Sumac, smoked paprika and dill are the the little extras that amp the flavour in this creamy-textured cauliflower and white bean soup. If you have time, roast the cauliflower for a beautifully nutty, rounded taste. This is a perfect vegan, whole food soup to serve family and friends alike. It even tastes good cold with shards of toasted pitta for dipping.
This past week has been a bit of a social whirl for me and Andrew. Normally ones to be very content in our own boring quiet company, we have twice been out with friends (to the excellent Kenji for sushi; and to my current fave, New Chapter for seriously top-notch Scottish/European dishes – check the five star Trip Advisor ratings).
We have also had two lots of friends round for dinner. Well, tonight will make twice. I am in the midst of prepping a mini Middle Eastern feast (see below), as well as making food for my cancer and nutrition class.
My “Perfect Hummus” on Instagram
But before I get immersed in dips, marinades and mandolining (for my pineapple carpaccio) wanted to take time to quickly post this soup while I remember. And before winter completely slips away and we can’t face any more cauliflower! It all feels a bit crazy-busy for this homebody, but exhilarating at the same time. If I start washing the walls and scrubbing the grout work, then I know full-blown spring fever has set in.
I got the inspiration for this soup whilst perusing one of the numerous healthy eating mags I brought back from our Christmas trip to see family in Florida. I have learned over the years to ignore most of the heavy-as-**** cookbooks, and hone in on the plethora of lighter, cheaper, and actually more varied magazines. I can get pretty caught up. My Dad and Andrew pretty much have to issue a time ultimatum, as I tend to lose all sense of time and space, mesmerically flicking through the pages and mentally noting my own ideas on how to make the recipes. I have been known to snap pics of recipes, which is a bit naughty, I know.
Each trip I come back with a hefty stack, spending weeks dipping in and out of their glossy and colourful pages, trying a few recipes, and tweaking to our liking. A stopover in Paris last year had me purchasing some wildly expensive magazines with the most glorious recipes. My French is rather poor but it is amazing what you can pick up in context; I think my culinary French is actually not bad!
Anyway, a cauliflower soup with tahini and Middle Eastern flavours leapt out at me from Clean Eating (ugh, that polarising name), so I made it as written. We weren’t so keen on the tahini and potatoes, so I nixed both and just used neutral-tasting white beans for creaminess and protein. If you want tahini in this, add about 3-4 tablespoons. I also opted to roast the cauliflower for nutty gain. If time and hunger don’t permit this flourish, just simmer them from raw – it’s still pretty fab.
Now it’s back to the kitchen for me, juggling between tasks and probably forgetting something important!
Do you bring back cookbooks and magazines from your travels? Does your partner get slightly annoyed at piles of them laying around, waiting to be recycled??
Creamy Cauliflower, White Bean and Dill Soup
Sumac, smoked paprika and dill are the the little extras that amp the flavour in this creamy-textured cauliflower and white bean soup. If you have time, roast the cauliflower for a beautifully nutty, rounded taste. This is a perfect vegan, whole food soup to serve family and friends alike. It even tastes good cold with shards of toasted pitta for dipping. xx
1 extra large cauliflower, cut into florets and including stems and unbroken attractive leaves – slice some florets thinly to roast for garnish if you wish
3 tbsp olive oil or refined/culinary (safest for cooking) coconut oil
Salt and pepper
1 white/brown onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 rounded tsp ground sumac (Barts brand is easily available)
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp smoked paprika
400g (14 oz) tin/can butter beans, drained and rinsed (or 250g home-cooked beans)
1.5 (6 cups) litres low-salt vegetable stock (I tend to use Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder) – add more more after blending if you want a thinner soup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp (+) chopped fresh dill, saving a few larger fronds for garnish
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160C fan/180C/350F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Lay over the chopped cauliflower, including stems and leaves, and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil. Use your hands to coat the florets. Sprinkle salt and pepper over any smaller garnish florets and leaves. You could mix the oil and cauliflower in a large bowl if you don’t mind more washing up.
Roast in the oven until golden in places – about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat; add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt, and saute until softened – about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the garlic, sumac, dried dill and smoked paprika, cooking for a further minute, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and burning.
Now add the roasted cauliflower (saving back any for garnish), beans and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer, partially covering with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes, then add the lemon juice and fresh dill.
Pour into a blender (I use my awesome Optimum 9400 Froothie power blender) or use an immersion/stick blender to make a velvety smooth soup. Check the seasoning and thickness, adjusting to your taste. Divide amongst serving bowls and top with salt and pepper cauliflower, dill and a little bit of olive oil.
