Hello roasted cauliflower lovers — this is for you! This Moroccan-spiced roasted cauliflower soup is a simple vegan recipe that is flavor-packed, naturally creamy, healthy and super easy to prepare. Roasting the cauliflower is essential to bringing out its nutty flavor — a step that shouldn’t be missed since it adds so much richness and depth of flavor. This soups is made with an aromatic blend of spices; cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon which give it a delicious Moroccan flavor. Yellow lentils help make it extra thick and creamy, and also give the soup a little protein, fiber and iron boost. A good thing for any vegan recipe.
This roasted cauliflower soup is low-calorie and filling
This recipe makes a big pot of soup. Big enough for 6 to 8 people, depending on how hungry you are, and whether you decide to eat it alone, or with a salad or a slice of bread. And when I say low-calorie I mean only 236 calories in a big bowl of soup! I only managed to eat a small bowl, because t’s amazingly filling. Which is good news for anyone counting calories and doesn’t want to feel like they are starving themselves!
Roasted cauliflower tastes best
So a note on cauliflower… even if you are not a big fan, you may discover, just as I did, that roasting cauliflower completely transforms it. I still don’t like steamed cauliflower but I absolutely love roasted cauliflower. Roasted in the oven until the edges caramelize with a little bit of salt is simply delicious. And when you blend it up in a soup, it becomes so creamy.
Adaptions to this cauliflower soup recipe
If you are cooking as a single or even a couple, feel free to reduce the recipe by half — unless of course you like eating the same soup for four days in a row! The lentils can also be left out, in which case you can reduce the amount of water slightly. I like the way lemon brightens up the flavor of this soup, but a teaspoon or two of your favorite vinegar would also do the same, or stir in a little bit of tangy crème fraîche or natural yoghurt. As for toppings, I like to serve this soup topped roasted cauliflower. It adds a nice textural element, but you could garnish this roasted cauliflower soup with a number of other toppings, as suggested in the recipe.
Moroccan-Spiced Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
To roast the cauliflower:
- 2 medium heads of cauliflower, cut into florets (ca. 1.8 kg)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly peeled and grated ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Ceylon)
- Generous grind of black pepper
- 1/2 cup yellow lentils (100 g)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (1 litre)
- 3 cups water (750 ml)
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Options for garnish:
- roasted cauliflower florets
- thinly sliced green onion tops
- toasted + chopped nuts or seeds
- chopped parsley or cilantro
- extra squeeze of lemon
- dollop of crème fraîche or natural yoghurt
Method
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Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt; toss to evenly coat.
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Transfer the cauliflower evenly among the two baking sheets and spread in an even layer. Roast for 35 minutes, or until edges are browned and cauliflower is tender, switching the position of the trays and flipping the cauliflower about halfway through.
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Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion, garlic and carrot until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
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Add the fresh ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and black pepper and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Add the broth, water and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes while the cauliflower finishes roasting.
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When the cauliflower is done, transfer the roasted cauliflower to the broth mixture. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add more water to thin the soup out if necessary.
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Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender, in small batches as necessary. If using a blender make sure the hole in the center of the lid is open to allow steam to escape.
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Stir in the fresh lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.
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Spoon into bowls and garnish as desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I find that using only vegetable broth can overpowers the flavor of soup, so prefer to use part broth and part water. Of course, you can replace all the water with vegetable broth if desired, especially so if using homemade vegetable broth.
- Not loving lentils? Then skip them and reduce the water by 250ml.
This soup, like most other soups, will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator.
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