There is no other food group I love more than all the soups! They are so hearty, warming, flavorful and very nutritous. This roasted cauliflower soup is on repeat during winter as well as early spring-summer days. And yes, I would still devour a bowl of soup in summer… Raise your hand if you are with me on this ….. if you are still not on board then let me start by mentioning the amazing benefits of cauliflower …and the yummy bowl of roasted cauliflower soup pictured here!
Cauliflower is high in Fibers and a good source of Vitamins and Antioxidants that help strengthen bones, boost the cardiovascular system and helps prevent cancer. The studies have shown that it may aid in weight loss too. In recent years cauliflower crust pizza and cauliflower rice has been a favorite for many. Cauliflower on its own its a pretty basic vegetable but roasted or cooked with other ingredients makes it shine like no other.
The humble cauliflower once roasted has that smokey caramelized flavor that elevates this cauliflower soup. The addition of onions and peppers goes very well with the cauliflower. But the real flavor booster here is the smoked paprika, that not only gives this soup its bright golden yellow color but also a hint of sweet smokiness.
Blending the roasted cauliflower and cooked spiced onion-paper mixture with the vegetable stock results into this thick, creamy and luscious consistency that would turn any cauliflower haters love it! I love the fact that without using any dairy or cream this on its own turns out to be so smooth and silky. If you wish you could add some butter (vegan or dairy) to finish off the cooking to make it even more rich.
Serve this with a side of baguette, sandwiches or as an appetizer. Even on its own its quite filling and nutritious. I love to garnish it with some caramalized roasted cauliflower pieces, a wedge of a lemon or some chopped parsley or chives.
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- For roasting the Cauliflower
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- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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- For the Soup base
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- 2 cups onion, finely chopped ( combination of 1 medium size red onion + 1 medium size yellow onion )
- 1 cup red bell pepper or Italian sweet pepper, chopped
- 32 oz. (1 qt. / 947 ml) vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5-8 black pepper corns, whole or roughly crushed
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes ( opt for ½ teaspoon to go easy on the heat or skip if needed )
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- some reserved roasted cauliflower florets and lemon wedges, for garnish [ optional ]
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- On the baking sheet, toss the cauliflower florets with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper until lightly and evenly its coated in oil. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer. Bake until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized on the edges, 25 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway.
- While the cauliflower is roasting prepare for the soup base in a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the bay leaves and whole or cracked pepper corns once oil is heated.
- Add the chopped onion along with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the chopped bell pepper or Italian sweet pepper and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Next add red chili flakes, smoked paprika and ground black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Once this onion-pepper mixture is cooked and fragrant turn the heat to low and remove 1 cup of mixture and transfer it to the blender. (Make sure to discard the bay leaves.)
- Reserve 4-5 caramalized pieces of roasted cauliflower for garnishing (optional) and transfer the remaining roasted cauliflower to the blender as well.
- Add vegetable stock into the blender and blend until creamy. Work in batches if necessary. ( Do not fill past the maximum fill line on the blender jar or the soup could overflow! ) Alternatively you could reserve the onion-pepper mixture in a small separate bowl and transfer roasted cauliflower to the soup pot along with vegetable stock and use immersion blender to blend directly into the pot.
- Once blended, transfer the blended mixture back to the soup pot and bring heat to medium-high. Wait for one gentle simmer while stirring occasionally, usually takes 8-10 minutes.
- Once the pot is simmering, add the lemon juice and give it a good mix and remove from the heat. Adjust the salt if needed, I usually add 1 teaspoon of salt at this point. ( How much salt you add also depends on the amount of salt in your vegetable stock + the salt you added while roasting the cauliflower). Make sure you taste it 1-2 times towards the end, usually for me it needs more salt and/or lemon juice to brighten up all the flavors.
- Serve the soup in individual bowls with the garnish of reserved roasted florets and a wedge of lemon. You could also garnish it with some parsley or chives.
- Enjoy!
You can easily reduce or omit the amount of olive oil use or use butter to make it even more decadent.
If you do not have red onion then use 2 cups of yellow onion or vice versa.
If you would like to go easy on the heat then skip the red chili flakes but do not skip the smoked paprika, that's what gives this soup that sweet extra smokiness.
If you do not have access to an oven, you could roast the cauliflower florets on stove top in a grill pan.
This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a covered container.
You could also freeze in the airtight container or ziplock bags for months!
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