Roasted cauliflower blends up with a touch of coconut milk to make the creamiest, dreamiest, and totally dairy-free soup. Oh, and this vegan cauliflower soup gets an extra flavor punch from Cajun blackening spices!
This one is a new favorite! I never thought my favorite soup would be made of cauliflower. I never thought my favorite anything would be made of cauliflower.
I had a tough time getting down with cauliflower for a while. You know those frozen bags of mixed veggies that have some combination along the lines of peas, carrots and cauliflower? They kind of ruined cauliflower for me. The cauliflower was always the blandest, soggiest part of the mix, and for a long time that was the extent of my cauliflower experience. It made me think I just didn't like the stuff.
It wasn't until I started blogging that I started playing around with cauliflower in my kitchen. And wow, I loved it!
When it comes to making cauliflower delicious, roasting is the way to go. I actually had a hard time putting the roasted cauliflower for this recipe into soup. I could've eaten it all straight from the skillet. (Hint: if you're looking for a show stealing side dish, just roast some cauliflower with blackening seasoning as instructed in this recipe.)
To make this soup you'll be roasting some cauliflower, onions and garlic all at once. I always get a few questions when I post a recipe calling for a whole head of roasted garlic, so to address that in advance: the amount is correct! Roasting the garlic mellows the flavor so much you could eat the garlic straight with a fork. So a whole head isn't really that much when you roast it.
The cauliflower and onion get sprinkled with blackening seasoning before roasting. I like to make my own, since I generally have all the requisite spices on hand, but feel free to use a commercial blackening seasoning if you prefer.
Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, toss with spices, and roast away.
Once the cauliflower, onion and garlic are done roasting, into the soup they go for a brief simmer.
You can then blend everything up until it's nice and creamy. I used an immersion blender, but a food processor or regular blender works just as well.
I like my creamy soups with toppings. Pile on the hot sauce, scallions, parsley, or whatever else you like.
Tips for Making Perfect Blackened Cauliflower Soup...
- If you decide to use a commercial blackening seasoning, be sure to check if it contains salt. Some do, and some don't. If yours does, consider using low sodium broth to ensure the soup doesn't get overly salty.
- Store-bought blackening seasonings also vary quite a bit in heat level. If you're not into super spicy food, you'd be best to make it yourself, and go easy on the cayenne.
- I like my soup nice and thick, so I only used 3 cups of broth in the batch you see in the photos. Use more (or less) if you prefer.
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Blackened Cauliflower Soup
Roasted cauliflower blends up with a touch of coconut milk to make the creamiest, dreamiest, and totally dairy-free soup. Oh, and this vegan cauliflower soup gets an extra flavor punch from Cajun blackening spices!
Ingredients
- 1 medium garlic bulb
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large cauliflower crown, leaves removed, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 ½ tablespoons blackening seasoning, store bought or homemade
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 3-5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Toppings of choice (hot sauce, scallions, parsley)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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Cut the top off of the garlic bulb. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and loosely wrap in foil.
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Toss the cauliflower and onion pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil and blackening seasoning. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, or in a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet.
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Place everything into the oven to roast, tossing the cauliflower every 15 minutes or so.
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Remove the cauliflower and onion from the oven when they become very tender (about 30-35 minutes), and remove the garlic when the cloves are browned and very soft (about 40-45 minutes). Allow everything to cool for a few minutes.
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Once the veggies are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a large pot. You'll need to squeeze the garlic bulb to extract the roasted cloves.
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Add 3 cups of broth and coconut milk to the pot and place it over high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cauliflower nearly falls apart when stabbed with a fork.
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Blend the mixture with an immersion blender, or carefully transfer it in batches to a food processor or blender to blend, then return it to the pot.
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Thin the soup with additional broth if desired. Stir in the white wine vinegar and season with salt to taste. Reheat on the stove if needed.
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Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings of choice.
I used to think I didn't like cauliflower because my mom went on this whole roasted cauliflower kick that lasted months (months I tell ya!) so I went off cauliflower for years and years. So glad I'm back! I also made a cauliflower soup over the weekend, but with cheddar and ale up in it. So creamy and good! I'm a big fan of oven soups where everything gets roasted and pureed, such a great way to bring out the flavour. I'm gonna have to get my hands on some blackening seasoning and have at this soup!
http://www.katiescucina.com/2014/08/homemade-blackening-seasoning-recipe/
I hope it is ok if I leave this link for a blackening cajun seasoning :) even if 2014 loll
Of course! It's actually much appreciated! :)