1. curry cauliflower soup with roasted chickpeas

curry cauliflower soup with roasted chickpeas

This recipe is inspired by inspired by Pinch of Yum's Golden Soup.
While I made it for myself for lunch, somehow it ended up being dinner one night. My husband said, "please don't make this again." We found it a bit bland and not really satisfying enough for dinner.
Still, I was somehow dedicated to the vegan, cauliflower and turmeric combination. So, I edited the recipe and made it for myself again. I think this makes a delicious lunch. And it's perfect for the start of a detoxifying January.

curry cauliflower soup with roasted chickpeas

for the roasted chickpeas:

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• a generous sprinkling of cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, and salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread the drained chickpeas on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle chickpeas with a dusting of cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, and/or any other spice combo you want. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir right on the pan, then roast for 30-40 minutes or until semi-crispy.

for the soup: 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• half an onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into about 5 cups of chunks or florets
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 heaping teaspoons turmeric  
• 1-2 heaping teaspoons curry powder (Penzey's curry powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4-5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• juice from half a lemon

Directions:

Sauté: In a deep pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, cauliflower, cashews, turmeric, and curry powder. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until very fragrant.

Simmer: Add 2-1/2 cups of water and salt. Simmer until softened. Add more water as needed for the desired consistency. 

Blend: Once the cauliflower is soft, 10-15 minutes, use an immersion blender to blend the soup. I like mine lumpy with larger chunks of cauliflower and cashews. If you'd like a smoother soup, a regular blender may be easier. Add more water to get the consistency you'd like. Taste to make sure your seasonings are to your liking. 

Finish:  Finish with more salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with roasted chickpeas and enjoy!