It’s time for another giveaway on the blog! It’s my way of saying thank you for following along and thank you for sticking around for the ride these past four years! I say this time and time again, I would not be able to do this without any of you. I mean sure, I’d still be posting recipes up on this corner of the internet, no matter what, but you guys make it worth while. Your comments, feedback and suggestions mean so much to me. I read them all. There are so many great new cookbooks out right now, with even more on the way. It’s insane, and hard to keep with them. I’m trying my best though. The Love & Lemons Cookbook from the blog of the same name, is great if you love healthy, seasonal, produce-driven, gluten-free, and vegan recipes. It’s divided by produce beginning with apples, all the way down to zucchini! Now, I’m not at all gluten-free or vegan, I love my meat and chicken and bread, but it’s still very satisfying. This Roasted Red Pepper & Cauliflower Soup for instance, is so tasty, that I don’t even miss the meat. Plus, who doesn’t love cauliflower? I’m obsessed with it.
Just in case you’re new here and don’t know how the giveaways work, all you have to do is leave a comment below to enter, telling me what your all-time favorite vegetable is. (The last time we talked about fruits). Tell me what your favorite veggie is and what dish you like to cook or eat that features said veggie. You have until Monday night to enter, and as always, my mamma will be picking the winner at random and you’ll be notified via email! I like to keep things fair, so please only one comment per person. And anyone is welcome to enter, which is an added bonus! We love reading stories and memories, so if you can, leave more than just a one word answer, although those are okay too. But tell me everything about why you love this vegetable and/or vegetable dish. I want to know everything.
Speaking of cookbooks, if you haven’t already heard or read, my first cookbook, The Slider Effect, is up for preorder right now as we speak! For a limited time only, anyone who preorders the book will receive a free exclusive ebook with 5 recipes not featured in the cookbook (or anywhere else for that matter). All you have to do is forward your confirmation or a take a screenshot of it and send it to theslidereffect@gmail.com. Preorders are very important, so it’ll mean a lot to me if you grab yourself a copy ahead of time and tell all of your friends and family about it! Amazon has it for way less than the listed price…what a time to be alive! Take advantage of it now! Plus you get an ebook which seals the deal and makes everything right. Did I mention that the book is all about sliders?! There are four chapters on sliders (Meat, Poultry, Seafood and Vegetarian) with a chapter on homemade buns and a chapter on homemade sauces! It’ll change the way you look at sliders, I promise!
Let’s start by cutting down the cauliflower into small floret pieces. Then transferring them onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then toss to fully combine.
**Note: Make sure to shake the pan so that the cauliflower ends up in a single layer. They’ll cook evenly if in a single layer.**
Roast in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. On a separate baking sheet, toss together the sliced onion and garlic cloves with olive oil salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes.
**Tip: Keep a close eye on the onions and garlic, as they will cook faster, and depending on how thin you sliced them, can take much less time than the cauliflower.**
Remove the veggies from the oven and let cool slightly. Reserve about 1 cup of the roasted cauliflower for garnish. Combine the rest of the ingredients, along with the cauliflower and onions and peeled garlic, in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and well combined.
**Tip: You can also do this in a food processor, although you’ll have to do it in batches because everything won’t fit in all at once.**
Serve the soup in large mugs or bowls, and top with a drizzle of olive oil, roasted cauliflower, chili flakes (for some heat) and scallions (for some color). It’ll just make the soup look a bit more elegant.
The great thing about this soup is that you can serve it at room temperature, warm, or pour it into a large saucepan and heat it through over low. I love my soups hot, so I warmed it. It’s also great cold though the next day. So if you want to serve it at a party but don’t want to worry about the temperature of it, just serve it cold or room temperature.
I’m all about texture when it comes to my food, so I love that this soup is smooth, but the chunky garnishes on the top really give it a nice bite. If you like a crunchy texture on top (I love that too) then try adding toasted pine nuts as a garnish as well. That would be great!
This recipe uses white miso paste, and it’s really hard to come by especially in a lot of smaller stores. I had a hard time finding it, so what I did instead was substitute soft tofu for it, and it worked great! It gave the soup a tiny bit of a grainer texture but I didn’t mind it at all. It really bound everything together. So if you can’t find miso paste either, then try the soft tofu!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below! Tell me what your favorite vegetable is and what you like it in! For example, my favorite vegetable is broccoli rabe (or broccolini), and I love with spicy sausage and Orecchiette! It’s so good. Everyone is invited to enter, and remember that it’s only one entry per person. Let’s keep things fair for everyone. You have until Monday to leave your comment. One lucky winner will be picked at random by my mamma (it’s her all time favorite thing to do) and will be notified via email! If you’ve participated before, then you know how much I and my mamma, love to read your comments, so make sure to give us as much detail as possible. One word answers are good, but I love hearing your stories and background to some of your answers. They’re amazing. Good luck, I’m rooting for you!