This soup freezes well, and is even good cold.
Note: this makes a great dip, without the stock.
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That is one beautiful soup❤️
Sounds like a lovely combo. Have never bought sumac before. What sort of flavour does it give?
It’s lemony and savoury. A very nice spice that’s actually a dried berry.
Oh I love this soup Kellie, cauliflower and white beans are always to delicious together, also love that you used sumac. Gorgeous pics!
What a delicious looking soup Kellie, cauliflower and white beans are made for each other. Love that you used sumac. Gorgeous pics.
I love the flavors you include and your photos are so romantic.
I live cooking mags, so I can’t blame you for taking them back home with you! 🙂 the soup sounds delicious and I will have to try the combination of smoked paprika and dill, I love both of them but never had them together! 🙂 Monica x
Gorgeous soup! I really need to try this with the sumac. My daughter’s friend’s family own a Persian restaurant that we eat at quite a bit. We’re always getting packets of sumac, but I never put them on anything. Oh, and your hummus looks absolutely divine! P.S. I tend to go overboard with interior decorating mags when I’m traveling-more so than food mags 🙂
Oh how gorgeous! Love the addition of smoked paprika.
This looks delicious. And yes, I bring back cookbooks and magazines from all my travels, even if I’m just travelling to the grocery store. My husband worries he will die under an avalanche of tempting food literature!
The Middle Eastern flavors here are right up my alley. This is 100% my kind of soup!! Love the combo of smoked paprika, sumac, and dill especially, very smart. 😀 Just made cauliflower soup last week, but I must make this one soon Thanks for the inspiration Kellie.
Love cauliflower, this is a new soup for me, must try! 😄
I never thought I’d see a cauliflower soup that was actually beautiful, but you have managed to pull that off! This looks so tempting and delicious certainly worthy of a dinner party. I am guilty of buying magazines and cookbooks on holiday, I have a book for each time I visited the states and still have some of the magazines stashed, they are a great source of information.. I got myself a Ready subscription because of the number of mags that I was buying it cheaper to read on my tablet them online and you get lots of US mags as well as all the main the UK ones. No French or German mags, but I have brought them back, my French isn’t bad but I know what you mean about being able to work them out even though you don’t know the language.
What a gorgeous sounding and looking soup. I brought loads of food magazines back from Orlando in October – all of the Pumpkins!
I love how delicious this looks! Cauliflower has such a natural creaminess that it works so well in soups.
Isn’t it funny that before the low-carb revolution no one gave the cauliflower a second look? The only time it was on a table was when it was drenched in cheese! What a beautiful soup you’ve created with it.
Delicious!
It looks wonderful Kellie and I love all the toppings you added. They make it look so pretty and appealing. Who wouldn’t want to dive in? Beautifully photographed and written as usual.
Ooh the combination of the cauliflower and white beans sounds heavenly, so creamy! I need to use dill more often too. Definitely like the look of this one!
I dunno, I think I could eat this even is summer, cauliflower doesn’t seem to get old to me. Love your drops of olive oil to finish. What do you think about a few drops of sesame oil instead? Would it overpower? – Kat
Hi Kat. I’ve had it cold and it’s still pretty nice but I’ll have to make it on the summer now too. As for the sesame oil, it could work. It’s more Mediterranean flavours but a few little dots could be quite nice. Let me know how it goes 😊😊😊
I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to making this soup. First, let me tell you that I like how you improvised on the side of good health. I am publishing my navy bean soup as my next post. I took it from 3 different bean soup recipes. I never thought of cauliflower. Brilliant!!! ☘ ☘ ☘
When I publish my bean soup. (soon) I will add a link to your wonderful recipe!!! You are truly a creative soul with the brilliant garnishes. So festive! ☀
Reading and collecting recipes from magazines must mean that you come across such a variety of cuisines. I often stick to familiar cook books and recipes found online but I may have to have a look next time I’m flipping through a food magazine. This soup will make a nice change from the usual carrot and coriander or tomato and basil! Can’t wait to taste the combination of Sumac, smoked paprika and dill – just wondering if anyone has tried this recipe with the tahini added?
Nice 👍🏼
Hi Kellie, this is on our menu tonight! I don’t have sumac on hand–is there a substitute you’d recommend? thanks!
Hi Juhi! Add a little lemon juice as that’s the closest flavour. I’m out and I’m just on my phone. I can’t remember if lemon is already in there. But don’t worry about the sumac. I really hope you like it. Is it soup weather where you are?
we really liked this! the beans gave it a heft and made it really filling! and yes, we’ve definitely started having cool days here!