The combination of ingredients in this roasted cauliflower, fennel, and apple soup might be unconventional, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how delicious cauliflower, fennel, and apple are when blended together in a soup. Try this soup with a sandwich or salad for a fabulous fall dinner.
One of my favourite Instagram accounts at the moment is called The Holistic Psychologist, and a recent post about self accountability versus self betrayal really spoke to me. I’m thinking that it will resonate with many readers, too, seeing as it’s a rather universal human tendency to permit our egos to get in the way of our own growth, personal development, and healing. Two points, in particular, stood out to me:
Under self accountability: “I keep promises to myself because that’s self love.”
vs.
Under self betrayal: “I don’t follow through with my own words.”
and
Under self accountability: “Every day is an opportunity to choose my healing.”
vs.
Under self betrayal: “Every day I repeat my past subconsciously.”
I know that we have all, at different times in our lives, fallen into the destructive patterns of self betrayal. I know I have, and I continue to struggle with it! As I have alluded to here on the blog before, my tendency has been to quit if I’m not immediately good at something, with a couple of exceptions (namely blogging and running). Of course we all have some things that we are more apt to persevere at than others, and it’s often the things we enjoy that we have an easier time working on than the things that are less fun. But I’m tired of taking the easy way out when things get tough. I’ve done so in the academic realm for several years, eschewing science and math because I never excelled in the way that I did in writing and social sciences. But over time, there’s been a voice that’s just kept getting louder telling me that I’m not on the right path. It’s become impossible to ignore, and it’s telling me that I need to quit giving up when the going gets tough, and learn how to do science. My passion is nutrition, and health, and as much as I wish it wasn’t so, it’s a science-heavy discipline.
So, I’ve just enrolled in my first science class since high school, with a goal of starting a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in the fall of 2020. I know already that chemistry won’t be a walk in the park, and I’ll be studying with gritted teeth, but this time, I’m taking a big picture view, armed with the confidence that each course is a step into a future that I have been imagining for quite some time.
I graduated from high school over seven years ago. In the time since, I’ve done 3 years of my BA, completed a holistic nutrition certificate (probably the most fun I’ve ever had at school), moved across Canada and back again, rediscovered my love of running, started this blog, and worked more hours of retail than I care to admit. Never did I imagine that I wouldn’t be working in a stable career yet. But I find comfort in knowing that we all do things at different times, and as hard as it is for me to believe sometimes, as long as we are happy and healthy, everything else is secondary.
I know myself better now, and while I have no illusions that this route will be easy, I have a strong feeling that everything will turn out for the better in the end. If I apply the same self accountability to this next five-year chapter as I have with training for races and blogging, I know that I will accomplish what I am setting out to do.
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And now I am going to awkwardly segue out of our heart to heart and on to a more lighthearted discussion of this soup recipe. 😉
Roasted Cauliflower, Fennel, and Apple Soup?
I may have taken a winding and unconventional path to where I am today, and that theme actually ties in quite well with this soup recipe. I never actually thought this this roasted cauliflower, apple, and fennel soup would work–it was more culinary experiment than anything else. But in cooking, as in life, it’s often the things that you place low expectations on that turn out the best!
There’s something about roasted vegetables that taste so much better than simply simmered vegetables in a soup. The kiss of oven heat works wonders on cauliflower, fennel, and apple. I think you’re going to fall head over heels for this combo!
Another benefit of roasted vegetable soups? You can completely skip the simmering step! Simply add vegetable broth to the roasted veggies, blend, and then heat on the stovetop. Easy peasy!
Some final thoughts:
-I would recommend pairing this soup a sandwich, such as my Tempeh Reuben Sandwiches with Caramelized Onion and Mushrooms, or a salad, such as my Roasted Delicata Squash, Fig, and Kale Salad. If you take the salad route, add some cooked beans/legumes or baked tofu to boost the protein content of the meal, and pass some bread and butter at the table, too.
Print
Roasted Cauliflower, Fennel, and Apple Soup
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Roasted cauliflower, fennel, and apple combine into one wickedly delicious autumnal soup! Creamy and comforting without a lick of dairy.
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds removed, sliced
- 2 medium parsnips, chopped into 1-inch half circles
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1 medium apple, cored and sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp paprika
- 5–6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, rice, soy, oat…)
Garnish:
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the vegetables and the apple. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika. Toss to coat.
- Divide evenly between the two baking sheets and roast for 25 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- You will need to blend this soup in about three batches, so start by placing one third of the roasted vegetables and 1 ½-2 cups of broth in a blender. Blend until ultra smooth and creamy, then transfer to a large soup pot.
- Repeat step 4 with the remaining vegetables and broth, adding 1 cup (250 mL) of unsweetened non-dairy milk in the last batch. Add additional vegetable broth until the soup has reached your desired consistency (I used 5 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of almond milk, and found that the soup was just the right thickness).
- Warm soup over medium heat until hot. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh dill, if desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Vegan
If you read this long and rambling post, thank you! And even if you just jumped straight to the recipe, I appreciate all of you for hanging out here and cooking along with me. 🙂
I’ll be back in a few days with a PB and J sandwich cookie recipe that you won’t want to miss!
Rachel says
This is a perfect autumn soup. The combination of apple, fennel and cauliflower was lovely.
Allison says
Thank you, Rachel! I’m happy you liked it, and thanks for coming back to comment!