Index

This Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Soup was inspired by karissavegankitchen.com and shared by Nan Simonsen in her January 2022 cooking class. Serves 4. May double; it freezes well.

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cup sliced carrot
• 1 large head of cauliflower
• A little salt (if desired) and pepper
• 1 cup plant milk. I used unsweetened organic soy beverage
• 5 cups vegetable stock [or more if you want more broth in your soup]
• 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley (better yet, add 1/4 chopped parsley near the end)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cup cooked lentils
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, slightly chopped

Cut up one large head of cauliflower into florets. Discard the stalk and leaves. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with pepper and a little salt (or favorite salt substitute).  Roast at 400 F for 30 minutes, turning halfway. Should be slightly browned on the edges.

Dry-saute the onion in a hot pan by scattering it into the pan, letting it begin to color, adding a tablespoon or more of broth, stirring, and doing it again until the onion is golden brown. Add garlic and carrots, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add to the dry-sauteed vegetables the roasted cauliflower, plant milk, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, onion powder, and parsley (if using dried), paprika, and thyme.

Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

Nan's Notes: In my video at this point I used an emersion blender to partially blend the soup.  I later decided that I would have preferred the texture of the soup if instead I carefully whirred about 2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth and creamy, and then added it back to the rest of the soup.

Add the cooked lentils and bring back to a simmer and cook until you are happy with the doneness of the vegetables, approximately 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the chopped spinach, and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve with a salad and crusty bread.