With cumin, garlic and fresh lemon juice, this roasted cauliflower white bean tahini soup is a satisfying, hearty, easy-to-make vegan soup.
Whether I’m hungry or not, I am constantly thinking about food including new recipes to try and what I will make when my appetite kicks in.
That doesn’t mean I always know what to cook. I have spent countless hours with cooking block when I’m not short on ingredients, but I can’t come up with anything.
I compare it to staring at your closet and feeling like you have absolutely nothing to wear.
How is it that there’s a range of suitable options in front of you, but you still cannot decide?
Even though I don’t consider myself qualified to help with your wardrobe, I do have a strategy when you’re stuck in the kitchen.
After taking a pantry and fridge assessment, I like to brainstorm about what I’ve made in the past with the fruits, vegetables, grains and other things that I do have on-hand.
This gives me a starting point with a recipe that I might have on repeat. I try to figure out how to put a twist on it and do something a bit different.
Then I’m not struggling to start with an idea completely from scratch, which is definitely not a daily mealtime requirement.
This might involve roasting veggies and pairing them with greens in a salad instead of mixing them with quinoa or rice or eating them on their own for a side.
And that is how I ended up making this cauliflower white bean tahini soup for the first time.
With a head of cauliflower patiently waiting in my fridge, I thought about one of my favorite ways to eat this versatile vegetable–roasted with tahini and spices.
It only made sense to do this, but then add a couple steps afterward to transform it into soup.
This is what you need for this tahini and white beans cauliflower soup:
First, I preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To prep the cauliflower, I trim the bottom of the head and slice it lengthwise. Instead of breaking it into florets, these slices maximize contact with the pan and result in more browning.
Then I whisk together tahini, olive oil, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. So then you have enough space to add the cauliflower, tossing it around to coat it.
I arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on a sheet pan. It roasts for 20-25 minutes, including turning it over to the other side halfway through roasting.
When the cauliflower is almost finished in the oven, I get started on the other part of the soup. This is on the stovetop.
I heat olive oil in a big pot and sauté chopped onions until they are soft and translucent. Then I add minced garlic, salt and pepper.
Shortly after that, I stir in 2 cans of cannellini beans, vegetable broth, chopped parsley and most of the roasted cauliflower. I save some of it to use as garnish.
Then I bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Next, I carefully transfer the soup in batches to the blender to puree. I return the soup to the pot to warm it as needed.
The last step before serving is to squeeze in the juice of a lemon. It adds a wonderful brightness to this thick comforting vegan soup.
I top each bowl with the roasted cauliflower that I have saved and a sprinkle of parsley.
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With cumin, garlic and fresh lemon juice, this roasted cauliflower white bean tahini soup is a satisfying, hearty and easy-to-make vegan soup.
I substituted red kidney beans for the cannellini beans because that’s what I had in the pantry, omitted the red pepper flakes and lemon juice, and used just 1/2 tsp of cumin. I left the soup rustic and did not puree it. Quick, hearty and delicious. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for a keeper recipe
★★★★★