Gordon Ramsay’s cauliflower soup recipe blends cauliflower with chicken stock, sage, and garlic, then drizzles brown butter over the top and serves it with cheesy toasts. I found this in his Quick and Delicious book, and the brown butter is the part that turns basic cauliflower soup into something you would pay for at a restaurant.
Ramsay writes in the book that making brown butter sounds intimidating but is not complicated once you have done it a few times. I burnt it on my first go because I walked away from the pan, but it still earned a place alongside my curry recipes, but the second time I stood there watching and it took less than 3 minutes to go golden.
Try More Curry Recipes:
Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 25g (1 oz) butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6-8 sage leaves
- 1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
- 750ml (3.25 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- 100ml (0.4 cups) milk
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the brown butter:
- 50g (1.75 oz) butter
- 4-6 sage leaves
For the cheesy toasts:
- 4 slices sourdough or rustic bread
- 75g (2.5 oz) Gruyère or Cheddar, grated
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Cauliflower Soup
- Cook the Base: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage leaves, cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the Cauliflower: Add the cauliflower florets and stir to coat. Pour in the stock and milk, season with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is completely soft.
- Blend Smooth: Use a stick blender or pour into a blender and blitz until silky smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Make the Brown Butter: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Let it foam, then watch it closely until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty. Drop in the sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Take off the heat immediately.
- Make the Cheesy Toasts: Toast the bread under the grill (broiler), pile the grated cheese on top, and grill until melted and bubbling.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the brown butter and crispy sage leaves over the top. Serve with the cheesy toasts on the side.
How Do I Make My Cauliflower Soup Taste Better?
The brown butter. Most cauliflower soup recipes use cream or nothing at all, but brown butter adds a nutty, toasted flavour that makes the whole bowl taste like it cost three times more.
The other thing is blending it properly. Ramsay blends his cauliflower soup with sage completely smooth, and the difference between silky and chunky is the difference between a restaurant starter and leftovers.
Can You Make Curried Cauliflower Soup?
Yes. Add 1 tablespoon of curry powder when you cook the garlic, skip the brown butter, and swap the milk for coconut milk.
I have made both: the original with brown butter is more elegant, the curried one more filling. I use the curry sauce base technique for the curried version.
Storing Cauliflower Soup
Fridge for 4 days, freezer for 3 months. Make the brown butter fresh when you reheat because it loses its nuttiness after sitting in the soup overnight.
Reheat on the hob with a splash of stock if it has thickened. Do not boil it hard or the milk can split.
FAQs
- Where is this recipe from? Gordon Ramsay’s Quick and Delicious book (2019). The Gordon Ramsay Restaurants website also published the full recipe with the brown butter and cheesy toasts.
- Can I add broccoli? Yes. Use half cauliflower, half broccoli to make a broccoli and cauliflower soup. The colour goes green and the taste is slightly more bitter, but it works. Ramsay does not include broccoli in his version though.
- Is this cream of cauliflower soup? Not exactly. Ramsay uses milk instead of cream in this version, and the brown butter replaces the richness that cream would normally add. His older recipe from A Cook for All Seasons does use cream if you prefer that style.
More Recipes To Try:
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Total Fat: 20g
- Protein: 10g
- Total Carbohydrate: 16g
Gordon Ramsay Cauliflower Soup Recipe
4
servings10
minutes25
minutes35
minutesGordon Ramsay’s cauliflower soup recipe blends cauliflower with chicken stock, sage, and garlic, then drizzles brown butter over the top and serves it with cheesy toasts. I found this in his Quick and Delicious book, and the brown butter is the part that turns basic cauliflower soup into something you would pay for at a restaurant.
Ramsay writes in the book that making brown butter sounds intimidating but is not complicated once you have done it a few times. I burnt it on my first go because I walked away from the pan, but the second time I stood there watching and it took less than 3 minutes to go golden.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
25g (1 oz) butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6-8 sage leaves
1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
750ml (3.25 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
100ml (0.4 cups) milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g (1.75 oz) butter (for brown butter)
4-6 sage leaves (for brown butter)
4 slices sourdough or rustic bread
75g (2.5 oz) Gruyère or Cheddar, grated
Directions
- Cook the Base: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage leaves, cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the Cauliflower: Add the cauliflower florets and stir to coat. Pour in the stock and milk, season with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is completely soft.
- Blend Smooth: Use a stick blender or pour into a blender and blitz until silky smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Make the Brown Butter: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Let it foam, then watch it closely until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty. Drop in the sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Take off the heat immediately.
- Make the Cheesy Toasts: Toast the bread under the grill (broiler), pile the grated cheese on top, and grill until melted and bubbling.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the brown butter and crispy sage leaves over the top. Serve with the cheesy toasts on the side.
