Vegan curried cauliflower soup is a recipe that has been adapted from the brilliant 'How Not To Die Cookbook' (2017) by Michael Greger, MD.
I have changed Dr Greger's recipe just to make it more quicker and easier. And added some delicious roast chickpea croutons for extra flavour and texture.
This curried cauliflower soup uses simple ingredients and can be ready to enjoy in less than 40 minutes.
So is ideal for busy families needing fast, nutritious, vegan or plant-based meals that are crammed with flavour.
Dr Greger donates all proceeds of his books to charity.
My daughter gifted my copy of Dr Greger's cookbook for Christmas 2019 and it has been well used. I was so impressed to discover that all the proceeds from Dr Gregor's books go to charity.
Dr Greger states the reason for this is that he just wants to get the message out into the world about the benefits of consuming more plants.
NutritionFacts.org website was founded by Dr Greger and is certainly worth a look as it is full of videos with up-to-date science-based evidence for the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.
A few reasons why this is a great recipe to prepare.
This recipe for plant-based curried cauliflower soup is worth a try as it is an easy, quick, inexpensive, delicious winter-warmer that is packed with plant-powered goodness. Although I do enjoy this soup during the summer months as well.
If you pick up a cauliflower in the reduced section then this soup can be prepared even cheaper. Or use a bag of frozen cauliflower for convenience and additional time saved. Also the leaves from the cauliflower can be chopped and added to this soup for more flavour and goodness.
This recipe is perfect for those new to plant-based and vegan diets. As well as a great recipe for kids to prepare, with supervision of course, and begin their journey learning more about meat and dairy-free cooking and diets.
Adapted version of vegan curried cauliflower soup.
Dr Greger's recipe uses whole blended lemons (including the peel) but I changed this to simply adding a lemon zest garnish. Also the original recipe uses Dr Greger's own devised spice blend which requires a lot of different spices and herbs to prepare, so I simplified this recipe by replacing this with garam masala. Which works beautifully.
I have also increased the amount of garlic for the soup to 6 cloves as Dr Greger only required 1 clove, and I never ever cook with just 1 clove! Sometimes I chuck an entire bulb in a dish especially when its just a wee bulb.
I also omitted the fresh ginger for dried ginger as I didn't have fresh and using dried just makes the soup quicker to prepare anyhow. And chucked in a teaspoon of turmeric as I love to add this spice to anything that it will compliment.
Dr Greger's recipe did not have the chickpea croutons. They were my design and I just bunged the ingredients together and happily they worked.
Finally, I added some peanut butter as this ingredient goes so well with curry powder and it added so much depth of savoury flavour.
Despite making so many changes I still wanted to give the credit to Dr Greger as his recipe was the basis for this soup and he gives so much to the plant-based community.
Besides many of my visitors may not have heard about Dr Greger and his books and may go on to look for more info so that will be a good outcome.
(I also should note that I have previously prepared Dr Greger's curried cauliflower soup recipe following his recipe to the letter, and the soup was delicious).
Recipe Notes:
Leftovers can be kept fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Pour into a container with a lid.
Or freeze leftovers for 4-6 months.
To reheat place the soup into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until piping hot throughout.
If frozen defrost before reheating.
Yes! It is easy to prepare this cauliflower soup as gluten-free. Simply ensure that your veggie stock and curry powder blends, etc are gluten free.
If your only needing a light lunch or snack this soup can be enjoyed on its own.
However, for a more substantial meal try:
pickled beetroot
a scoop of mango chutney or mint sauce/pickle
Simply omit the peanut butter or replace with sunflower seed butter or a different seed butter.
A jar of seed butter can be expensive but if you save it for just recipes that only require 1-2 tablespoons then it can work out to be a good purchase.
Although do ensure that any seed butter you source is certified nut free and safe for nut allergies.
Yes simply add half a can of coconut milk to the finished soup and mix through. If required bring to the boil to reheat, take off the heat and serve.
Or mix through some plain coconut yoghurt before serving.
Another idea is to add a swirl of plant cream such as soya, oat or Elmlea single plant cream to each serving for others to mix through.
Alternatively add a quarter of a creamed coconut block to the soup at the beginning of cooking. This will make the soup a little thicker as well.
My kids do not like their curry to be too spicy either. So I simply use a mild curry powder and add a creamy element such as a bit of creamed coconut which helps to create a milder curry flavour.
To achieve a good spicy curry kick choose a medium or hot curry powder.
Possibly add some sliced fresh chilli's as a garnish, or a chopped chilli at the beginning of cooking.
Alternatively add a few drops of hot sauce, chilli flakes, red paprika flakes, etc, to the finished soup.
If half your family members enjoy a hot curry flavour and the others don't simply prepare with a mild curry powder and the others can add fresh chilli's and the like to their portion!
