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Two bowls of Curry Cauliflower Soup are on the table, with crispy pappadums on the side to eat with the soup.

'Butter Chicken' Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Creamy, warmly spiced, and nutrituous, this Roasted Cauliflower Soup will be a go-to for you all through the colder months, to warm you up from the inside out!
Course Soup
Cuisine North American, Pakistani
Keyword roasted cauliflower, tahini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 medium to large head cauliflower, cut into large bite size florets
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided, see Notes
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp crushed or ground coriander seed
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp dried chopped red chilli pepper, seeded and deveined, more or less to taste
  • 6 tbsp tomato paste, if making a larger batch, feel free to use a small can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 1/3 cup stock divided, more if needed (can use chicken or vegetable stock)
  • 1 large can of coconut milk, well blended together
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped, for garnish
  • black sesame seeds, for garnish
  • yogurt, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the cauliflower with 2 tbsp olive oil to lightly coat them. Add half the minced ginger, and half the minced garlic, plus a good pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove and set aside.

  2. Meanwhile about 15 minutes before the cauliflower is finished roasting, in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the remaining tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and a dash of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is turning translucent, about 3 minutes.

  3. Add the remaining ginger and garlic and cook for another minute. Stir to keep the garlic and ginger from scorching.
  4. Add the garam masala, curry powder, tumeric, coriander, cinnamon and crished chili pepper and stir to incorporate.

  5. Add in the tomato paste and 1/3 cup of stock. Stir till smooth and well blended.

  6. Set aside 1/4 of the roasted cauliflower florets. Add the remaining roasted cauliflower florets to the pot.
  7. Add coconut milk, tahini, remaining stock, and the sugar. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering for 5 to 10 more minutes to meld the flavors, reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pot from the heat.
  8. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then carefully use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Alternatively you can transfer the soup in small batches to a blender, blending until each batch is smooth. Don’t over-fill and beware of the steam escaping from the lid: use a tea towel to cover and hold down the lid.

  9. Return the soup to the pot. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup needs more acidity, stir in 1 or so tsp of red wine vinegar or lemon juice, to taste.

    If the soup is thicker than you'd like, just add in some more stock or water, a little at a time, till you are happy.

    Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each with ¼ of the cauliflower florets, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and fresh cilantro, as well as a dollop of yogurt if you want.

  10. See blog post for more serving details.

Recipe Notes

Make this soup vegan by using melted coconut oil in place of the olive oil, and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

This soup will keep in the fridge for a few days. You can also freeze it, for up to two months.

I say it serves four, it can probably serve five depending on appetites.