Thanks to roasted cauliflower, this soup is rich and creamy without any cream or milk. And instead of breadcrumbs, fiber-rich chickpeas are roasted with parmesan cheese for a healthy, crispy topping.

It’s officially soup season and I can barely contain my excitement. While soup recipes aren’t the majority of my posts on the blog, they are some of my absolute favorites. Not only are they all flavorful and healthy, but they’re also just so easy and perfect for meal planning. Simply put leftovers into individual serving size containers and store in the freezer for easy meals throughout the winter.

This soup was a thought I had as I was falling asleep Saturday night. I had bought a gorgeous yellow cauliflower from the new Whole Foods that week without a recipe to use it in. But when I had a few slices of leftover garlic ciabatta bread from dinner Saturday, I knew dipping the crusty slices into a creamy soup needed to happen. And let me tell you, this soup is perfect for dipping bread into!

While you can use a regular white cauliflower instead, I love the golden color that a yellow one provides. To add some protein and extra fiber, I topped my soup with roasted parmesan chickpeas rather than bread crumbs. Super simple as you roast these at the same time that you’re roasting the cauliflower and garlic – love multitasking!

As mentioned above, other than the cheese on the chickpeas, this soup is perfectly creamy from cauliflower alone – no milk, cream, or cheese needed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, simply pour your soup into a blender and blend away.

Speaking of Saturday dinner, Bry and I had a wonderful night making dinner for my parents and grandma at our apartment. While dinner was delicious the highlight of the night was going to Miracle Bar, a pop-up Christmas bar on Little Raven Street in Denver. If you’re a fan of Christmas, Miracle Bar will make your heart explode with cheesy Christmas happiness. Filled with ornaments, Christmas-themed paper, knick-knacks, and lights, I don’t think there’s a way to get any more Christmassy. All the drinks were also Christmas-themed, and while not the best drink you’ll ever have, they definitely pack in Christmas flavors that keep you in jolly spirits. If you’re in Denver be sure to check it out (just be prepared for a long wait time if you don’t put your name in by 5pm!).

So here’s a toast to a creamy soup sans cream!

Print Recipe

Roasted Cauliflower and Parmesan Chickpea Soup

Thanks to roasted cauliflower, this soup is rich and creamy without any cream or milk. And instead of breadcrumbs, fiber-rich chickpeas are roasted with parmesan cheese for a healthy, crispy topping.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cauliflower, Healthy Soup, Vegetarian

Servings: 4

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic skin on
• ¼ cup plus 1 tsp olive oil divided
• 1 large head cauliflower chopped into florets (use a yellow cauliflower for a golden colored soup) .
• 1 15- ounce can chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish (optional, leave out for vegan)
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Pinch nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F and cover large baking sheet with foil.
• Place garlic cloves on piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. Fold foil to create a pouch and set aside. Place cauliflower florets and chickpeas on baking sheet and drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over chickpeas and season both chickpeas and cauliflower with salt and pepper. Place baking sheet and pouch of garlic in oven and roast 20-25 minutes, or until cauliflower is soft, chickpeas are crispy, and garlic is fragrant. Remove garlic and baking sheet from oven.
• In a large pot, add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in roasted cauliflower and garlic (removed from skin). Turn heat down to medium, cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Add nutmeg, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
• After simmering, use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth (if you don’t have an immersion blender, pour soup into a blender). Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
• Divide soup evenly between 2-4 bowls and top with roasted chickpeas and additional parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition for 1/4 of recipe: 296 calories, 3 g saturated fat, 31 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 11 g protein

Recipe adapted from The Chew