I truly believe that necessity is the mother of invention.
I also believe that when the mother cannot invent, it falls upon her offspring to do so, no matter how devoid of energy they may feel.
Confused? I thought so. Allow me to backtrack for the briefest of seconds.
After what had been a very long and exhausting day at a photo shoot for work on Monday, I drove home in silence dreaming of my dark and quiet room where I would soon be able to rest my head until Iftar time. Upon my arrival I popped my head into the kitchen to bid my mother a barely audible “hello” only to find her almost doubled over in pain, clutching her lower back with a very sour expression. She mumbled something about not having made the lentil soup on account of being fresh out of red lentils, as I did my best to usher her out of the kitchen. I told her to lie down and rest, and that I would whip up a quick veggie soup. It took a bit more insisting and physically prying the cutting board out of her hands but eventually she departed and the kitchen was at last mine.
A quick survey of the vegetable crisper led me in the direction of today’s utterly simple yet delicious recipe for a fragrant cauliflower soup with garlic and rosemary. I needed something quick yet flavorful, warm and comforting and this soup was just the ticket.
Vegan Cauliflower and Rosemary Soup
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1/2 a large head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3-4 cups of vegetable stock
Directions
- Sautee the onions and garlic in a large soup pot for 7-10 minutes on a medium heat until soft. Add the cauliflower, rosemary, salt and pepper and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add enough stock to cover the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cauliflower is soft and cooked through.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before blitzing in a blender until smooth. If you find the soup a bit thick after blending, add a splash more stock or water to thin as needed, just remember to adjust the seasoning.
And there you have it – a rich and and creamy cauliflower soup in under 30 minutes, Ramadan friendly and foolproof to boot.
Served with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper, because we all want to pretend we’re cooking at a fancy pants restaurant every once in a while.
Mihl says
Your poor mother, I hope she is feeling better soon! This soup is perfect, as I have some cauliflower that needs to be used up and honestly, I love cauliflower soup! Thanks for the recipe.
Ann says
Hi Nada, thanks for a gorgeous, simple recipe. Super easy – I used salt & pepper in lieu of bouillon as I found the rosemary, garlic and olive oil sufficed for flavour. I also added roasted pumpkin seeds, but I honestly wish I hadn’t because it was fine – better even – without them! Anyway, will cook again!
Denise says
This is delicious! Easy to make and smelled so good as it simmered.
Megan Nell Schosboek says
Instead of rosemary, I used celery salt, a dried bay leaf, and a handful of fresh cilantro leaves. I also added some spaghetti squash puree I needed to use up. It was delicious.
Nada says
That sounds great! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
kat says
This was simple to make. The next day left overs I added kale, peas & cooked mung beans at the end for more substance on those exercise days 🙂 Thanks!