I got an immersion blender as a wedding present last year. I was really excited about it! It was one of those kitchen gadgets I would probably never buy for myself, but knew I would love to have. After all these months I’ve never used it. So I finally sat down to come up with a recipe so I could actually open that box!
That’s how this Cauliflower & Green Onion soup was born. Guys, it’s really, really easy to make & so, so good to eat.
Also, you don’t necessarily need an immersion blender… a blender would work too!
To start I roughly chopped a large head of cauliflower & added it to my dutch oven. I added a few whole garlic cloves & chicken broth ( you could also use vegetable stock to make this vegan! ) to where it came up about ¾ of the way over the cauliflower – you don’t want to completely cover the cauliflower with broth.
I seasoned with salt, covered & let simmer for about 30 minutes. The cauliflower was super, super tender at this point.
I removed the soup from heat & chopped a few green onions in ½ and then added them to my cauliflower. I let that sit for about 15 minutes for the green onions to start flavoring the broth & for everything to cool down a little.
Now.. finally.. the moment I’ve been waiting for! The immersion blender has its moment of glory! I had never used one before, but it was so easy. It’s really just plugging it in, turning it on & moving it around until you get the consistency you want. It was amazing!
I wanted the soup pretty smooth because I knew I was adding toppings.
I added some black pepper & a little bit of heavy cream to thin it out just a little ( totally optional! ). It was so delicious. The soup is incredibly creamy & taste so fresh from the green onions. Now listen, you could totally stop here. The soup would be completely delicious with a drizzle of olive oil, some parmesan & some crunchy bread. Oh man.
But I think variety is the spice of life, so obviously I came up with a couple of topping options.
The first was this chili lime roasted chickpeas & cilantro. This was so yummy. I served it with a wedge of lime. It was a little spicy & acidic.. completely delicious.
The other option was gnocchi with roasted rosemary carrots & fresh basil. This was a nice knock off of a traditional chicken soup.
Goodness, this was so delicious. Even though both options are vegetarian they are completely filling without making me feel bloated or gross after.
This would be the perfect meal for a Monday – whether you’re trying to go meatless or you’ve just overindulged during the weekend ( hi – me every weekend! ) this should be your go to.
Bon Appetit!
ellyn
SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS:
Always: salt & pepper
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 4 garlic cloves
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 green onions
- ½ cup cream – optional
Topping options:
- Simple
- Olive oil
- Parmesan
- Crunchy bread
2. Chili Lime Chickpea & Cilantro
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon chili lime seasoning ( I used the blend from Trader Joe’s – but you could just use chili seasoning! )
- Chopped cilantro
3. Gnocchi, rosemary carrots & basil
- 1 package gnocchi
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- Fresh basil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Roughly chop 1 large head of cauliflower, place in stock pot or dutch oven. Add 4 cloves of garlic & stock. The stock should be enough to cover a lot of the cauliflower, but not all. Season with salt – about 2 teaspoons.
- Simmer, covered for 30 minutes. The cauliflower should be super tender by the end of this time.
- Remove from heat, add green onions & let cool for 15 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth – if you’re using a standard blender make sure you leave the top ajar a little to release the steam!
- Add heavy cream if desired.
- Check salt seasoning & add pepper to taste.
Topping Instructions:
- For the chickpea version – coat chickpeas with olive oil, salt & chili lime seasoning. Roast @ 425 for 20 minutes or until crispy.
- For Gnocchi version – cook gnocchi according to package then sautéd it in a skillet with butter to get it a little brown & crisp. Cut carrots & coat with olive oil, salt & a tablespoon of dried rosemary. Roast @ 425 for 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!
