RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
October Pick: Instant Pot Meals

Roasted Cauliflower and Sage Soup

Deeply roasted cauliflower pressure-cooked in bone broth with sage butter and onion, blended velvety with cream and Parmesan, topped with crispy sage.

Why you'll love Roasted Cauliflower and Sage Soup

Cauliflower is a cool-weather crop, and in October the heads at the market are dense, sweet, and heavy. This soup roasts them until their edges are deep brown, then pressure-cooks them in chicken bone broth with onion, garlic, and butter that has been scented by frying fresh sage leaves in it. Blended with a little cream and Parmesan, it turns velvety and tastes nutty, savory, and warm, and the crisp sage leaves, toasted hazelnuts, and a few reserved roasted florets on top give every spoonful some crunch.

The oven is where the flavor comes from. High, dry heat browns the cauliflower's natural sugars and proteins and builds toasty, nutty notes that carry all the way through the blended soup. The Instant Pot then does in 5 minutes at pressure what would take half an hour of simmering, softening the roasted florets so completely that they blend smooth. Frying the sage in the pot first leaves its flavor in the butter, which then cooks the onion, so the herb runs through the whole soup. The cream and cheese go in after pressure cooking, since dairy can scorch on the bottom of the pot and curdle under pressure.

The soup brings the vegetables and the real fat to the table. Serve it with roast chicken, seared shrimp, or a couple of soft-boiled eggs to make it a full meal.

Quick overview: This Roasted Cauliflower and Sage Soup takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr 10 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 1 1/2 cups. You'll need an Instant Pot, a sheet pan, and a blender.

Jump to recipe

Roasted cauliflower soup with crispy sage and hazelnuts
Prep 15 minCook 55 minTotal 1 hr 10 minServes 4Serving about 1 1/2 cupsYou'll need Instant Pot, Sheet pan, Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 very large or 2 small heads cauliflower (about 2 1/4 lb), cut into 2-inch florets
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 20 fresh sage leaves, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken bone broth Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream Label: cream, with no gums or carrageenan
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • a pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Roast the cauliflower: Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a large rimmed sheet pan inside. Toss the florets with the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, spread them on the hot pan in one layer, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the edges are deep golden brown and a knife slides into the stems. Scatter the hazelnuts on a free corner of the pan for the last 8 minutes. Set aside a cup of the best-browned small florets for the top.
  2. Fry the sage: Set the Instant Pot to sauté on normal and melt the butter. When it foams, add 12 of the sage leaves in a single layer and fry for 30 to 60 seconds, until they darken and turn crisp. Lift them onto a paper towel. The butter left behind now carries the sage's flavor.
  3. Soften the onion: Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt to the sage butter and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Chop the remaining 8 sage leaves, add them with the garlic, and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  4. Pressure-cook: Add the roasted cauliflower and the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot well, so nothing stuck there trips the burn warning. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
  5. Blend and finish: Blend the soup in the pot with an immersion blender for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, nutmeg, lemon juice, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then taste and adjust. The lemon lifts the roasted flavor and keeps the cream from tasting heavy.
  6. Serve: Chop the toasted hazelnuts. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the reserved florets, the crispy sage leaves crumbled over, the hazelnuts, and a thin drizzle of olive oil.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate the soup in a sealed container for up to 4 days. It thickens as it chills; thin it with a splash of broth as it reheats. Keep the crispy sage in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 day and the hazelnuts in a jar for up to 2 weeks.

Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. For the smoothest texture, freeze it after blending and before adding the cream and Parmesan, then stir them in as it reheats.

Variations

  • Make it a meal: Top each bowl with shredded roast chicken or a few seared shrimp.
  • Golden spice: Add 1 teaspoon ground turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin with the garlic, and use canned coconut milk in place of the cream.
  • Roasted garlic: Roast a whole head of garlic, top sliced off and wrapped in foil, alongside the cauliflower, and squeeze the soft cloves into the pot before pressure cooking.
  • Dairy-free: Use olive oil in place of the butter, canned coconut milk in place of the cream, and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan.

Notes and tips

  • Brown it deeply: Pale florets make a pale-tasting soup. Leave the cauliflower in until the edges are truly brown.
  • Scrape before sealing: Browned bits stuck to the bottom of the insert can trigger the burn warning. A good scrape after the broth goes in prevents it.
  • Blending in a countertop blender: Fill the jar no more than halfway, remove the center cap of the lid, and cover the opening with a folded towel so steam can escape while you blend.
  • Serve it with protein: This soup brings the vegetables and the fat. Add roast chicken, shrimp, or eggs on the side or on top to round it into a meal.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that brings vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and fiber, and a whole head goes into four bowls.
  • Chicken bone broth gives the soup body from the gelatin drawn out of the bones as it simmered.
  • Butter, cream, olive oil, Parmesan, and hazelnuts are the real fats here, and they make a vegetable soup rich and satisfying.
  • Frying sage in butter turns its flavor gentle and warm and carries it through every spoonful.
  • As you eat, notice the warmth and the toasty, nutty flavor of the roasted cauliflower, and check in afterward: with a protein beside it, this bowl should carry you a comfortable 3 hours or more.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Roasted Cauliflower and Sage Soup? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Do I have to roast the cauliflower first?

For this soup, yes. The roast is where its nutty, toasty flavor comes from. Cauliflower that goes into the pot raw makes a milder, simpler soup.

Can I make it on the stove?

Yes. After softening the onion in a pot, add the roasted cauliflower and broth, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the florets are very soft, then blend and finish the same way.

Why does my Instant Pot show a burn warning?

Food stuck to the bottom of the insert overheats. Release the pressure, scrape the bottom well, make sure there is enough liquid, and start again.

Is this soup a full meal?

It brings vegetables and real fat. Add a protein, such as roast chicken, shrimp, or a couple of soft-boiled eggs, to round it into a meal.

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Tags: October Pick, Instant Pot Meals, American