The gorgeous orange color of this soup is a showstopper. You get the rich hue by pairing orange cauliflower with sweet potato. Of course, you can make this soup with whatever color vegetables you have available. Aesthetically speaking, purple sweet potato would go great with white or purple cauliflower. Mixing the vegetable colors might result in a visually unappetizing soup, though it’ll still taste good. For a tasty party appetizer, serve this soup in shot glasses to make soup shooters. Topping the soup with coconut cream, minced garlic, and thyme leaves adds an immediate fragrant flavor to the soup that you can customize to your tastebuds. Consider adding some texture to the soup by topping with crumbled cheese, chopped bacon, or sautéed mushrooms.
-Lindsay Grimes Freedman
Excerpted from Cauliflower Power by Lindsay Grimes Freedman (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2019. Photo: Lauren Volo
Ingredients
- 3 cups orange cauliflower florets
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the florets, sweet potato, onion, and 4 of the garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Use your hands to mix the vegetables with the oil until coated. Roast for 40 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
While the vegetables are roasting, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the cashews and boil for about 10 minutes, until softened. (Alternatively, if you plan ahead, you can soak the cashews overnight in a jar of water in your fridge and skip the boiling step.) Drain the cashews, discarding the water, and place in a high-powered blender along with the vegetable stock and 1 cup fresh water.
Add the roasted vegetables to the blender and blend on high until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in batches. Pour the soup into a large pot set over high heat and bring to a boil to warm the soup through.
Place the coconut cream in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until smooth and drizzly. You can also just warm the coconut cream on the stovetop.
Pour the soup into serving bowls. Mince the remaining 4 garlic cloves. Top each bowl with a drizzle of coconut cream, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove, stirring frequently.