How To Prepare Vegan Curried Cauliflower Soup With Roast Chickpeas
Meanwhile add cauliflower,onion, garlic, curry powder, dried ginger, maple syrup, and peanut butter to a stock-pot.
Give everything a good mix and simmer for 20 minutes.
Toss the chickpeas with garam masala, salt, pepper and either olive/melted coconut oil or a few tablespoons of aquafaba (simply the water from the can of chickpeas).
Set out the chickpeas onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
Or use a potato masher and give the soup a wee mash.
Whole pieces of cauliflower will be present in the soup which is desirable.
Add a teaspoon of garam masala powder and season to taste.
More Tasty Quick And Easy Family Soup Recipes
Vegan traditional Scottish red lentil soup
Vegan cream of kale and celery soup
Vegan Curried Cauliflower Soup (With Roast Chickpea Croutons)
Equipment
- Large saucepan/stock pot or similar
- Food processor/hand blender or potato masher optional
- Baking tray optional, only required if preparing roast chickpeas
Ingredients
- 500 grams cauliflower chopped into small chunks. Can use frozen, just chuck it in frozen at the beginning of cooking.
- 1 medium red onion sliced, or a white/brown onion
- 6 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup or your usual sweetener/syrup/sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon curry powder I used a mild curry powder. For a spicier soup use a medium/hot powder.
- ½ teaspoon dried ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter Or almond/cashew butter. Use sunflower butter (nut allergy safe brand) if allergic to nuts. Or simply omit this ingredient.
- 1200 millilitres vegetable stock
Add at the end of cooking:
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
For the chickpea croutons
- 1 can chickpeas 400g/14 oz can, drained, rinsed and dried.
- 2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted coconut oil/avocado oil or your usual oil. If preferred omit the oil and use 3-4 tbsp's of the water from the can of chickpeas
- salt and pepper
Optional to garnish:
- 20 grams coriander chopped
- ½-1 whole lemon fine grate/zest the peel
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 Fan /200 Celsius /392 Fahrenheit/ Gas 6. (only necessary if preparing chickpea croutons)
- Add all the soup ingredients, except garam masala, to a large pan/pot.
- Bring to the boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove a few cups of the soup. Blend the remaining soup or give it a little mash with a potato masher. Pour the unblended soup back into the blended portion.If preferred the soup can be blended completely.
- Stir through 1 teaspoon of garam masala.Season with enough salt and pepper to bring all the flavours together and to your liking.
- Optional: Serve with chopped coriander sprinkled over, some grated lemon zest, and the roast chickpea croutons. I also like to add a sprinkle of red paprika flakes.
While the soup is cooking prepare the roast chickpea croutons:
- Place the drained, rinsed and dried chickpeas onto a baking tray. Use parchment paper if necessary.
- Drizzle over olive/coconut oil and sprinkle over the garam masala. Using a pastry brush or spoon mix everything well together. Alternatively instead of oil use 2-3 tablespoons of aquafaba (water from the can of chickpeas)
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes before removing from the oven. Give the chickpeas a good shake or stir around the baking tray.
- Raise the temperature to 200 Fan/220 Celsius/ 428 Fahrenheit/ Gas 7. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until nicely browned and crisp. Watch the chickpeas carefully to make sure they do not burn.
- Add extra salt if the chickpeas require it.
- Serve right away or leave for a short while on the baking tray while your soup is being prepared. Store leftover chickpeas in an airtight jar for up to 3 days. Although the chickpeas are best enjoyed soon after roasting.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict analysis as ingredients vary.
- Leftover cauliflower soup can be stored in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 3 days.
- Or frozen for up to 4-6 months.
- Reheat by placing in a saucepan over a medium heat and once boiling lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Serve curried cauliflower soup with your choice of garnishes, such as chopped coriander, roast chickpeas, toasted flaked almonds, toasted sunflower seeds, chopped cashews, etc.
- Wedges of crusty bread, home-made garlic bread, sliced naan breads, poppadum's, lentil crisps are all tasty accompaniments.
Lauren Michael Harris
I love a good vegetarian curry recipe. What a fun idea to add crispy chickpeas to the top - a nice mix of texture and flavor - yum!
The chickpeas are amazing. So good even on their own for a yummy healthy snack 🙂
Biana
What a great idea for a flavorful soup! The chickpeas look extra crunchy and delicious.
They are! Thanks! 🙂
Lima Ekram
The peanut butter in the sauce was amazing! Loved this recipe!
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed the soup. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Patty at Spoonabilities
Wow! What a delicious soup. Love the flavors and those crunchy chick peas!! Delish 🙂
Awesome. The chickpeas are super tasty and perfect for a light snack as well 🙂
Andrea
I've never tried a curried soup before. It looks and sounds amazing!
Thanks! Give it a go and I'm sure you will enjoy 🙂