Roasted Cauliflower White Bean Soup Recipe

When wintertime rolls around there are two things on many people's minds — snow and good soup recipes. What's more magical than watching the snow fall down while cozying up by the fire with a cup of soup in hand? It can be tricky to pick out a great recipe that the whole family will enjoy, but trust us when we tell you that this roasted cauliflower white bean soup is incredibly tasty, filling, and healthy. The dish contains plenty of nourishing ingredients, so you definitely won't feel guilty about what you're putting into your body. Sounds like a win-win in our book! 

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating came up with this amazing recipe that has so many pluses. "This hearty and flavorful soup is full of goodness and such a great way to use up leftover cauliflower. I love to make a big batch and store some in the freezer for later," Brookes raves. "It's great to have for a warming dinner on a cold winter evening." Keep reading to find out how to make this delicious soup.

Who's ready to eat soup? The first step required for this recipe is some prep work. Start by taking a trip to the grocery store and grabbing the ingredients that you will need. First, pick up some olive oil and a white onion. You will also need a few cloves of garlic and of course a large head of cauliflower. For the base of the soup, Brookes opts for vegetable stock to keep the flavor subtle. For some warming spice, add powdered cumin into your cart. Next, you will need a can of cannellini beans (aka white beans). Make sure you have some salt and pepper on hand to season the soup to taste. Finally, the recipe calls for the optional use of fresh parsley, chopped as a garnish.

Since this recipe requires the use of an oven, the first step is to preheat it. Just turn the dial to 390 F and let it get nice and hot while you tend to the rest of the prep work. In the meantime, grab a baking sheet. Add the onion first, followed by the whole garlic cloves. As a reminder, you should roughly chop the onion ahead of time. Then, toss the cauliflower florets with the rest. "The size doesn't really matter too much. Just roughly break/chop the cauliflower head apart into the floret pieces," Brookes shares. Last, drizzle some olive oil over the veggies and toss to coat, then pop the tray in the oven for 25 minutes.

Once your timer dings, remove the tray from the oven. Discard the roasted garlic skin and throw the cloves into a large soup pot. Next, add the roasted cauliflower florets, followed by the onion. Measure out 4 cups of vegetable stock and pour it into the pot. Sprinkle in the powdered cumin and empty out the can of cannellini beans. Make sure that you rinsed the beans ahead of time. If you wish, you can leave out a few pieces of cauliflower to use as a soup topping.

Now that you have added all of the ingredients to the pot, give the mixture a few good stirs to combine. Crank up the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Once you see bubbles reach the surface of the liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the soup cook for about five minutes at a simmer. Once the soup finishes simmering, turn off the heat and let it cool down for about 10 minutes. Carefully transfer the contents of the pot into a large jug blender and blitz the soup until it's smooth. 

After you blitz the soup, give it a taste and season it with a bit more salt and pepper if you think it's necessary. Then, ladle the soup into bowls or cups and top it with the reserved cauliflower and chopped parsley if you desire. You can also add some cracked black pepper for some extra piquant. 

Brookes recommends serving it "with crusty bread or you could add a little rice to the soup. A fresh salad on the side could be nice too." Any leftovers? "It'll keep well in the fridge for about 3 days (in [an] airtight container) or in the freezer up to 3 months." We hope this one hits the spot!