Why I love this...
Cauliflower is an amazing vegetable! It is high in B-vitamins and contains antioxidants and phytonutrients that are able to protect against cancer. It also contains lot of fibre which can enhance weight loss and digestion, plus choline - essential for learning and memory. So it's a pretty cool ingredient, but we often either just steam it (bit boring) or cover it in cheese (tasty at times, probs negates the benefits on a regular basis). Matching it with earthy parsnip (another great source of fibre plus vitamins c, k and folate) creates a super creamy texture and also supports provides a deeper flavour without overpowering. Throw in some warming spices and you have the perfect superfood winter soup.
Ingredients
700g Cauliflower (florets and stalks, but leaves removed)
300g Parnsnip (weight before peeling and trimming)
2 tsp Cumin, ground
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
2 tsp Turmeric, ground
1-2 tsp Salt to taste
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
2 tbsp Soft brown sugar or other sweeter like date syrup or raw honey
500ml Vegetable stock (I always use Knorr stock pots)
400 ml water
150 Oat milk or other plant-based milk
2 tbsp Coconut yoghurt (optional)
Equipment
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Large baking dish
Tablespoon
Teaspoon
Aluminium foil
Scale
Measuring jug (if scale does not measure volume)
Appliances: Oven, Kettle, Blender
Preparation
Heat oven to 200º C fan
Meanwhile peel, trim and chop parsnips in chunks of around 1 inch. Break the cauliflower into small florets and chop the stalks into chunks similar in size to parsnips.
Place the veg in the baking dish, add the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and coconut oil. Pour over 200ml of the water, cover the dish in foil and pop it into the oven.
After 25 minutes of roasting covered, remove the foil, give it a good stir and then place the dish back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes. You want the vegetables roasted and softened with some colour, but not burned.
5 minutes before your veggies are done, get your liquid ready. If using stock cubes or gels, boil the remaining 700ml of water; if your stock is ready-made, heat it.
Add your veggies and all the spice paste to your blender with your sweetener of choice, 500ml stock and the oat milk and blitz to a smooth, soft purée. Add the rest of the boiled water and the coconut yoghurt and blitz to mix well. Check for consistency (this should be really creamy and still thick), season as required and serve immediately.
TOP TIP: This tastes even better the next day so either make ahead or store the leftovers for another meal!