Moroccan Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

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Moroccan-Inspired Cauliflower Soup

A soup made from root vegetables is an inexpensive and very soothing way to make winter more tolerable.  This Moroccan Carrot and Cauliflower Soup lays no claims to culinary authenticity, but incorporates some the spices that most often appear in Moroccan cuisine (cumin, ground ginger, cayenne, and coriander).

If you want it even spicier, you might swirl in a spoonful or two of harissa paste at the very end, or if some people in your family like the heat, just swirl in a dab of the harissa into their portions right at the time of serving.  Harissa is a spicy North African paste of chilies, coriander, cumin, garlic, and lemon.  It’s a great condiment to have on hand to add some kick to soups, stews, and so forth. (And perhaps you’ll want to make it yourself!)

This recipe can be vegetarian if you use vegetable broth, and even vegan if you skip the sour cream or crème fraiche at the end.  Such a great way to use up that half a head of cauliflower, and if you are like me you always have carrots lying around in the vegetable bin.

Making Puréed Root Vegetable Soup

The vegetables are cooked in oil and a bit of garlic briefly, then simmered in the broth until the vegetables are very tender.  Once the vegetables are soft, then you want to puree them and combine them with the broth.  You can do this with an immersion blender right in the pot, or put them in a blender, or a food processor.  Do this in at least two batches so that it the hot mixture doesn’t bloop up and threaten to escape the appliance.  

You can make the soup as smooth or as bumpy as you like.  If you find it too thick for your liking, then add a bit more broth, or even water.

It can be easily doubled and also made ahead, up to three days (and it’s even better when reheated the next day).  Paired with a grilled cheese, it makes a perfect lunch.

If you make it ahead of time and reheat it you will probably want to add a little bit more both or even water, as it will thicken upon standing and chilling.

A root vegetable soup gets a Moroccan-spiced twist.

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Storing and Freezing Soup

This soup can be made up to 4 days ahead of time, and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.  You may also freeze the soup for up to 6 months.  Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pot on the stove, and stir in the dairy at the end. 

What to Serve with Moroccan Carrot and Cauliflower:

• Parmesan Croutons
• Homemade Croutons
• Puff Pastry Croutons
• Best Garlic Bread Ever
• Garlic Oregano Monkey Bread

Other root vegetable soup recipes to love:

• Slightly Spicy Roasted Root Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Croutons
• Roasted Cauliflower and Sunchoke Soup
• Parsnip and Golden Beet Soup
• Cream of Carrot Soup

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Moroccan Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

5 from 7 votes

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 22 minutes mins

Total: 42 minutes mins

Servings: 6 People

A root vegetable soup gets a Moroccan-spiced twist.

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Equipment

• Food Processor

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 3 cups cauliflower florets
• ▢ 3 cups sliced carrots
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 6 cups less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• ▢ Sour cream or crème fraiche to serve
• ▢ Fresh parsley or cilantro leaves to serve, optional

Instructions 

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, cauliflower and carrots, and sauté until you can smell the garlic, and the vegetables are nicely coated with the oil, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, ginger, and cayenne and stir for another minute until you can smell the spices.
• Pour in the broth, raise the heat to high, and allow the broth to come to a simmer. Reduce the heat so that the broth stays at a gentle simmer, partially cover the pot, and simmer the vegetables until they are quite tender, about 20 minutes.
• You can transfer the vegetables and broth in batches to a food processor or blender and puree, transferring them to another pot or serving bowl as the batches becomes smooth (don’t over fill either the food processor or blender with hot contents – they can cause the top to pop off and dangerous splattering, so make sure to take your time). Combine all of the batches before serving so they all have the same level of flavor and texture. If you have an immersion blender (a very useful tool), you can puree the soup right in the blender. However you puree the soup, you can decide to leave the texture as smooth or bumpy as you like.
• Ladle the soup into individual bowls, and spoon a bit of sour cream of crème fraiche into each bowl, giving it a little swirl. Sprinkle over a bit of parsley or cilantro as desired. Serve hot.

Notes

You can make the soup as smooth or as bumpy as you like.  If you find it too thick for your liking, then add a bit more broth, or even water.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 131mg, Potassium: 563mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 10727IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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