Middle Eastern spiced roast cauliflower soup

An easy blender soup – ready in an hour!

This smooth Middle Eastern spiced soup is aromatic and satisfying and is the ultimate comfort meal that is super simple to prepare. Cumin, sumac, and turmeric deliver a vibrant and tangy Middle Eastern flavour with citrusy twist! Best of all, this cauliflower soup can be easily customised to suit your preferences. The result is seriously rich and creamy even without dairy.

We started by roasting the cauliflower, onion and garlic together with the spices. Roasting increases the flavour complexity, brings out the natural sweetness and caramelises the cauliflower as it cooks – making it deliciously soft and ready for blending.

After roasting, the soup comes together very quickly in the Vibe Blender System heat proof stainless-steel jug and is ready to serve right away. For extra tang, fresh lemon juice transforms the soup to a whole new level. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts, parsley and an optional drizzle of homemade yogurt.

WATCH THE SOUP MADE HERE 

Serves 4 - 5

INGREDIENTS 

1 small-medium head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
¾ teaspoon of ground sumac
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of salt
Grind of freshly cracked pepper
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (warm)
2 cups almond milk (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup water)
Juice of half a lemon to taste
¼ cup of roasted hazelnuts 

METHOD

1.   Preheat your oven to 180 °C / 350 °F
2.   Cut the cauliflower into small florets and chop the onion.
3.   Combine the florets, onion and whole cloves of garlic in a baking dish then drizzle with olive oil.
4.   Add the spices, salt and pepper then toss to coat.
5.   Bake for approx. 45 minutes or until the cauliflower and onion are soft. Turn the vegetables midway so they don’t burn.

6.   While the vegetables are cooking, toast chopped hazelnuts in a small saucepan on the stove top for a few minutes to crisp them up (Skip this step if you have store-bought roasted hazelnuts)  
7.   Transfer the vegetables into the stainless-steel jug straight from the oven. TIP: reserve a few pieces of cauliflower for garnishing the bowls.
8.   Add all of the stock and one cup milk of your choice to the blender jug.
9.   Secure the lid on and blend on ‘soup’ mode for 50 seconds or until smooth
10. Stop and taste test. Add more seasoning if necessary.

11. Squeeze in the juice of half of a lemon and add the second cup of milk.
12. Blend for a further 10 seconds to combine. Blend for longer if the soup is not hot enough.
13. Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with roasted cauliflower and roasted hazelnuts. Add extra fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of ground sumac for a more robust citrusy Middle Eastern flavour.
14. Freshly chopped parsley or homemade yogurt are optional but delicious extras.

For more blender soup try turmeric coconut pumpkin soup, balsamic roasted tomato soup, and 5 minute Moroccan spiced chickpea soup.

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