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked 3 to 4 hours or overnight
- 3 tablespoons white miso paste
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 whole roasted red bell peppers, fresh or from a jar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sherry or white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup sliced scallions, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. On one baking sheet, spread out the cauliflower, and on the other, spread out the sliced onion and garlic cloves. Divide the oil between both, drizzling over the cauliflower and onion and garlic. Season each with salt and pepper (about ½ a teaspoon of each onto each baking sheet). Toss with your fingers and then spread out onto an even layer. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Check at 20 minutes, as the onion might roast faster. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and place them in a high-speed blender. Peel the roasted garlic cloves and add them to the blender with the cauliflower (reserving about a cup for garnish), onion, miso paste, fresh water, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and roasted red bell peppers. Blend until creamy, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of vinegar and stir. You can serve warm, room temperature or pour the soup mixture into a large saucepan and heat over low flame until warmed through.
- Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, reserved roasted cauliflower, and scallions. Enjoy!
Asparagus is my favorite veg, and probably my favorite way to eat it is simply steamed, with melted butter. But there is also asparagus with a fried or poached egg on top for a quick, elegant dinner.
I love asparagus with a fried egg! It’s so delicious! Mostly I love the yolk spilling out onto the asparagus!
i love broccoli, roasted and dipped in honey mustard!
I live for honey mustard. I’ll have to try it with broccoli next time!
This looks delicious! Hmm, favorite veg would have to be kale especially when sauteed with olive oil and garlic and eaten with scrambled eggs. Yum!
Way to “beef” up your scrambled eggs, Karen! I’ll have to give that a try next time I make scrambled eggs.
I love cauliflower when it’s used as cauliflower rice
I’ve never tried it that way Caitlin, but I’ve been dying to try!
My favorite vegetable is spinach – so versatile! I put it in my omelettes, smoothies, dinners, etc. My favorite way to eat it is sauteed with garlic and baked on top of a chicken breast or fish fillet. Delicious!
Spinach goes so well with everything! It’s awesome!
Zucchinis. Happy childhood memories of family lunches and too much food 🙂 my Nonna makes them sliced and battered – I love visiting her because she knows they are my favourite and makes ridiculous amounts of them for me 🙂
Your Nonna knows what’s up Sarah! Fried zucchini is my guilty pleasure! I have a fried zucchini slider in my book, and it’s easily my favorite out of all of them!
i love bitter melon..especially with an egg stir-fry with soya sauce, garlic and shallots..
I’ve never tried bitter lemon, but I’ll have to very soon!
Yummy soup! LOVE your blog and photos. Favorite veg is tomato…or is that a fruit? I love it on BLTs with thick bacon and hellmans mayo….or simply fresh sliced with salt and pepper.
Thank you so much, Ellen! That means a lot! I LOVE BLTs. They’re so simple, but satisfying!
Roasted asparagus with lemon zest
Simple, yet delicious!
I love carrots! I thinly slice them;combine with sliced onions and saute in butter until softened. I serve them on top of mashed potatoes. It goes great with everything. I especially like this with pork chops. My friends and family always ask for this so I make it often.
I like the way you think, Karen. Carrots gets so under appreciated in my house, I have to give this a try!
I like broccoli roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper! It is good with ALL the things this way. Mostly just from the cookie sheet as I am dishing it out to wherever it is supposed to go.
It’s amazing how a simple roast in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper, can really make broccoli taste so amazing!
I will be making this soup soon – sounds yummy! Asparagus is my favorite vegetable!
Debra, you must! It’s very delicious! Perfect spring time soup!
I love your website, I think your blog is awesome. I am a true devotee.
My favorite is Brussels Sprouts coated in olive oil with lemon pepper sprinkled on and baked in the oven @375 for around 25 minutes. I think it is amazing.
Thank you so much Amanda! I really appreciate it! I love Brussels sprouts too! I love the way you cook them. Simple, yet satisfying.
Yummy! I think I live on potatoes and onions. I love French Onion soup but I make variations with potatoes. Sometimes I will bake them. They both are so versatile!
You and me both, Arthur. I can’t live without either!
Asparagus! It’s great served with chicken smothered in a mustard cream sauce or even for breakfast with a poached egg!
That’s a fancy breakfast. Can I come over, Nicole?
I love artichokes! I marinate them whole and wrap em in in foil before sticking them in the grill to roast. Takes a little time, but sooo worth it.
I’ll have to give this a try soon! I loved grilled veggies!
Artichokes with Aioli is my favorite spring vegetable!
