If there’s one thing I love about cold weather, it’s soup. Soup’s versatility makes it at dish you can toss together with whatever you have in your refrigerator. You almost don’t need a recipe for this creamy rich soup. Adapt it to fit the season and what you’ve got in your vegetable drawer.
I love cauliflower in this soup but toss any combination of vegetables into your saucepan, add water or broth, purée, and there you have it. Light a candle and pour the wine, dinner is served. Top it with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green herbs for flare and flavor.
Some steps of this soup have been adapted from NYT Cooking recipe, Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup. Try a dash of miso for a super boost of umami flavor. Hello comfort food!
Cheesy Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
The perfect vegetarian soup to warm you up on a cold winter day.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1 large onion (any color you prefer)
- 2 cups about 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 cups about 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into small florets
- 4 Tbsp miso paste I use Miso & Easy (available at Sprouts)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 ounces about a 1 inch square cube of Parmesan cheese or the rind of a Parmesan cheese wedge.
- 1 Tbsp cayenne
- 2 tsp smoked paprika, plus more for serving
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, for serving
- plain Greek yogurt, for serving
- 2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°.
- Toss cauliflower florets with 1 Tbsp olive oil and roast in the oven till golden brown. About 15 minutes.
- While cauliflower is roasting, toast coriander seeds in a large dry pot (do not use oil or spray) over medium heat until dark brown. 3 minutes. Grind seeds to a coarse powder with mortar and pestle and set aside. (If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can crush the seeds on a cutting board with a heavy stock pot or cast iron skillet)
- In the same pot that you toasted the coriander, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Stir in chopped onion and cook until fragrant and translucent, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add 5 cups water to the pot. Then add carrots, crushed coriander and salt. Stir in the miso paste. Simmer and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in roasted cauliflower and cook for another 5 minutes until carrots are tender.
- Remove the soup from the heat. Pour soup into a blender, (you may need to do this in batches so you don't overfill your blender.) Purée until smooth.
- Pour pureed soup back into the pot and add Parmesan cheese wedge/rind, paprika, onion powder and cayenne. Simmer for about 6 minutes until all the flavors have mingled nicely.
- Ladle into bowls and serve topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt, paprika and cilantro leaves.