Creamy Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup thats dairy-free?! Oh Yes! Using “creamy” in the context of texture which is exactly what you get when you immerse flavourful ingredients like fresh root and cruciferous vegetables, fresh herbs and spices and a splash of unsweetened almond milk to the mix. The result… the ultimate bowl of comfort.
I’m a cauliflower lovin’ kinda girl. No wait… let me rephrase that. I am a tad overly obsessed with cauliflower, a.k.a one of the best freakin’ vegetables there ever was. Not only making soups extra creamy but did you know you could replace or cut down on the sugar intake in your smoothies by adding less fruit and more cauliflower? Which FYI is pretty well tasteless! Let me explain a little further.. I DO love cauliflower but it definitely wouldn’t be my choice for breakfast, so trying it out for the first time in my smoothies I was a little skeptical. I replaced what was once a whole frozen banana with 1/2 or even a 1/4 (depending on the size) and threw in a good handful of pre-steamed, frozen cauliflower florets along with it… W O W! I seriously couldn’t even tell there was cauliflower in my smoothie! I honestly had NO idea this cauliflower swap was such a huge deal until this past year and ever since I tried it once i’ve been absolutely hooked! You can head to my instagram account where you’ll find many mixings of smoothie’s incorporating cauliflower in pretty much every one 🙂 https://www.instagram.com/thenaturallynatalie/ Your welcome!
Let me know if you try any of my smoothie recipes! and of course this Creamy Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup! I’d love to see it! Tag me on IG @thenaturallynatalie or hashtag #thenaturallynatalie
So Yes, cauliflower definitely can make recipes creamy and delicious very easily. It can also make a GREAT substitute for rice and even pizza crust… say what?! Dana does a great job demonstrating that over on her blog https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-cauliflower-rice/ so you can check that out as well. It is seriously SO versatile and can be such an easy, healthy substitute for many different recipes you may find yourself stumbling upon one too many times.
Along with it being a great addition in smoothies, and an easy substitute in higher carb recipes like stir-fries, paella’s and homemade pizza crusts it does kick some serious ass when it comes to health benefits. The ones that stick out the most to me are:
- It’s high in fiber: Healthy digestion is essential to beat bloat and support weight loss. Luckily, it is a vegetable that’s naturally high in fiber, so adding it to your diet will only help you stay regular.
- When we think of vitamin C, we typically think of citrus fruit such as lemons or oranges. But also many cruciferous vegetables contain significant levels, and cauliflower is one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin C among cruciferous vegetables.
- Even though cauliflower does not provide quite as much glucosinolates as some stronger-tasting Brassica vegetables (such as Brussels sprouts or the natural superstar broccoli), it can still provide your body with a good amount of glucosinolates. Although glucosinolates themselves have limited health benefits, the human body can convert them into isothiocyanates which have significant anti-cancer properties. In laboratory studies, these highly active compounds have been shown to induce Phase II enzymes, detoxifying enzymes that facilitate the removal of cancer-causing substances from the body, and to stimulate apoptosis (self-destruction) of cancer cells.
In other words, eat your C A U L I F L O W E R!
I created this healthy version of Creamy Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup because HELLO snow is coming and the more snow that falls, the more soup I eat 🙂 Happy Thursday everyone!
(dairy-free) 
(gluten-free)
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30-35 minutes |
| Passive Time | 45-50 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 2 tablespoons ghee or extra virgin olive olive
- 4 green onions peeled and diced
- 3 large garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme minced, plus more for garnish
- 1 & 1/4 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 7 cups (approximately 2 heads) carrots & red pepper roughly chopped.
- 4 medium sized parsnips peeled, and roughly chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth NO SALT
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- sea salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients
|
|
- Melt the ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and garlic, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the minced thyme, cumin, turmeric and smoky paprika, sauté for a few more minutes until fragrant.
- Turn up the heat to medium high and Add the cauliflower florets, parsnips and a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Sauté (with the lid on) for 8-10 minutes until softened (stirring often). Add in vegetable broth and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce-heat to a simmer, and simmer uncovered until the cauliflower and parsnip can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup or work in batches and purée the soup in a standing blender.
- If you are using an immersion blender, add the milk slowly to the soup while you do this, otherwise add the milk after you have blended the soup in your blender. Heat on medium until the soup is heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with more black pepper along with fresh thyme and a drizzle of olive oil (if desired) to serve.
Blenders - Blenders do a great job of pureeing soups. The only difficulty comes from transferring the hot soup to and from the blender itself, an annoying, messy, and potentially hazardous process. Blenders will also occasionally leave small chunks of soup unprocessed, especially older blenders.
• Food Processors - Food processors tend to chop up the soup into small pieces rather than actually pureeing it, leaving the soup with a slightly gritty texture and non-uniform pieces. Some of this can be helped with the tips below, but I've found that a truly silky puree is a little beyond the reach of most food processors.
• Immersion Blenders - If perfect creaminess is your aim, an immersion blender is a must-have item. I resisted its lure for years before finally giving in, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. There's no mess of transferring the soup; all the pureeing is done right in the pot. And the immersion blender mashes even the tiniest particles into oblivion. This is my new best friend when it comes to pureed soups.
If you want a perfectly creamy texture - Pass the Soup Through a Strainer - Set a strainer over your soup pot and let the soup drip through after its been pureed. This separates out any big chunks left behind by blender or food processor, which can then be re-blended.
https://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-maki-159252