I’m with ellen K, tomato! cherries, beefsteak, raw with salt and pepper or in caprese salad, grilled, stuffed, on sandwiches, so many ways. My all time favorite though is made into a sauce, my dad would make a giant pot that cooked for days. We’d have spaghetti with meatballs then freeze some that my mom would make her oh so yummy lasagna with. All six of us around the table having lasagna – sweet memory.
I love cauliflower. I especially love them roasted. Can’t wait to try them in this soup!
shiitakes! i love it when they get cooked down until really dark and they get glazed and caramelized with soy sauce and other goodies. i love adding them to the bottom of chawanmushi, or mixing them into sticky rice with lap cheong (aka my favorite chinese sausage ever!).
I absolutely love vegetables so it’s hard to pick just one, but right now I’m loving sauteed brussels sprouts with dried cranberries and chopped walnuts. So good!
Do I have to choose just one?! Asparagus – on the grill. Or sweet potatoes – roasted with EVOO, S&P!
I love grilled broccoli with sliced garlic, parmesan and lemon
Green beans! I actually love blanching a big batch of them to stick in the fridge and grab a handful to snack on every time I open it (so…all the time), but also sauteed with lots and lots garlic and sometimes a dash of oyster sauce.
I love cucumbers! Recently my friend taught me this pasta recipe with cream sauce, salmon, and cucumbers. ….Plus they double as a face mask, i meaaan what doesn’t get better than that?? Vegetable versatility!!
Broccoli. Especially when it’s roasted in olive oil and salt (with a little lemon). It’s something I made for my partner when I was trying to impress her, and it worked!
Oh that is so hard. I’m debating between green beans, just like that, fresh and crunchy or spinach with strawberries and a maple-balsamic vinegar. But I also love broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, sweet peppers, mushrooms! Mushroom is definitely a favorite, sauteed or course with butter.
I love cauliflower! It’s so versatile and I’m glad it’s been getting more attention over the past few years. I feel like a lot of people think of it as some bland, white food when it’s really not!
Right? I’m starting to see it on menus all over! I love it!
I love cucumber the most! Raw and sliced up with a pinch of salt. 🙂
xo
Without a doubt, butternut squash. Gorgeous photos, too!
I love Brussels sprouts, I love them alone, roasted
I freakin love fresh farmers market asparagus. I live in Louisiana so asparagus season has well past and it’s killing me seeing it just pop up for the rest of the world (via Instagram)! when I was in college I used to come home from a night out drinking, steam some asparagus, and serve with a simple drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. pretty sure I win most random drunk food snack award ?
My favorite veggie is broccoli. I love it roasted with ghee and garlic with a squeeze of lemon, but I also love to trash it up sometimes in a good old fashioned bowl of broccoli cheese soup…. which is really just a vehicle for good bread lol. Carbs for life.
I don’t know if garlic is a vegetable, but I LOVE garlic! I used it all the time, but my favorite thing to do with it is make roasted garlic soup. Yum! If that’s not considered a vegetable (Google wasn’t much help), then my favorite vegetable is cauliflower. Cauliflower, olive oil, salt and some pepper baked until slightly crunchy is my favorite!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Chard is hands down my favorite vegetable. Sure it isn’t as commonplace as spinach or glamorous as kale, but I love the mild flavor that is somehow sweet and bitter at the same time. Personally, I’m totally fine with chard not getting all the press, because that just means more for me. There are so many recipes floating around that use bacon, lots of cheese, and cream to jazz up a bunch of chard. However, I say leave well enough alone and simply sautee it (stems and all) with a bit of garlic and oil until the stalks are tender. Just when I take it off the heat I throw in a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice to really make the chard sing. I have eaten this straight from the pan, as a side to grilled shrimp, or most recently, on a slice of toast with a fried egg.
Broccoli. Raw, steamed, cooked, baked, fried, covered in chocolate. Okay, I haven’t tried that–yet. My favorite way to eat broccoli is to drizzle it, along with a lot of crushed garlic, with olive oil, toss with salt and pepper and cayenne pepper, and roast till browned and crisp. I could eat the whole tray!
Yes!!! I could eat this all day. I like how it doesn’t have to be hot – that makes it easy to menu plan if need be! My favorite veggie is…..cauliflower. It is just versatile and BUTTERY!! My life got easier when I started buying it frozen, though. It is such a mess to clean up. I like everything else fresh, but frozen cauliflower all the way!
My favorite vegetable is definitely Brussels sprouts! I like them shredded and sautéed with maple syrup 🙂
My favorite is roasted fennel – it’s great with anything!
I love green beans. They go with everything, I especially like when restaurants that have green beans in their tempura!
I must admit, I’m crushing on cauliflower at the moment. Just posted a recipe with brown butter, toasted hazelnuts and golden raisins which has replaced my other favorite preparations – drowned in either a fabulous cheese sauce or in a spicy curry 🙂
Corn on the cob and asparagus!
I love summer squash.