Cauliflower, Coconut And Chickpea Soup (vegan and delicious!)

Cauliflower is packed with nutrients and high vibrational goodness, so I like to include it in my weekly cuisine in ample amounts whenever it’s in season. I love it raw (see: Cauliflower & Tahini Salad), cooked in soups and curries or gently steamed and served on a soft bed of quinoa with hemp oil & tamari (nothing beats a bit of good ol’ fashioned simplicity!). The coconut and tomato in this recipe dance and twirl so delightfully through the cauliflower and chickpeas (garbonzo beans) to provide a lick-lickin’ nurturing meal. It’s simple (less is more in this case) and incredibly satiating. Enjoy…

with love
Trinity
x

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower, including leaves
1 medium onion
300ml (½ a pint) spring water
250ml (8½ fl oz or 1 cup) passata
125ml (4½ fl oz or ½ cup) coconut cream
100g chickpeas (about 4oz or ½ a tin)
1 tsp sea salt
Drizzle of olive oil
Small handful of fresh basil

1. Chop onion and sauté in a medium sized pan with olive oil for a couple of minutes.
2. Chop cauliflower and any tender cauliflower leaves and toss into the pan, adding all other remaining ingredients.
3. Bring to the boil and gently cook for about 20 minutes (or until the cauliflower is soft).
4. Take off the heat. If you have a hand blender then pop it in the pan and pulsate the blade with one or two quick presses. Or use a regular ‘jug’ blender by scooping a couple of ladles worth in and giving it a whirl before adding it back to the remaining soup. Blending like this gives the soup a little more desirable thickness. However, should you find the blending thing too faffy, then just serve it as it is. Blending is not compulsory.
5. Finally, gently tear basil, toss in the pan, give a quick stir and then serve.

Alternatives:
Coconut: If you don’t have coconut cream then use 50g of coconut block instead. Or use organic coconut milk from a can (but be sure to leave out most of the spring water because milk is generally rather liquidy). Different forms of coconut yield different results, so be sure to play and explore.
Chickpeas: Use butter beans or even sweet potatoes for a tasty variation.
Herbs: You might prefer coriander leaf or parsley instead of basil. The soup is versatile.
Passata: Passata is bottled/jarred tomato that has been cooked and sieved. I love using them in soups. Tinned tomatoes or even your own baked tomatoes work fine as an alternative though. Use what you have available. If I have a nice crop of fresh tomatoes in the summer (which is rare, since growing tomatoes is not my forte, I’d be happy to bake them, blend them and make my own alternative).

Trinity original feature this recipe on her website here: Cauliflower, Coconut & Chickpea Soup

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