How to make Delicious Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I am sure you clicked on this recipe because you were wondering why this soup is pink. Am I right? And I will definitely tell you all about it and also how to make this delicious vegan roasted cauliflower soup. Because this pink deliciousness is soup.

Pink roasted cauliflower soup in two bowls with roasted chickpeas

Yesterday we went to the Boroondara farmers market. It was so much fun to walk from stall to stall to see how creative people were and how much delicious and fresh food you could find. We even tried some vegan and gluten-free doughnuts which were amazing! We had nearly left the market when I saw a stall with organic vegetables. The guy was selling colorful cauliflower, white, yellow, green and purple.

purple cauliflower head on a wooden chopping board

As you might have noticed by now, I love cauliflower. I especially like the purple variety because of its bright color. Purple cauliflower doesn’t taste any different to white cauliflower, but it sure makes a big difference in how your dish is going to look.

This recipe is not as quick to prepare as my other recipes, but it is sooo worth it to spend some extra time. It is great if you have a small dinner party and want to shine 🙂 This Delicious Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup is just made for this. However, if you are short on time, have a look at my SUPER QUICK CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AND POTATO SOUP, it is one of the most popular recipes on my blog.

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

purple cauliflower soup in a bowl with roasted chickpeas
Pink roasted cauliflower soup in two bowls with roasted chickpeas

How to make Delicious Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Elena Elliott
This beautiful purple soup is made with roasted cauliflower. Crispy chickpeas and lemon juice are taking it to a new level of deliciousness! Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Middle eastern
Servings 4 serves

Ingredients
  

Roasted Cauliflower:

  • 1 large head of purple cauliflower any other cauliflower will work fine too torn into small florets
  • 1 tsp of coriander seeds if short on time you can use ground coriander
  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds if short on time you can use ground cumin
  • 3 garlic cloves optional, see note
  • 3-4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt to season

Crispy Chickpeas:

  • 1 tin of organic chickpeas drained (please use only BPA free variety)
  • 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp of smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper optional
  • pinch of salt

The Soup:

  • roasted cauliflower
  • 1 brown onion diced
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • 3/4 cup cashew nuts soaked
  • dukkah to serve
  • juice of one lemon or more if desired
  • fresh coriander leaves to serve optional
  •  

Instructions
 

  • Start by soaking the cashew nuts in hot water (not boiling) for 30 minutes
  • Roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small frying pan without oil on a medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the seeds start to smoke. Take them out of the pan immediately and put them into the mortar. Grind the seeds with a pestle. You can skip this step and use ground spices instead, however, the roasted spices will take the taste of this soup to the next level
  • Place cauliflower florets and garlic cloves onto the baking tray, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and the spices (coriander and cumin). Toss the florets well, using your hands is fine. Bake for 20 minutes at 200'C (400'C Fahrenheit)
  • Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large frying pan, add chickpeas, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Fry the chickpeas on medium heat until they are crispy and nice and golden. You can leave them in the frying pan until you are ready to use them. This way they won't get soggy and stay nice and crunchy
  • In a medium-size saucepan heat some extra virgin olive oil, add diced onions and a pinch of salt and cook the onions until they have softened, for about 5 minutes
  • When the cauliflower is ready very carefully transfer it into the saucepan with onions, add 4 cups of vegetable stock and bring it to a gentle simmer. DO NOT boil the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes. The cauliflower must be very soft by now
  • VERY CAREFULLY transfer the soup into a kitchen blender, add the cashew nuts and blend until the soup is smooth. You might need to blend your soup in batches depending on the size of your blender. A hand blender will work well too. PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF.
  • Add lemon juice. When you add lemon juice, your soup will turn pink. This is absolutely normal and looks beautiful too. Mix.
  • Divide the soup between bowls, add generous portions of chickpeas, sprinkle with dukkah, and garnish with coriander leaves. See NOTE
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Soak the cashew nuts in hot, but not boiling water for at least 30 minutes. The nuts are responsible for the creaminess in this soup and are essential. You can use 1/2 cup of cooking cream if you prefer.
Roasted chickpeas are an essential part of this soup. Make sure you still have enough to serve, they are so tasty I have to hide them from my boys.
I said it about chickpeas, but dukkah is also a vital part of this soup. Use it generously. My boys were reluctant to try it to start with but absolutely loved it in the soup. 
Yes, lemon juice will turn the soup pink. Why does the colour of the soup change when you sprinkle lemon juice over it? It’s all to do with the science of colours and pH, a measure of acidity. Food chemistry 🙂
Keyword cauliflower soup, gluten-free, roasted cauliflower
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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