This creamy Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za’atar Soup is not only easy to make, but it is also inexpensive. Chances are you have most of the ingredients for this recipe in your refrigerator and pantry. Scroll down for the full recipe!
Cauliflower is quite a versatile vegetable. I have fried it, roasted it, sautéed it and now I have puréed it to create a Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za’atar Soup. I admit that I was not sure what the end result would produce. However, I really enjoyed the cauliflower, parsnip and Za’atar combination. All items are elevated by roasting the vegetables before puréeing into a soup.
In addition to cauliflower and parsnips, onions and garlic are added in this recipe for extra flavor and oomph. Roasted garlic is much more subtle than raw garlic. That said, I add two garlic heads in this soup recipe. In the event that you have slight trepidation about adding two garlic heads in this recipe, simply modify and use one garlic head. To keep this soup vegetarian, substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
Once the soup is prepared, serve the soup into bowls and lightly sprinkle with Za’atar, a drizzle of olive oil or a teaspoon of Harissa paste. Now that I have shared a couple of cooking and plating tips for this Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za’atar Soup, let’s get to the recipe.
Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za’atar Soup
Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za'atar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower head
- 2 large parsnips
- ½ large onion
- 2 garlic heads
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tsp Spice Squad's Za'atar Seasoning
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 1 - 4 tsp Harissa paste optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Clean and cut the cauliflower into medium segments. Clean and cut parsnips into quarters. Cut ½ large onion into quarters. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch from the top of the two garlic heads, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
- Place vegetables, onion and garlic in a 9 X 13 non stick baking pan. Drizzle all items with approximately ¼ cup of olive oil. Sprinkle vegetables with two teaspoons of Za'atar and one teaspoon of Kosher salt.
- Roast vegetables, onions and garlic for 30 minutes in a 400° oven.
- Once the vegetables have been roasted, remove from the oven. Combine roasted vegetables and 32 oz of chicken stock in three quart sauce pan. One garlic head should be gently squeezed to add all of the individual garlic cloves to the soup mixture. Place all contents on medium heat.
- Carefully use an immersion blender to purée the soup. If you prefer a bit of texture, you can coarsely purée the soup.
- At this point, I like to sample the soup for taste. I like to add two more teaspoons of Za'atar and additional kosher salt. I also like to add the additional garlic head in this soup and blend all ingredients with the immersion blender. Roasted garlic is much more mild than raw garlic which is why I like to add the additional garlic head. However, use your taste buds to guide you in the direction that best suits you.
- The texture of the cauliflower and parsnips alone makes this soup lovely and creamy. However, ½ cup of whole milk or heavy cream can add another layer of creaminess to the soup. For a vegetarian soup, substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
- Once the soup is fully blended, simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Serve the soup in bowls and lightly sprinkle with Za'atar, a drizzle of olive oil or a teaspoon of Harissa paste.
Tools used for this Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za’atar Soup:
This recipe yields four generously sized bowls of soup. In case you have leftovers like I did, this soup freezes very well. I divided and froze the soup into several small portions so that I could delight in a hot soup in the following weeks. While this soup can be a full meal, I relish in having a cup of this soup with my favorite grilled cheese or Italian meat loaded sandwich.
I hope that you enjoy this Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Za’atar soup recipe as much as I do. I loved working with Spice Squad’s Za’atar seasoning in this recipe. If you are fan of Garam Masala, you will need to check out my Indian Inspired Masala Mac and Cheese Recipe. Click here for the recipe!
