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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Czech Cauliflower Soup Recipe

    Published: Feb 28, 2021 · Modified: Jan 1, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    In my opinion, Czech květáková polévka is the best cauliflower soup ever. Super creamy, silky smooth, and although this recipe doesn’t call for any cheese or bacon, the soup is full of flavor.

    květáková polévka Czech cauliflower soup
    Table of Contents hide
    What is Czech Květáková polévka?
    Pronunciation
    No Roasted Cauliflower, Please!
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Cook’s tips
    FAQs
    Květáková polévka – Czech Cauliflower Soup

    What is Czech Květáková polévka?

    Květáková polévka is a white blended soup made from cooked cauliflower, fried onion, smoothed with heavy cream, and thickened with roux. It contains only a few ingredients, it’s easy to make, absolutely delicious, and still healthy.

    Pronunciation

    I recorded a short audio clip on how to pronounce the Czech word "květáková polévka".

    No Roasted Cauliflower, Please!

    You don’t need to roast the cauliflower for this soup, which saves a lot of time.

    Luckily, you don’t have to worry that the soup is bland, either. The soup gains its flavor from the onion fried in butter, with the final spicy touch secured by adding a pinch of ground nutmeg.

    MY TIP: Try another great Czech soup: Pórková polévka (Leek potato soup)

    Ingredients

    cauliflower soup ingredients

    This cauliflower soup needs a few ingredients to make the magic happen. Let’s have a look at the shopping list:

    • Cauliflower; fresh, medium-sized
    • Yellow onion; peeled, roughly chopped
    • Unsalted butter; to sauté the onion
    • All-purpose flour; we will make the roux out of it, which will thicken the soup
    • Heavy cream; containing at least 30 % fat
    • Water; will be used to make cauliflower vegetable broth
    • Salt, Pepper
    • Nutmeg; the only spice that makes the Czech cauliflower soup tick

    Grab some fresh herbs for the final topping. I used the green part of spring onion, but chive is also a good choice.

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    Instructions

    STEP 1: Prepare cauliflower

    cut cauliflower into florets

    Remove the cauliflower's outer leaves. Take cauliflower apart into small florets. Slice the primary stem and the smaller stems into pieces whose edge should be about ½-inch (1.25 cm) in size. Wash the prepared cauliflower thoroughly in cold water.

    STEP 2: Cook cauliflower

    cooking cauliflower

    Put the cauliflower in a pot, pour in water, season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the cauliflower is tender to bite (al dente). It takes about 5-7 minutes, depending on the cauliflower pieces' size.

    IMPORTANT! Take ⅓ of the cauliflower away, put these pieces immediately in a bowl with icy water. You stop the cooking process this way, and the cauliflower pieces won’t be slushy. You will put this cauliflower in the soup at the end.

    Transfer the rest of the cauliflower to a clean bowl carefully. This cauliflower will be mixed in the soup later.

    You will use the clear cauliflower broth for the soup in a few minutes.

    STEP 3: Make a roux

    Peel the onion and chop it roughly. In a pot with a thick bottom (I love my dutch oven), melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and fry for 5 minutes while stirring. The onion should be lightly golden. (picture 1)

    making roux
    making roux to thicken soup

    Reduce heat to low, add all-purpose flour, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. (picture 2+3 above)

    Get cauliflower broth on hand. Start adding the broth to the roux in small batches while whisking properly to avoid lumps. Once you’ve added about a half of the broth, you can pour in the rest at once. Stir the soup.

    making roux soup

    STEP 4: Cook the soup

    Add the cauliflower florets to the soup. Don’t forget to save the ⅓ of the cauliflower chunks you put in cold water before! Bring to a boil, reduce heat, take the lid off the pot and allow the soup to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

    cauliflower soup

    STEP 5: Finish the soup

    Remove the soup from the stove. Pour in the heavy cream and stir it. Add ground pepper, a pinch or two of freshly ground nutmeg, salt to your liking. Do not cook anymore!

    Puree cauliflower in the soup with an immersion blender properly. Let slide in the remaining butter; it melts in a soup.

    blending cauliflower soup

    Only now:

    Add the ⅓ of the cauliflower you’ve set aside earlier, let it heat up in a hot soup, and serve.

    As the final step, sprinkle the served soup with finely chopped green herbs (spring onion or chive are some good choices).

    cauliflower soup Czech květáková polévka

    Cook’s tips

    • The roux does the heavy lifting for you: the cauliflower soup will be creamy with a velvety texture and thickened. It’s important to cook the roux for at least 15-20 minutes until it perfectly combines with the soup and its floury taste disappears.
    • The ⅓ of cauliflower you put in a soup at the end can’t be overcooked. A great tip is to place the cooked pieces in a bowl with icy water. The cold water cools them down and stops the cooking, and the cauliflower florets remain tender to bite.
    • Use freshly ground nutmeg to spice up the cauliflower soup at the end. Nutmeg is better than mace.

    FAQs

    What to serve with Czech cauliflower soup?

    Czechs usually eat their květáková polévka on its own. Sometimes they throw a handful of white bread croutons into the soup.

