Cauliflower Chickpea Soup

This cauliflower chickpea soup is luxuriously creamy without relying on dairy, letting cauliflower’s mild, adaptable flavor take center stage. Simmered with creamy chickpeas and seasoned with za’atar, it’s blended until smooth and velvety, then finished with a swirl of tahini, and topped with a bright lemon herb oil and crispy roasted chickpeas. The chickpeas and tahini bring the same nutty richness and depth that you love about hummus to this satisfying soup.

How this Cauliflower Soup recipe fits AIP Modified and Plant-Based Whole30

This cauliflower chickpea soup is suitable for both AIP Modified and Plant-Based Whole30. Two ingredients make it incompatible with AIP Core: chickpeas (legumes) and tahini (sesame seeds). Both legumes and seeds are allowed under AIP Modified and Plant-Based Whole30, which is what makes this recipe possible within those frameworks. For Plant-Based Whole30, be sure to use vegetable stock.

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Zest and juice one lemon. Set aside about a tablespoon of zest, and a quarter cup of lemon juice.

Make the herb oil. This sauce is inspired by gremolata, which is a traditional topping for roasted and braised meats. It’s lemony, bright and fresh, so it balances anything rich, like this soup. Add a handful of fresh herbs to a small food processor, along with the lemon zest, a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt and the olive oil. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped. Get creative with the herbs you use… This is a great way to use up anything you have in your fridge drawer. I had parsley and dill on hand, but mint and cilantro would also be great.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and reserve two cups for the soup. You can also reserve the liquid – called aquafaba – for many uses. It’s a classic egg substitute in baking and I also use it to make mayonnaise for AIP Modified.

You’ll have about a half cup of chickpeas remaining. Toss them with a tablespoon of olive oil, a half teaspoon of Za’atar and a pinch of salt, then spread them evenly on a prepared baking sheet. Roast them in the oven at 425° for 10-15 minutes. They’ll get golden brown and begin to pop, then and those craggy edges will get crispy.

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. First, sweat the onions until they’re translucent, then add the garlic and cook until it’s just fragrant. Add the cauliflower florets, za’atar and the chickpeas. Pour in the stock until it just begins to cover the cauliflower. It’s always better to hold some back — you can always add it in later to thin out the soup after it’s pureed. Use chicken stock or keep this soup vegetarian with vegetable stock.

Cover and bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat and continue to cook until the cauliflower begins to fall apart. Stir in the lemon juice and the tahini.

Then, puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a high-powered standard counter blender. I prefer the countertop blender for this soup to break down the chickpea skins for a smooth, velvety soup that’s never grainy. If needed, add in the remaining stock until the soup reaches the consistency you prefer, and season to taste.

Top with a swirl of the herb oil and a spoonful of crispy chickpeas and serve. I know you’ll love this soup. The cauliflower is creamy and sweet, and the chickpeas and tahini add everything you love about the creaminess of hummus. This is the dressed up cauliflower soup you’ve been waiting for.

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Caulflower Chickpea Soup

5 from 1 vote

Cauliflower chickpea soup blended with lemon and tahini and seasoned with za'atar. Finished with herb oil and crispy chickpeas. Dairy-free, plant-based.

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Total Time:45 minutes mins

Servings: 10 one-cup servings

Author: Christina Marche

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1½ cups fresh parsley, loosely packed
• ½ cup fresh dill, loosely packed
• ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• ⅓ cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
• 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas
• 2 tsp Za’atar seasoning blend
• 3 lb cauliflower (about 2 small heads)
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
• ¼ cup tahini

Instructions

• Heat oven to 425°F.
• Zest and juice the lemon, reserving 1 tbsp of zest and ¼ cup of juice.
• In a food processor, blend the herbs, lemon zest, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ⅓ cup olive oil until finely chopped. Adjust seasoning and set aside for topping.
• Drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas, reserving 2 cups. Toss the rest with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of za’atar, and a pinch of salt. Roast on a prepared baking sheet for 15 minutes, until browned and popping. Set aside for topping.
• Core the cauliflower and remove the outside leaves. Cut the cauliflower into medium florets until you have around 12 cups.
• In a large stockpot, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium, add the onions with a pinch of salt, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.
• Add the cauliflower, reserved two cups of chickpeas and remaining 1½ teaspoons of za’atar seasoning. Pour in enough chicken stock to just barely cover the cauliflower, reserving extra to adjust consistency later.
• Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook for 10–15 minutes until the cauliflower falls apart. Stir in the tahini and ¼ cup of lemon juice.
• Puree until smooth using a high-powered standard blender or immersion blender, adjusting thickness with extra stock as needed. Season with salt to taste.
• Serve topped with herb oil and roasted chickpeas.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: AIP Modified, Plant-Based Whole30