Roasted Corn & Cauliflower Soup

 

Roasted Corn & Cauliflower Soup

Colder weather will be here soon, so it’s time to start thinking about soup as a main course for weeknight dinners! This soup is vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, and easy to prepare from scratch. There are four main ingredients — kernels from four or five ears of corn, a head of cauliflower, coconut milk, and vegetable broth — and I like to add some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper when roasting the vegetables. I've been asked why I roast the vegetables before adding them to the blender, and there are 3 main reasons for this: 1) Roasting the corn and cauliflower caramelizes them so that the vegetables take on a rich brown color. Water leaves the cauliflower and corn as steam, which helps intensify the nutty flavor of the cauliflower and the sweet flavor of the corn. 2) I can be doing something else while the vegetables are roasting in the oven — setting the table, making a salad, or creating a new vegan dessert! 3) Cleanup is a breeze because I roast the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and when the roasting process is complete all I have to do is tip the baking sheet over the blender — the veggies go into the blender, the parchment paper goes into the garbage can! (Note: I love to serve this soup with a nice warm kale dish like my Kale & Pine Nut Stir Fry.)

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 4-5 cobs of corn (husked, kernels removed)
  • 1 head cauliflower (cut into bite-sized florets)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 (14oz) can full-fat coconut milk (room temperature)
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (+ more for thinning)
  • Parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Place the corn kernels and cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and toss with oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Roast the mixture for 30 minutes.

  3. Once the corn and cauliflower are done roasting, add half the mixture to a blender along with half of a can of coconut milk (shaking can well first) and 1 cup vegetable broth. Blend until smooth and transfer to the pot. Repeat with the second half of the mixture.

  4. Pour the soup into a large pot and heat through, adding more broth if needed to thin it out further.

  5. Garnish with parsley.

BON APPÉTIT!