    How do you thicken the cauliflower soup?

    This cauliflower soup is thickened with roux. Czechs usually use a roux to thicken their soups or sauces. The foundation of the roux is comprised of flour fried with butter. The soup is also partly thickened with the cauliflower added and mixed to the end of cooking.

    What spices do Czechs use for cauliflower soup?

    Czech cauliflower soup is seasoned with salt and pepper, and with a little touch in the form of freshly ground nutmeg. Don’t add too much nutmeg though, one or two pinches is more than enough for the entire pot of cauliflower soup.


    More Czech soups to enjoy:

    • Česnečka – clear garlic soup
    • Bramboračka – famous Czech soup with potatoes and mushrooms
    • Gulášovka – goulash soup from beef, spiced with paprika

    Or browse the category with all Czech soup recipes.

    Recipe card

    cauliflower soup czech květáková polévka recipe

    Květáková polévka – Czech Cauliflower Soup

    Czech květáková polévka is one of the best cauliflower soups ever. Super creamy, silky smooth, and although this recipe doesn’t call for any cheese or bacon, the soup is full of flavor.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 5 people
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Bramborová polévka, cauliflower, czech garlic soup, květák

    Ingredients

    • 1 cauliflower mid-sized
    • 1 onion large
    • 5 cups (1,2 l) water
    • ¾ stick (85 g) butter unsalted
    • ⅓ cup (45 g) all-purpose flour
    • ⅔ cup (160 g) heavy cream more than 30 % milk fat
    • salt
    • ground pepper
    • 2 pinches nutmeg freshly ground
    • spring onion to sprinkle the top of soup while served

    Instructions

    • Remove the cauliflower's outer leaves. Take cauliflower apart into small florets. Slice the primary stem and the smaller stems into pieces whose edge should be about ½-inch (1 cm) in size. Wash the prepared cauliflower thoroughly in cold water.
    • Put the cauliflower in a pot, pour in water, season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the cauliflower is tender to bite (al dente). It takes about 5-7 minutes, depending on the cauliflower pieces' size.
    • Take ⅓ of the cauliflower away, put these pieces immediately in a bowl with icy water. You stop the cooking process this way, and cauliflower pieces won’t be slushy. You will put this cauliflower in the soup at the end.
    • Transfer the rest of the cauliflower to a clean bowl carefully. You will mix it in a soup later. You will use the clear cauliflower broth for the soup in a few minutes.

    Make roux:

    • Peel the onion and chop it roughly. In a pot with a thick bottom (I love my dutch oven), melt ½ stick of butter over medium heat. Add onion and fry for 5 minutes while stirring. The onion should be lightly golden.
    • Reduce heat to low, add all-purpose flour, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
    • Get cauliflower broth on hand. Start adding the broth to the roux in small batches while whisking properly to avoid lumps. Once you’ve added about a half of the broth, you can add the rest at once and mix it in.
    • Add the cauliflower florets, don’t forget to save those ⅓ cauliflower chunks which you’ve put in cold water before! Bring to a boil, reduce heat, take the lid off the pot and allow the soup to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
    • Remove the soup from the stove. Pour in the heavy cream and stir it. Add ground pepper, a pinch or two of freshly ground nutmeg, salt to your liking. Do not cook anymore!
    • Puree cauliflower in the soup with an immersion blender properly. Add the remaining butter and let it melt in a soup. Add the ⅓ of the cauliflower you’ve set aside earlier, let it heat up in a hot soup, and serve.
    • As the final step, sprinkle the served soup with finely chopped green herbs (spring onion or chive are some good choices).

    Notes

    1. Makes 4-6 yields.
    2. The roux does the heavy lifting for you: the cauliflower soup will be creamy with a velvety texture and thickened. It’s important to cook the roux for at least 15-20 minutes until it perfectly combines with the soup and its floury taste disappears.
    3. Use freshly ground nutmeg to spice up the cauliflower soup at the end. Nutmeg is better than mace.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kristena

      October 15, 2021 at 2:23 pm

      5 stars
      Another winner!
      I didn't have nutmeg, but wanted that full flavor, so I roasted the cauliflower first instead. It was delicious.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        October 18, 2021 at 3:05 am

        Thank you very much for your feedback! Roasting the cauliflower ahead of time is a great tip to get even more flavor into the soup. Thanks for mentioning that!

        Reply
    2. Marla

      February 06, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      I'm making this today...next will be the garlic soup (a personal fav of mine from a visit to the Czech Republic a couple of years ago). Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        February 07, 2022 at 7:49 am

        Thank you very much for your comment, Marla! 🙂 Czech-style cauliflower soup tastes delicious, and it’s an opinion of my whole family. I hope you will love it, too! Garlic soup (česnečka) is definitely worth trying, easy and so tasty. All the best, Petra

        Reply
    3. Sarah

      April 27, 2022 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      I have made lots of different cauliflower soup recipes, but this one is definitely unique. The roux makes it so thick and velvety! Don't be afraid to add more salt than what is called for during the cooking. Cauliflower really takes a lot of salt. So delicious!

      Reply

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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