Columnist Seiran Sinjari is finishing off Veganuary with her amazing recipe for Cauliflower Corn Soup with Za’atar Chili Crisp. Her recipe column All About the Veg! is all about highlighting the versatility of fruits and vegetables by shining a spotlight on a different one in each of her articles.
Cauliflower Corn Soup with Za’atar Chili Crisp
Today, I’m sharing a delicious roasted cauliflower soup recipe that will warm your heart and tantalize your taste buds. This creamy soup is made with roasted cauliflower, sweet corn, and topped with za’atar chili crisp oil for a unique flavor that pairs so well with the mild flavors of the soup. It’s sure to be a hit at your next dinner party or as an easy weeknight meal. And the za’atar chili crisp, you’ll put it on anything and everything!
Cauliflower is a healthy and affordable vegetable to add to your meal rotation. It is a cool-weather crop, and is typically in season from September to April, making it a great addition to winter meals. Just like its family members, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, cauliflower is an incredibly versatile vegetable. When cooked, it has a mild flavor and it can be roasted, boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, or turned into cauliflower rice, soups, and smoothies. It’s also very good when raw, it’s crunchy with a slightly peppery flavor, perfect for salads.
Oh, and the cauliflower leaves are edible too, so we’re of course going to use the whole thing in this recipe!
Roasting it is one of my favorite methods of cooking cauliflower, as it brings out its sweet and mild flavor. Cauliflower is a great side dish for any meal, but it also works well as the star i ingredients for a main dish. It pairs especially well with herbs and spices like garlic, turmeric, and thyme, which all are included in this week’s recipe.
The Za’atar Chili Crisp Oil is packed with so much flavor and can be used for pretty much any meal of the day! Top your dip, soup or yogurt with it, add to sandwiches, marinades and dressings or drizzle some over your avocado or tofu scramble toast.
I’m using Aleppo chili flakes for the chili crisp oil, they bring mild to medium heat which works well with the herby, earthy and nutty za’atar, which is a Middle Eastern herb blend. Za’atar is also a little tangy/sour (from sumac) and savory as it contains salt which makes this an easy 5-ingredient recipe. Nigella seeds (not to be confused with black sesame seeds) add a little punch as they’re very aromatic and peppery with notes of oregano and onion.
How to make this recipe
Cauliflower Corn Soup with Za’atar Chili Crisp
Ingredients
For Soup:
- 1 small head - 800 g of cauliflower including leaves
- 1 can - 280 g sweet corn, drained
- 1 head of garlic
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 250 ml vegan heavy cream
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 medium sized potato - peeled & roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
For Za’atar Chili Crisp (1 small jar):
- 3 tbsp Aleppo Chili flakes
- 3 tbsp Za’atar spice blend
- 2 tbsp roasted garlic granules
- 1/2 tbsp Nigella seeds
- Za’atar is already savory so I don’t add any salt but add salt to taste if needed
- 150 ml neutral high smoke point oil
Serve with:
- vegan grilled cheese or other bread
Instructions
Soup:
- Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F.
- Cut cauliflower including leaves into chunky florets.
- Cut off the top part of the garlic head.
- Place cauliflower, garlic, sweet corn and thyme on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Make sure the thyme is tucked under the corn or cauliflower so it doesn’t burn. Place the garlic with the cut side down.
- Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- In the meantime, add vegetable stock, potato and bay leaves to a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and let cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves and add lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Add all roasted vegetables (squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skin), oregano, paprika, turmeric and vegan cream to the pot. Blend the soup until smooth and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Adjust with more stock if you want it thinner. Also adjust seasoning to taste.
- Drizzle some of the Za’atar Chili Crisp Oil on top before serving.
Za’atar Chili Crisp:
- Toast Nigella seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until you hear a popping sound. Immediately remove from the pan and set to the side.
- Add Aleppo Chili flakes to a heat proof bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan to around 110 C / 230 F. Pour the oil over the chili flakes. Stir and let cool.
- Add za’atar, roasted garlic granules and Nigella seeds. Stir well and transfer to an air-tight glass container. Store at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.
Recipe, text, and photography by Seiran Sinjari.
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