Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup | www.floatingkitchen.net

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

This post was originally published here February 12, 2014. I’ve since updated the text and photographs. This easy, creamy soup is one of the most popular recipes here on Floating Kitchen. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should!

We’re just a few days away from the start of the month of May and I’m still talking about cozy soup recipes. I never would have imagined that to be the case. But here we are. And to quote myself from my previous post “I’m just going to roll with it”.

I’ve been making more than my fair share of soup recipes these past two months. They really are the best type of comfort food. And I like that most are easy to customize. Also, I can generally stretch out the leftovers for an extra day or two, if necessary. Which is specially important these days when I’m limiting my trips to the grocery store as much as possible.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup | www.floatingkitchen.net

And based on what I’m seeing online, you all have been making a lot of soups, too. In fact, record numbers of you have been making this Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup from my archives. And for the first time in many years, the recipe for this Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup has surpassed my recipe for the perfect filet mignon for most popular post on Floating Kitchen. And if that’s not the biggest mood of this whole social distancing/quarantine/shelter-in-place, then I don’t know what is.

Because I want to be like all the cool kids, I decided I WANTED to make my Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup again, too. And damn. I forgot how good it was! And I see why everyone is making it. It’s quick, easy and the ingredient list is almost entirely made up of pantry staples and long-lasting produce. And it’s silky smooth texture is like a warm, soothing hug.

Remember hugs???

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup | www.floatingkitchen.net

I’ve updated the photographs for this post. But the recipe hasn’t changed. So if you’ve been making it faithfully for years, have no fear. I would, however, like to answer a couple common questions.

(1) Yes, you can easily make this vegan and I have many times. You can use any non-dairy substitute for the heavy cream. I particularly like coconut milk, because I find it’s texture most closely resembles heavy cream. But you can also use soy milk, almond milk, etc.
(2) Yes, you can freeze this soup. I recommend freezing it right after puréeing it in step 4. Don’t continue to step 5. You can add the heavy cream when you thaw and re-warm the soup.
(3) Yes, the toppings are a bit “extra”. But I have a rule that puréed soups shouldn’t be naked. The toppings are worth it!
(4) Yes, you can use russet potatoes if that’s all you have. The soup will be slightly less silky, but it will still be delicious.

I’m so thrilled to see how many of you are enjoying this Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup. If you make it, I would love to hear about it!

Cheers,

Liz

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

At a Glance:
Yield: Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4-5 cups total)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. paprika
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 1/2 cups total)
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

For Topping:

  • Red pepper flakes
  • Fresh thyme leaves
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower, chickpeas and garlic with the cumin, salt, paprika and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Transfer to your pre-heated oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Remove and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cubed potatoes and black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vegetable broth and water and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are very soft, about 15-20 minutes. 
  4. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the roasted cauliflower mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup for garnish. Allow the soup to cool slightly, then carefully purée the soup using an immersion blender, blender or food processor with the blade attachment. Work in batches as necessary and be careful when transferring hot liquids.
  5. Return the puréed soup to your pot and re-warm it over low-medium heat. Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, if necessary.
  6. To serve, ladle the warm soup into bowls. Top with some of the reserved roasted cauliflower mixture and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and heavy cream. Serve immediately.
  7. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Fork & Flower.

93 comments on “Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup”

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    • I’ve made cauliflower soup in the past and it’s been so bland. This one is full of flavour and textures. I did add roasted garlic and onion. Will definitely be making this again. Very satisfying.

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  5. This was delicious and probably the best cauliflower soup I’ve made… I did add a bit of onion and I omitted the cream and it was amazing! Extremely flavorful!! Thanks for sharing!!

  6. I plan on making this today, chilly spring day and soup sounds good. My daughter is vegan so skipping the heavy cream, thinking some coconut milk on the side to see how that adds to the flavors. I will let you know. Thanks

  7. This soup is amazingly good and healthy!!!!!

    Did it last night! Will definitely make it another time!

    Thanks!! 🙂

  8. Yum. At what stage should the roasted garlic be added?

  9. Can this soup be made by omitting the dairy?

    • Hi Hayley! You could certainly omit the dairy and try a non-dairy alternative (almond or soy milk, for example) for a little added “creaminess”.

  10. I loved this soup. I also roasted onion with the cauliflower mix and added fresh thyme to the roasting vegetables. This was amazing! Thank you

  11. Should i used dried or pre-cooked chickpeas for this recipe? So excited to test it!

  12. Hi, any ideas on potato substitute? Trying to keep carbs down…. celery root, maybe?

  13. Hi! My friend made this soup last night and brought it in for us to share at lunch. It was amazing! Do you have the nutrition information on it!

    • Hi Becky. So glad to hear you enjoyed it! I don’t have the nutritional information, but maybe try one of those free online calculators?

  14. I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! I added some Parmesan cheese and chopped green onion as garnish and it was fabulous. I’ll definitely be making this again!

  15. Truly amazing flavors and textures in this soup. It is rich, like a meat broth without the meat! This recipe is a keeper.

  16. This soup is amazing!
    I made so much of it and I’m already looking forward to eating it again 🙂
    Thank you, Liz!

  17. Can this soup be frozen?

    • I haven’t tried, so I can’t say for certain. I would freeze it before adding the half and half. Then add the half and half when you re-warm it.

  18. Made this soup tonight and really liked it! I only had 3 cups of cauliflower so I added in a cup of carrots and it added nice color and a touch of sweetness. I imagine in the late summer when I have loads of extra bell peppers that would be a tasty addition too. I liked how simple the recipe was and that the result was a creamy, earthy, savory flavor. I will definitely be making this soup again.

