Two years ago, I had a meal at Blackberry Farm that changed me. Seriously, it CHANGED me. Their roasted cauliflower with harissa seasoning was so good that, just like a good book, I was equally sad and satisfied when it ended. Luckily, it was on the menu the next day, so I got to experience it twice.
That meal has stuck with me like none other. And while yes, I do enjoy cauliflower, I wouldn’t put it in my top 10 foods. But cauliflower is magical that way. It can surprise you, depending on how it’s cooked and what flavors it’s been paired with.
So, while this article’s headline may be a bit over-the-top, it comes from the heart.
If you are ever at Blackberry Farm and this is on the menu at their main house, order it!
Here is that magical meal I enjoyed at Blackberry Farm in February of 2021. I’ve never stopped thinking about it!
After two years of longing for this meal, I finally decided to make my memories into a soup: roasted cauliflower with harissa soup.
I’ve got to be honest; I was not sure how this would turn out. And, while I cook a lot of soups, a few rise to the top in that “if you open a restaurant, this one is on rotation” standout way. This soup is definitely one of these.
Roasted cauliflower soup with harissa seasoning is satisfying and the perfect remedy for a cold day.
It’s delicious.
My husband and I made four meals from this soup because we couldn’t stop eating it.
Please let me know your thoughts, and enjoy!
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Cauliflower I use two 24 oz bags of cauliflower florets from Kroger
- 2 Yellow onions
- 1/2 cup Avocado oil
- 4 cups Chicken broth I use the Simple Truth Organic chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 3 cups Water
- 1/3 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1 Lemon (juice of)
- 2 tsp Harissa feel free to add more at the end of the soup, adjusting to your taste! I use Simple Truth Organic Ground Harissa Seasoning
- 2 1/2 tsp Salt (or to taste)
- 2 tsp Crushed red pepper
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a baking sheet, roast 3 pounds of cauliflower (cut into approximately 1-inch pieces) and the onions (cut into approximately one-centimeter-high rounds). To roast, toss all vegetables in 1/2 a cup of avocado oil with 1 tsp of salt. Lay on a baking sheet, but do not "mound" the vegetables. Make sure they are side-by-side as otherwise, they tend to "steam" more than "roast." You may need two baking sheets for this. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until everything is soft and turning brown.
- Remove vegetables from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- If you'd like, save a few pieces of cauliflower to place on top of the soup when you serve it later.
- Add the rest of the roasted vegetables to a standing blender (far smoother than an immersion blender!) along with 4 cups of chicken broth. Be sure to recognize fill lines, as each blender is different. This may be one batch for one blender and two batches for another. Blend for two minutes.
- Add one tablespoon of room-temperature butter (if you are feeling it, add two!) to the blender and blend for an additional 30 seconds.
- Transfer the soupy mix to a large stockpot and add three cups of water.
- Bring to a soft boil over medium-high heat and reduce to a simmer.
- Add harissa, crushed red pepper, more salt, and lemon juice.
- Turn off the soup and finish with the 1/3 heavy cream (DO NOT USE Half + Half or Milk! It's better to not add dairy versus using these substitutes! This small amount of heavy cream makes a HUGE difference!
- Taste and season additionally with salt, pepper, or harissa, depending on your personal taste.
Nutrition
If you love cauliflower, here are a few more recipes to try:
This cauliflower queso is a two-for-one recipe. Thinned down, it’s a soup. Thicker, it’s a yummy vegan dip! See the recipe here.
This recipe comes from Laura Lee Bryant of LL Balanced. It’s a cauliflower/walnut mix that can be used as a meatless substitute for tacos. Even carnivores will like this for a ‘Meatless Monday’ dish! See the recipe here.
This 10-minute peanut-ginger stirfry is compliments of McKel at Nutrition Stripped. Use lots of veggies, like cauliflower. This is your answer to a last-minute meal! See the recipe here.
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