carrots are slightly soft.
Break the cauliflower into chunks and add to the pot with the remaining vegetable broth. Add the coconut milk, hot sauce, and spices. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Combine the tapioca powder, and equal parts water together and mix until smooth. Once the cauliflower has softened, pour the tapioca mixture into the pot and mix. Cover again and let cook for 10 more minutes.
Make the Air-Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower according to recipe instructions. Slice the green onions and set aside. Pour the soup into large bowls and top with additional coconut milk, the air fried cauliflower, and the green onions. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Spicy Cauliflower Good For You?
Cauliflower by itself is obviously a very healthy food by itself. However, just like any other vegetable, it can easily be turned unhealthy. Spicy cauliflower is my favorite way to enjoy cauliflower. The flavors and texture compliment each other perfectly. But is it healthy? Yes, and no.
Spicy food is actually very healthy for you. Spicy food has been proven to: boost metabolism, control appetite, improve heart health, boost the microbiome, and reduce inflammation. Therefore it only makes sense for spicy cauliflower to be healthy, right? Wrong!
Often times spicy, or other buffalo cauliflower recipes are made with highly processed oils, refined grains, and artificial flavors. Therefore I typically don't think of it as a healthy food. Thankfully I am here to make healthy buffalo cauliflower recipes like this Buffalo Cauliflower soup that are made with 100% whole foods plant based ingredients!
Do Cauliflower Wings Have Protein?
Buffalo cauliflower is a great vegan food for so many reasons. It's nutritious and low calorie. However it is not a great source of plant based protein. A cup of cauliflower only has about 2 grams of protein in it. Therefore it is important to try and make up for the lack of protein in cauliflower with the batter and the sauce.
This Buffalo Cauliflower Soup doesn't require any batter, however there are ways to bump up the protein content of this soup. First, you can substitute whole wheat flour for the tapioca flour if you are not gluten-free. This will work just as well, but it contains more protein.
The second, and best way to add additional protein to this soup is by adding a plant based protein source such as tempeh, or tofu. Either one works great in this recipe. I personally love using tempeh, because it doesn't fall apart as easily.
The last way you can increase the protein in this recipe is by using soy milk instead of coconut. Not only will this increase the protein, but it will also lower the calories and fat content of this soup. This will make it the perfect low calorie vegan soup for weight loss. The protein and fiber will keep you full, all while helping you maintain a calorie deficit.
How Do You Store Buffalo Cauliflower Soup?
Unlike Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, this Buffalo Cauliflower Soup doesn't have any crisp to it. Therefore storing it is super easy. You can simply store it in air tight glass containers, or a covered pot.
If you choose to make the Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower as a topping, I recommend storing it separately, and then popping it in the air fryer again for about 2 minutes. This will help it to crisp up again, and prevent it from becoming soggy.
Related Buffalo Cauliflower Recipes:
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tofu Tacos
Buffalo Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
For The Buffalo Cauliflower Soup:
- 1 head cauliflower
- 4-5 medium carrots
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 5oz bottle plant based hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- Ā½ teaspoon turmeric
- Ā½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoon tapioca powder can use cornstarch, or any flour.
Toppings:
- 3 green onions
- 1 batch Air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings
Instructions
- Begin by slicing the carrots and celery, dicing the onions, and mincing the garlic. Add to a large pot with Ā¼ cup of vegetable broth. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Break the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and add to the pot. Cover and allow to cook.
- Add in the vegetable broth, coconut milk, hot sauce, and spices. Set to medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the tapioca mixture by combining the tapioca powder with equal parts water. Add and cook for 10 more minutes.
- To serve, top with green onions, and the air fried buffalo cauliflower wings. Enjoy!
nancy
i can't get enough of this spicy Buffalo Cauliflower soup. it was so creamy and i love the heat added!
emily
such a creative way to get the buffalo flavor without the mess. We also love your cauliflower wing recipe on its own, but I think the soup is my favorite.
Jenn Freedman
Oh yum! My favorite dip turned into a soup!