Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
View Recipes

Blog Image

Roasted Cauliflower-Garlic Soup

By Chef Linda

Special Equipment: Blender or immersion blender
 
How we treat a vegetable like cauliflower depends on the season. In spring, when we crave lightness, we steam. Summer weather invites us outdoors where a grill makes quick and tasty work of our food. Colder weather beckons us to turn on the oven and roast, which is what we do to make this Roasted Cauliflower-Garlic Soup. Equally satisfying on chilly spring days or cold winter nights, roasted vegetables make for a comforting, earthy soup when blended. Cashews add creaminess without the use of dairy but the soup is just as good without them. A recipe that's this rich, flavorful, restorative, and shamefully simple to make is one that you'll want to turn to again and again. Enjoy its seasonal appeal as a starter to your vegan holiday meal!

Ingredients

 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 to 2 ½ pounds) cut into chunksPieces 3 to 4 inches big will cook within the stated cooking time, larger chunks will take longer
 15 large cloves garlic, peeled
 1 medium onion or 2 whole shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
 3 tbsp olive oil
 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
 2 tsp salt, divided
 6 cups vegetable broth
 ½ cup raw cashewsoptional, for added creaminess, or substitute raw pumpkin seeds for nut-free version
 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
 1 tbsp fresh lemon juiceadd more if desired
 Freshly ground black pepper to taste
 Micro-greens or chopped fresh herbs for garnish

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place cauliflower, garlic, onions, and thyme on the baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Gently toss together and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Roast for about 25 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft and medium brown in color.
 
Heat the broth while the vegetables are roasting. Transfer vegetables to a blender. Add the warm vegetable broth, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Remove the plastic knob from the blender and partially cover the hole with a dish towel to allow steam to escape. Purée the soup to the desired consistency (leaving a little texture makes for a nice mouth-feel). To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish.

Roasted Cauliflower-Garlic Soup

Roasted Cauliflower-Garlic Soup

DifficultyEasyCook Time25 mins
YIELDS
Serves 6

Roasted cauliflower garlic soup
INGREDIENTS

 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 to 2 ½ pounds) cut into chunksPieces 3 to 4 inches big will cook within the stated cooking time, larger chunks will take longer
 15 large cloves garlic, peeled
 1 medium onion or 2 whole shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
 3 tbsp olive oil
 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
 2 tsp salt, divided
 6 cups vegetable broth
 ½ cup raw cashewsoptional, for added creaminess, or substitute raw pumpkin seeds for nut-free version
 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
 1 tbsp fresh lemon juiceadd more if desired
 Freshly ground black pepper to taste
 Micro-greens or chopped fresh herbs for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place cauliflower, garlic, onions, and thyme on the baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Gently toss together and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Roast for about 25 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft and medium brown in color.
 
Heat the broth while the vegetables are roasting. Transfer vegetables to a blender. Add the warm vegetable broth, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Remove the plastic knob from the blender and partially cover the hole with a dish towel to allow steam to escape. Purée the soup to the desired consistency (leaving a little texture makes for a nice mouth-feel). To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish.

ShareTweetSaveBigOven

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *