Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Sweet Potato Crisps and Pomegranate
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Sweet Potato Crisps and Pomegranate
Yield: 4
This recipe takes a few minutes longer than most my others, but it is worth it, and what better thing to do on a cold winter's day than make a beautiful soup!
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, florets cut from stem and divided (I used purple; see the benefits of this in the notes)
- 2 T olive oil (divided)
- 1t Winter spice blend
- 1/2 c red lentils, rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
- 1 T ghee
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 small sweet potato
- 1/4 t chili powder
- 2 stalks swiss chard, cut into 1-2 inch ribbons
Additional Toppings
- Dollop of yogurt
- Pomegranate arils or squeeze of lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Toss cauliflower florets in 1 T olive oil and the Winter spice blend. Place on a baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until golden edged and slightly tender.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, heat the ghee in a dutch oven or sturdy soup pot on medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a minute, then add the lentils and rosemary. Saute an additional 2 minutes, then add the stock and bring to a simmer. While the lentils simmer for 5 minutes, grate the sweet potato with a box grater. Toss the shreds with the remaining 1 T of olive oil and the chili powder. Place them on a baking sheet when all shreds are coated.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven, setting aside 1 cup of the roasted florets and adding the rest to the simmering lentils. Place the potato shreds in the oven while the cauliflower and lentils simmer for about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the potato shreds, stirring frequently with a fork to keep them separated. You want them as spread out as possible (some will clump and this is ok if it’s just a few shreds) to allow air circulation. When they start to crisp up after about 7 minutes, turn off the heat, crack the oven door and they will continue to dry out and get crispy. Do continue to keep an eye on them and pull them out if they seem to be burning.
- Check the lentils and the cauliflower in the simmering soup. When both are tender, remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to liquify to your desired consistency; add water as needed (I added a cup of water). Stir in the reserved roasted cauliflower and the swiss chard ribbons and simmer on low heat until the chard is wilted and cauliflower warmed, about 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately, topped with a dallop of yogurt, pomegranate seeds (or lime, see the note below) and the sweet potato crisps.
Notes
- I used purple cauliflower in this version, thus why the soup is so dark. Purple cauliflower has an antioxidant, anthocyanin, in it that gives it that purple color. It has more vitamin A than white cauliflower and serves as an anti-inflammatory, so if you can get your hands on the purple heads, grab one.
- We are, sadly, at the end of Pomegranate season. So, if you are unable to find one in your market, use a squeeze of lime instead. It pulls the color from the chard stems, creating dots or swirls wherever the lime lands. So, while you don’t get the lovely pop of the arils, you still get a hint of sour and the fun of red swirls!
