I am starting 2020 with some healthy dishes made from leftover veggies on my fridge. I had some cauliflower on my hands and this week I’ve had tons of cauliflower dishes like baked cauliflower with spices and tamari, cauliflower salad with lemon and olive oil, baked cauliflower wings, etc, so I thought why not experimenting with it in a soup.
This is one of the easiest soups you could make at home. The secret ingredients are the spices. Not everyone likes the cauliflower taste! I tried once making a Cauliflower Alfredo and my father wasn’t a big fan of it, because of the cauliflower taste. So what I am trying to say is that even if you are not a cauliflower fan, you will love this soup! If you can’t absolutely eat cauliflower then this green detox soup is the right one for you to start your healthy Veganuary.
Cauliflower is a great vegetable. Cauliflower has a group of substances known as glucosinolates. As you chew and digest it, these substances are broken down into compounds that may help prevent cancer, they help protect cells from damage and have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial effects.
You can prepare cauliflower by soaking it in hot tap water in a big bowl with some sea salt. Leave it for 10 minutes and then drain it from the water. Chop the cauliflower in little florets and leave aside. In a big bowl just add the onions, garlic, spices and let the onion caramelize for a few minutes. Then add the cauliflower and let it cook in the good flavors coming from the onions and the spices. After a few minutes, add the water and plant milk. In the end, you can adjust the taste if you want it saltier and also add the lemon juice. I add lemon juice to everything!
So the lemon gives the cauliflower taste a kick and it becomes tangy and delicious. Blend everything in a handheld blender and you just made yourself a warm creamy delicious soup!
This vegan cauliflower soup is also perfect for meal prep or if you want to freeze some. This recipe serves 4-5 so if you have leftover just put it in the fridge and warm it another day.
In the end, just top your soup with what you love most. I topped mine with some caramelized mushrooms in tamari sauce and it was the perfect combination. You could make your own croutons with garlic powder, pepper, salt, and olive oil and bake them in the oven. They have the perfect garlicky taste for this creamy cauliflower soup. Let me know what is your choice of topping and please if you make this soup share it with us on our social media. Hope you like it!
This Creamy Cauliflower Soup is an amazing idea to have for dinner if you want something warm, cozy, healthy, and delicious!
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 large head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast* (optional)
- 3 cups of water or vegetable stock
- 1 cup of soy milk *(or any plant milk, unsweetened)
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper
Preparation
- In a pot, add the olive oil and let it heat in medium heat. When the oil is heated, add the chopped onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, smoked paprika, pepper, and salt. Let the onion caramelize in the spices until it becomes soft.
- Add the cauliflower florets and give it a stir so they are evenly mixed. After 2 minutes add the water and let it cook for about 30 minutes until you put a fork on the cauliflower and it is soft.
- When the cauliflower is cooked, add the plant milk (I used soy milk). Blend the soup with a handheld blender so everything is creamy. If you want it runnier then add a little more water or plant milk.
- Add the lemon juice and nutritional yeast and give everything a stir. Adjust the saltiness however you like.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I have tried making the soup once with soy milk and once with coconut milk from the tin and they both were great. Keep in mind that the coconut gives it a light coconut taste but since I love coconut this wasn’t a problem for me. If you are not a fan of coconut then try other plant milk.
- Nutritional yeast gives the soup a cheesy taste so you can leave it out if you don’t want it. It is optional.
- Tip: Top it with olive oil and garlicky croutons or pan-fried mushrooms.
