Sometimes I like to veer away from the classic squash soup in the winter- even if it is a great way to get in your dose of greens. I find it can get slightly tiresome and by the time spring rolls around I don’t even want to see root vegetables! So having a few other soup options up your sleeve is ideal and that is where this recipe comes in. Are you ready to give it a go?
I came across some fresh lemongrass in the grocery store the other day which got me thinking about a coconut-y, Thai based soup with fresh lemongrass and cilantro. Lemongrass is an interesting herb to use. I love using it in tea and a lemonade type drink but don’t use it fresh very often. It goes so well in Thai recipes with fresh ginger, cilantro and coconut milk. In order to use the fresh lemongrass you need to first peel off the tough outer layers to get to the softer, flavourful part of the plant. Then, crushing them a bit with a rolling pin helps to release the aromatic part. If you can’t find fresh lemongrass you could try dried and just remove it at the end(I haven’t tired it in this recipe so if you do, let me know how it goes). You can order the dried lemongrass here or here.
The “meaty” part of this soup comes from cauliflower and shiitake mushrooms, making it a filling soup for vegans and carnivores alike. Red pepper adds a pop of colour and the hot pepper adds the teeniest bit of heat(depending on what type you use). Overall, this soup comes together really nicely and makes a lovely weeknight meal. Enjoy!
Thursday brings along another list of things I have found around the interwebs:
I am ordering these glass containers from amazon for our weekly meal prep.
I have made my own chaga chai infused ghee here but these look like some other great flavours to infuse ghee with.
Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? You must have seen Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s spectacular gold medal skate by now. If not, you can see it here. Tessa and Scott start their program at 03:18:00.
What would this list be without a cute instagram feed?
As soon as my #whole30 is done I will be making this beautiful chocolate orange cake!
I love using apple cider vinegar(have you tried my grapefruit clementine rosemary shrub?) in drinks so will definitely have to try this one out.
Looking for more soups? Try these:
Green Butternut Squash Soup(paleo, whole30, vegan)
Chilled Green Blender Soup(paleo, whole30, vegan)
Tomato Coconut Soup with Sweet Potato Noodles (Paleo, Whole30)
Tried the recipe? loved it? Rate it and tag #sweetlizzy on Instagram!
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PrintThai Coconut Milk Cauliflower Soup (Vegan, Paleo, Whole30)

This vegan, paleo, whole30 compliant soup is a quick way to have a vibrant, flavourful dinner. Coconut milk, cauliflower, lemongrass, fresh ginger and cilantro effortlessly combine to make a tasty meal that will impress any critic.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main course
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Soup, vegan, paleo, whole30
Ingredients
1 tbsp ghee, coconut oil or avocado oil (coconut oil or avocado oil for vegan option)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1/2 of a large head or cauliflower)
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
1 hot pepper, seeds removed and minced
1 tbsp microplaned fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh lemongrass
1 L vegetable broth
400mL can of full fat coconut milk (I used this one)
2 tsp red curry paste (I used this one)
2 tbsp coconut aminos (could also sub tamari)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 bunch cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat your ghee or cooking oil in a large pot on medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the celery, cauliflower, mushrooms and peppers and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Remove the tough outer layer from the lemongrass stalk and cut it into 3-4 inch long pieces. Take a rolling pin and roll over each piece so the flavour and aroma is released. Cut the stalks thinly so they can go into the soup.
Add the broth, coconut milk, coconut aminos, ginger, lemongrass and curry paste to the soup.
Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the toasted sesame oil, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chop the bunch of fresh cilantro and add it to the soup, reserving some for garnishes.
Notes
Tamari could be used in place of coconut aminos. I would start with 1 tbsp and work up from there as I find it can be saltier than the coconut aminos.
All of your recipes look so interesting! I didn’t know what to do with the red pepper and the hot pepper?? They are missing from the cooking instructions, so I added them with the celery, mushrooms and cauliflower. Turned out just fine and the flavor was delicious. I also ended up pureeing a bit of the soup to make it thicker (simply personal preference). Can’t wait to try some of your other yummy-looking recipes — especially those wonderful sounding mocktails! Thanks for the inspiration.
★★★★
Hi Heidi! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for mentioning the peppers(oops!)- I just updated the recipe. Let me know if you try any other recipes 🙂
Made it, loved it. I’ve had it with both full fat and light coconut milk too now. Both are great! I prefer the full fat as the recipe calls for but I only had light this time. Was delicious both ways.
★★★★★
Yay!! I’m glad you liked it Linda!
Do you need the sesame oil?
I haven’t tried the soup without it. The toasted sesame oil definitely adds a layer of flavour that you might miss.
Does the red curry paste make it quite spicy? I can’t handle too much spice thanks to my touchy stomach.
Hi Ashton! Curry paste definitely does add a little bit of heat. If you are really sensitive you could try less or leaving it out all together(along with the hot pepper) although I haven’t tried it without so can’t say how flavourful it will be. I do believe yellow curry paste is supposed to be slightly less spicy so that might be an option? If you end up trying it let me know how it goes!
How many servings does this make? It looks amazing!
Hi Kelsie! I would say about 4-6 servings!
Absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try your other recipes
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Lauren!
Is Ghee Vegan?? It’s butter….
Hi Robbie! No ghee is not vegan, however, the other two option listed- avocado oil and coconut oil are. Feel free to use whichever one suits you!
Can this soup be frozen and reheated for future use?
Hi Kate! I haven’t frozen it yet. I think it would be ok but the vegetables might get a little mushy. If you do end up freezing it let me know how it goes!
What type of hot pepper did you use?
Hi Kelly! I usually use a jalapeño, deseeded.
Hi, Is it 1 400 ml or 400 ml can of full fat coconut milk ? Thank you.
Hi Yasmeen! It is a single can(400mL) of full fat coconut milk. I will remove the 1 in the ingredient list as I can see how that would be confusing!
Thank you so much ! It was delicious !!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Yasmeen!
How many carbs are in this and what is the serving size? I don’t see it anywhere……
Any chance of getting nutritional Information on this?
Hi
I’ve made this several times before and LOVE IT!! I want to make it for an upcoming event to serve 24. There will be other foods, (small bites) and will serve the soup in small mugs. Do you have advice on doubling, tripling?? Thanks.
Hi Amy! I’m so glad you love the soup! Unfortunately I haven’t doubled or tripled the recipe yet. I would think that you should be able to double the exact ingredients as written. let me know how it goes!