I’ve made this soup many times, but it’s always so good and satisfying. Even though the soup is heavily vegetable-based, it tastes rich and creamy (even without any added cream!). There is a small amount of butter in it, but I’ve made it without the butter and the soup still tastes delicious. Roasting the cauliflower and carrots is key to developing the tasty, complex flavors of this simple soup.
INGREDIENTS
- the veggies: cauliflower, carrots, and onion
- chicken stock – Homemade stock would be the best option, but I use store bought chicken stock all the time. I prefer unsalted or low-sodium stock, because it gives you full control of how much salt is in the soup.
- minced garlic – because garlic makes (almost) everything taste better
- extra virgin olive oil – to coat the vegetables for roasting in the oven
- butter – just a small amount to add a little richness
- seasonings: salt, black pepper, ground nutmeg
- squeeze of lemon juice – adds a little brightness to the dish
- optional for garnish: chopped parsley, chopped chives, croutons, pepitas
HOW TO MAKE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER CARROT SOUP
STEP 1: ROAST CAULIFLOWER, CARROT, AND ONION
In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower, onion, and carrots in olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Arrange the cauliflower, onion, and carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking tray.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and have begun to caramelize. The caramelization process adds more depth of flavor to the soup. Halfway through baking, take the tray out and flip cauliflower, onion, and carrots for even cooking.
STEP 2: HEAT BUTTER AND GARLIC
When the cauliflower, onion, and carrots are almost done, heat butter in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add garlic and stir. Cook garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant.
STEP 3: STIR IN STOCK AND ROASTED VEGETABLES
Stir in chicken stock. Add roasted cauliflower, onion and carrots to stock. Turn heat up to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover pot, and let soup flavors develop for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, turn heat off and let soup cool for 5 minutes, uncovered. You don’t want to add extremely hot soup to a blender, because it can cause pressure to build up and lead to an explosive mess.
STEP 4: BLEND
Blend soup in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper as needed. (I usually add another ½ teaspoon salt, but you may need less if you’re using salted chicken stock.) Add lemon juice and ground nutmeg. Give the soup another quick blend to mix well.
STEP 5: SERVE
Garnish with chopped fresh herbs (like parsley or chives), croutons, or pepitas. You can also drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil like I did.
Serve and eat while warm.
It’s a thick and hearty soup–perfect for dipping bread!
Roasted Cauliflower Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more as needed
- Juice of half a lemon optional
- chopped parsley, chopped chives, croutons, or pepitas optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower, onion, and carrots in olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Arrange the cauliflower, onion, and carrots in a single layer on the baking tray. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and have begun to caramelize. Halfway through baking, take tray out and flip cauliflower, onion, and carrots.
- When the cauliflower, onion, and carrots are almost done, heat butter in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add garlic to butter and stir. Cook garlic for 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock. Add roasted cauliflower, onion and carrots to stock. Turn heat up to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover pot and let soup flavors develop for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn heat off and let soup cool for 5 minutes, uncovered.
- Blend soup in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper as needed. Add lemon juice and nutmeg. Give the soup another quick blend. Garnish with croutons, pepitas, or chopped fresh herbs (optional).Soup is now ready to be served.
Notes
- You can substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock.
- Taste the soup before you add more salt. Depending on how much sodium is in the stock, you may need more or less salt.
