Cauliflower, Butter Bean & Coconut Soup

This is one of those thick, comforting and silky-smooth soups that are really a meal. I love adding lots of toppings and textures to my soups to create added nourishment and layers of flavours. Make a double batch of the soup for easy meals in the week and the seed mix can be used for sprinkling onto salads, over roast veggies or just as a snack! If your cauliflower doesn’t have leaves still on, use another green like some silverbeet, cavolo nero, kale or sliced brussel sprouts.

Cauliflower, Butter Bean & Coconut Soup

serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower, leaves intact & reserved

5 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 brown onion, diced

3 clove garlic, sliced

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

1/3 cup each pepita seeds & sunflower seeds

1 tsp curry powder – your choice which one

1/3 cup sultanas or currants

1l vegetable broth/stock

1 x 400g tin butter beans, rinsed & drained

400ml coconut milk

Method

Preheat an oven to 210C and line a small baking tray with baking paper.

Reserve the cauliflower leaves, wash and set aside.

Cut the cauliflower in half then trim and tear about ¼ of the florets into small pieces. Keep every off cut for the soup. 

Toss the florets in 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a little salt and pepper then scatter onto the baking tray and roast for 6-7 minutes – you want them a little gnarly and golden.

Roughly chop the rest of the cauliflower and place into a deep saucepan along with 2 tbsp of the oil, the onion, 2 cloves of the garlic and a good pinch of salt and stir through

Place this over a medium high heat, give a good and cover with a lid to sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. until the cauliflower is beginning to soften, then add the vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes then add ¾ of the coconut milk, the butter beans and simmer for 5 more minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, into a small frying pan add 1 tbsp of oil, the seeds and a pinch of salt. Cook this over a medium heat, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes until the seeds and toasted then remove from the heat add the curry powder & sultanas and stir through to coat and warm through. Set this mix aside in a dish and clean the pan.

Finely slice the cauliflower leaves. Place the small frying pan over a medium/high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil, add the cauliflower leaves, a pinch of salt, pepper and the garlic and quickly sauté for about 1 minute. 

Blend the soup in a blender until smooth, season to taste then ladle into bowls, drizzle with the remaining coconut milk then top with some roast cauliflower, some seed mix and the sauteed leaves. A good crack of black pepper and an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.