Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Soup

A rich and buttery vegetable soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine Other

Keyword cauliflower, parsnip, white beans

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings - 6

Calories 420kcal

Author Lauren

Ingredients

1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
2 medium parsnips, roughly chopped (Note 1)
1 medium brown onion, cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, skin on
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 dashes white pepper
1 can (400g / 0.8 lb) cannellini / white beans, drained and rinsed (Note 2)
2 cups milk, low fat
2 cups chicken stock (Note 3)
3 tbsp fresh chives, finely diced (Note 4)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 220°C / 430°F.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Pour the chopped vegetables into the lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway. Use a fork to test if the vegetables are cooked. You want the vegetables to be soft; otherwise, you will end up with uncooked lumps when it comes time to blend them. If not cooked, put the tray back into the oven for another 10 minutes and test again.
Once cooked, remove the baking tray from the oven, peel the skin off the garlic and transfer the cooked vegetables to a large pot. Add the milk, chicken stock and cannellini / white beans to the large pot. Place the pot over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the large pot from the heat. Using a stick blender, blitz the soup until it is thick and creamy. (Note 6)
Add the fresh chives to the large pot and mix well. If the soup has cooled down too much, just put it back on medium high heat until it starts to bubble.
Divide the soup among serving bowls and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve while hot with some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Notes

Parsnip - Other suitable vegetables may be celeriac or turnips, however, I have not tried these combinations and cannot comment on the flavour profile. Otherwise, you can substitute the parsnip for more cauliflower.
Cannellini / white beans - Canned beans tend to be quite high in sodium. Where possible, choose salt reduced / low sodium canned beans. If you want to use dried beans, cook them according to packet instructions, then add to the soup in step 4 (will increase cooking time by an hour!). I used 'no added salt' cannellini beans from Woolworths.
Chicken stock - Is very well known for being high in sodium. Where possible, choose salt reduced / low sodium canned beans. I used 2 Massel 7 Chicken Style stock cubes dissolved in 2 cups of hot water, which is also vegan.
Fresh chives - Fresh chives are ideal for this recipe, but 3 teaspoons of dried can be used as an alternative. Or you could substitute chives with thyme for a more French-style soup.
Vegan - Swap the milk for an unsweetened plant-based milk (preferably calcium fortified).
Soup thickness - If the soup is too thick, add a touch more water. If it is too thin after blending, just let it simmer on the stove for a while to let it reduce – this will help thicken it.
Slow cooker - Follow steps 1 through to 3, then in step 4, add all your ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Blend any chunky pieces after cooking.
Other additives - If you want to take this soup to the next level and budget is not a deciding factor, try adding a teaspoon of truffle paste or a drizzle of truffle infused extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Nutrition - Calculated per serve, assuming 4 very generous serves (not including crusty bread).

Nutrition