Cauliflower & Kohlrabi Soup
This kohlrabi recipe combines roasted kohlrabi and cauliflower in a creamy soup that’s full of flavor. It’s a delicious fall soup that will warm you up on a cool, crisp day.
Kohlrabi Soup Recipe
My first experience with kohlrabi was about a decade ago. A bunch turned up in my weekly CSA box, and I figured it was something I could only get at certain times of the year at either a farmer’s market or in a produce box. I used it to make kohlrabi soup – a creamy blended soup with cauliflower, chicken stock, and seasonings – and never made it again.
Recently, I found a bunch of kohlrabi at my regular grocery store, and it was such a nice surprise. It’s more readily available than I thought, so I dug up the kohlrabi recipe and made it again. Spoiler alert: It’s still delicious. It’s a creamy, smooth soup and the perfect way to kick off the fall season.
To maximize flavor, I like to roast the cauliflower and kohlrabi first. It draws out a subtly sweet and caramelized that takes the soup to a whole new level.
Ingredients
- Kohlrabi cut into pieces
- Cauliflower florets
- Olive oil
- Diced onion
- Chopped garlic
- Dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Chicken stock
- Apple cider vinegar
- Heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi reminds me of beets with its long leafy-topped stems, but the flavor is a lot like broccoli, so even though it looks a bit alien, the flavor is familiar. You may find green and purple kohlrabi at the store, and you can use either in this soup. To prep, discard the leafy stems and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Kohlrabi is at its peak during the winter and spring, although you can usually find it year-round.
Stock: If you want to keep this soup all veggie, feel free to use the same amount of vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
Apple cider vinegar: Don’t skip this ingredient – it may seem weird, but when you add a splash of apple cider vinegar to this soup, it wakes up all the flavors and brightens the soup. It’s a secret ingredient I use in quite a few soup recipes – trust me, it makes a difference.
Cream: It’s indulgent, and I love it, but you can use half and half or whole milk instead.
How to Make It
Roast the vegetables: On a rimmed baking sheet, lightly coat the cauliflower and kohlrabi with olive oil and roast the veggies at 425°F for about 30 minutes or so. Once they’re fork tender, they’re done.
Make the soup: Cook the onions in hot olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook them for about a minute. Mix in the seasonings, roasted veggies, and stock. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
Blend the soup: I like to use a stick blender to puree the soup in the pot. If you don’t have one, take the pot off the heat so the soup can cool off. Blend it in small batches in a stand blender and then transfer the batches back to the pot and warm the soup over medium heat.
Garnish and serve: Add the vinegar, stir, and give the soup a taste. If it needs more salt, add some (a little at a time) until you’re happy with the flavor. Stir in the cream, ladle the soup into bowls, and top each with some parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips
- Side dishes: I love this soup with some crusty bread or garlic toast on the side. It also pairs well with sandwiches like my mushroom melt or a classic grilled cheese. Or, add a salad on the side.
- Freezing tip: If you want to freeze the soup for later, don’t add the vinegar, cream, or garnishes. Once you’ve blended the soup, allow it to cool and then store it in freezer containers. It will keep for several months. When you’re ready to serve it, warm it up and add the apple cider vinegar, cream, and garnishes.
- Leftovers: Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge and it will keep for a few days.
I hope you look for some kohlrabi at the store so you can try this soup! It’s so cozy and delicious.
Happy soup-making,
More Vegetable Soup Ideas
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
Cauliflower & Kohlrabi Soup
Kohlrabi has a flavor similar to broccoli, making it a perfect match with cauliflower. For this recipe, I roast the kohlrabi and cauliflower first to draw out a caramelized flavor, and the soup is blended, so it’s extra creamy. It’s a delicious way to warm up when it’s chilly out.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower broken into florets
- 3 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled with stems removed and the blubs cut into pieces (see note)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup heavy cream (see note)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the kohlrabi and cauliflower on a sheet pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the veggies. Roast them in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook it until it’s fragrant, about a minute or so. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Next, add the roasted vegetables and chicken stock to the pot. Give it all a good stir, turn up the heat, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- Puree the soup in the pot with a stick blender (see note). Add the apple cider vinegar and stir. Give the soup a taste and add salt, if needed. Stir in the cream.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Kohlrabi: Cut off the stems and leaves first. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the bulb and then cut the bulb into pieces.
Cream: If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use half and half or whole milk.
Blending: If you don’t have a stick blender (immersion blender), take the pot off the heat so the soup can cool off. Blend it in small batches in a stand blender and then transfer the batches back to the pot and warm the soup up again.
Freezing: You can make this soup ahead and freeze it. Once you’ve blended the soup, allow it to cool off and transfer it to freezer containers. It will keep in the freezer for several months. When you warm it up, add the cream, apple cider vinegar, and garnishes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 484
- Sugar: 12.1g
- Sodium: 1500.7mg
- Fat: 34.3g
- Saturated Fat: 12.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19.6g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 31.2g
- Fiber: 9.7g
- Protein: 18.2g
- Cholesterol: 50.5mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Post updated from the archives. First published in November 2017.
I have never tried kohlrabi but I will not, this looks fantastic!