    • That’s great to hear. And I love your addition of carrots. This soup is definitely adaptable to all sorts of veggies you might have on hand!

  19. Made this soup tonight with two modifications… sweet potatoes because I didn’t have white potatoes and homemade almond milk instead of cream because my daughter is vegan. Loved it! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe, which lends itself well for personal adaptation and preference. Next time I’ll try white potatoes as you’ve listed and homemade cashew cream. Thank you!

  20. Hello, what is the Reserve cauliflower mix you are talking about?

  21. This soup is amazing. I subbed in almond and canned lite coconut milks (50/50 for flavor v. calories!) for the cream becz cow’s milk is problematic for me, and it was fabulous! Also roasted the garlic as a whole, foil-wrapped head, which intensifies yet mellows the flavor…we love garlic! This recipe is now a permanent fact of life for my family. Thanks for what you do!

  22. Seriously this soup is spectacular!

  23. This sounds SO good…..will try it before the weekend. Regards from CapeTown to all my foodie friends out there.

  24. Absolutely delightful. Will put this at the top of my go-to soups. Light, tasty and extremely satisfying. Thanks so much for sharing 😁

  25. This soup is amazing! I think it might be the best soup I’ve ever made! Thankyou! Sharing on my Instagram!

  26. Fantastic! I skipped the cream and didn’t miss it. 

  27. I’m on a low carb diet (doctor prescribed)  Can I leave out the potatoes?  If I do do you recommend using more cauliflower and chick peas?

    • Hi Jennifer, sorry I’ve never made this recipe any other way than the method described. And I’m not an expert on low-carb cooking/eating.

  28. Are there nutritional facts on this recipe? I couldn’t find it if it was posted. 

    • I do not calculate the nutritional information for any of my recipes. I would suggest trying one of those free online calculators.

  29. Have you heard whether or not anyone has had success freezing this soup? I made this for some vegetarian friends a couple of weeks ago and can’t get it off my mind…so beautiful and so delicious! I would like to make a lot of it for family on Christmas night after having two days of heavy food, but don’t want to spend Christmas with toddlers cooking ;). 

    • I think some people have (maybe check the comment thread?). My suggestion would be to stop and freeze it without the cream. Then when you thaw and re-heat it, you can add that in.

  30. Very good recipe, couldn’t stop eating.

  31. This soup looks delicious. Will it change the flavor if heavy cream is omitted?

    • It definitely won’t be as creamy. You can try using coconut milk or another milk alternative if you’re looking to omit the dairy.

  32. I’m on a very specific diet for my kidneys and can’t eat potatoes of any kind. Can you recommend some alternatives to the two potatoes in this recipe? It looks AMAZING.

    • Hi Lynda. I’ve only ever made this with potatoes so I can’t say for certain. You could try another starchy root vegetable like turnips possibly?

  33. Love that you’re sharing this again, Liz! SO much flavor and what a lovely texture. I’m all about those toppings! Still on board for comfort food here, so keep em comin!

  34. Family loved it, thanks! I made substitutes based on what I had—- butternut squash instead of potatoes, red lentils instead of chickpeas and soy milk instead of cream, and they STILL loved it :-).

  35. I seem like the odd man out here, but we did not care for this soup. It tasted very garbanzo bean heavy and had the consistency of cream of wheat.

    • Sorry to hear that, Kat.

    • Both those things have a very easy solution: less garbanzos and more water or broth next time 🙂

      I just made it for the very first time and I love it. I didn’t use the cream, as we don’t eat dairy in my house, and added an extra potato for the thickness of it. Love the taste and the texture. It’s a thick, delicious nourishing purée.

  36. Is it okay to use riced cauliflower?  I mean you’re blending it anyway. But you wouldn’t  have the roasted flavor. 

    • I think you’ll definitely be missing out on some great flavor. There aren’t a ton of ingredients in this recipe, so a lot of the flavor comes from the roasting.

  37. I just made this tonight to take to a friend who had surgery. Smelled and tastes delicious. I would definitely add some roasted onions next time. When I make this for my family, I’ll add some cayenne pepper for a little extra kick.

  38. Loved the flavor! 
    But, after blending in the food processor and returning it to the pot, it had a grainy and not smooth texture. Did I not blend it enough? 

    • For the smoothest texture, I really recommend a high powered blender. I food processor definitely works, but a blender will usually get things much smoother. I know those blenders are super expensive tho…so it’s always nice to have other options for making recipes.

  39. Thank you for having a website that opens without a millions pop up ads! I will seek out your content because of that! Also, looking forward to making this soup. 

  40. Sorry I am so late to this thread. I am easing my four children and myself into vegetarianism. Their dad won’t do vegetarianism at his house, but at home here, they will be. And this soup will now be a staple. The kids LOVE this. I added spring onion from our garden, and celery and omitted the cream altogether as my daughter is lactose intolerant and I didn’t have any substitutes on hand. This is amazing!!!

  41. I can’t believe I never commented on this – this has to be my favorite soup. Of course, the main ingredients are two of my favorite things every, but something about this soup just cranks everything up a few notches. Granted, I do have to up the spices, but that’s me. The best part is when you get a bite with a bit of red pepper flake in it, it’s just freaking amazing. 100/10

  42. This soup is so good! Thanks for such a great recipe. I have made it several times now and it never disappoints.

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