Description
This creamy roasted cauliflower soup is a comforting, nutrient-packed dish featuring tender roasted cauliflower and garlic blended with white beans and cashews for a rich and velvety texture. Enhanced with a touch of ground nutmeg and finished with fresh lemon juice, this soup is perfect for a wholesome meal and garnished with optional parsley, red pepper flakes, pine nuts, and olive oil.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced (~3/4 cup)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
Liquids and Broth
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or store-bought)
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- Olive oil (for garnish)
Pantry Staples
- 1 healthy pinch each sea salt & black pepper, plus more to taste
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 (15-oz) can white beans (such as Cannellini), rinsed and drained
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Garnishes (optional)
- Parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cauliflower florets, sliced onions, and whole peeled garlic cloves on the baking sheet.
- Season and Roast: Drizzle avocado oil over the vegetables, then season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Toss everything well to coat evenly. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even roasting.
- Soak Cashews and Prepare Beans: While vegetables roast, place the raw cashews in a bowl or measuring cup and cover with boiling water to soak. Set aside. Rinse and drain the can of white beans to prepare for blending.
- Transfer Roasted Vegetables to Pot: Remove roasted vegetables from the oven and immediately transfer them to a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Reserve a few cauliflower florets if you want to use them for garnish later.
- Add Liquids and Seasonings: To the pot, add rinsed white beans, vegetable broth, water, and ground nutmeg. Stir everything together to combine.
- Simmer Soup: Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until a strong simmer is reached. Then reduce the heat slightly to a medium-low simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender and falls apart easily when pierced with a fork.
- Blend Soup Base: Turn off the heat. Carefully transfer the hot soup mixture to a high-speed blender safe for hot liquids. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blend until the soup is creamy and smooth. Return half of the blended soup to the pot.
- Blend Cashews into Soup: Drain the soaked cashews and add them to the remaining blended soup in the blender. Blend until the mixture is pale, creamy, and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Combine and Final Seasoning: Pour the cashew-blended soup mixture back into the pot with the other half of the soup. Stir gently to swirl the two mixtures together. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional nutmeg as desired.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the creamy roasted cauliflower soup warm, garnished with reserved cauliflower florets, parsley, red pepper flakes, pine nuts, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
- Storage: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop, adding dairy-free milk or broth as needed to thin the soup.
Notes
- This soup is incredibly rich and creamy with only 10 simple ingredients.
- Roasting the cauliflower, onion, and garlic enhances their natural sweet flavors.
- Soaking the cashews softens them to blend smoothly, creating a rich texture without cream or dairy.
- Ground nutmeg adds a subtle warming note that complements the savory flavors beautifully.
- Optional garnishes like parsley, red pepper flakes, pine nuts, and olive oil add extra layers of flavor and texture.
- Store leftovers properly to maintain freshness and enjoy within safe time frames.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 294 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 568 mg
- Fat: 16.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 8.1 g
- Protein: 12.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
