Hello Spring, so nice to have you in our lives early! As you soak up this ridiculously beautiful sunshine and enjoy your longer afternoon, consider cooking up this soup for when the sun finally sets and the cold wind blows in. I just had to get one last wintery, warm-you-down-to-your-toes soup in. I made this creemy (without the cream) cauliflower soup and it was a hit. It’s easy to make and uses cashews to make it extra creamy and pack in some protein and healthy fats. Cauliflower looks kind of plain but don’t let the lack of colour fool you. Cauliflower is a super food!
It is part of the cruciferous family and these vegetables have a high phytochemical content, linking them to cancer prevention. They are also very rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium and loads of fibre. Their richness in antioxidants means they eliminate free radicals which are known to cause inflammation in the body. Cooking these veggies increases their richness in indole-3-carbinol, a powerful compound which helps in estrogen metabolism. They also contain sulphoraphane which is a powerful liver stimulant that increases detoxification of the body.
So go on, make this vegan, delicious, creamy, warming soup.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 heads of cauliflower, core and outer leaves removed
- 2 tbsp + 2tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprigs of time, leaves removed
- 4 garlic cloves, skin on
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 cup cashews
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Place cauliflower on a pyrex dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Scatter cloves of garlic alongside cauliflower. Place in oven and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours, until fork tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add diced onion and saute until translucent.
- Add thyme and nutmeg, stirring to coat. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add to pot.
- Chop up roasted cauliflower. Reserve several small florets for garnish. Add remaining cauliflower to pot and stir to coat.
- Cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes to allow flavours to mingle.
- Transfer soup to blender in small batches to puree. In the final batch, add the cashews and puree until smooth.
- Transfer soup back to pot, taste and season as necessary. Thin with water if required and bring to a simmer.
- Garnish with cauliflower floret, a drizzle of good quality olive oil, a sprinkling of smoked paprika and some sprouts.