Admittedly, the first time I made this soup I was coming down with a cold. I just wanted something comforting and filling, but not filling in a bad way, if you know what I mean. I wanted comfort food. This soup is is. Filled with tonnes of mushrooms, cauliflower, and my favourite addition to soups: barley. It's then topped with soy cream and baked chickpeas, making it dietary friendly and gluten free. This soup has it all.
The below recipe will feed 4-6 people.
Ingredients
Soup
Small head garlic
White onion
350gr mushrooms (of choice)
400gr cauliflower (I used frozen, but fresh would be better)
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
55gr vegan butter/margarine
1/2tsp sumac
1/2 tsp dried chilli
1/4tsp grated nutmeg
2 1/2 tsp bouillon powder 1 can coconut milk
200gr pearl barley
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Alternative milk (just in case)
Toppings
Soy cream
1 can chickpeas
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp sesame seeds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Prepping the garlic. Chop the garlic in half (not lengthwise), and set on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a sprig or 2 of thyme and close up the foil. Set in the oven on 200 degrees for around 40 minutes. Set aside.
2. Prepping the toppings. Drain and wash the canned chickpeas thoroughly. Empty the can onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with paprika, sesame seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven along with the garlic for around 30 minutes. Set aside.
3. Making the soup. Roughly chop the onion and cut the mushrooms into quarters. If using fresh cauliflower, cut into relatively evenly sized florets.
4. In a large pot add some olive oil. Add in the onion and saute until translucent. In the meantime, remove the garlic from the skin by other pushing from the bottom (which will cause the garlic to come out like a paste), or using a fork to pick at the individual garlic cloves. Once this is done, add to the pot and cook for a further minute or two.
5. Add the mushrooms and butter, stirring until the mushrooms have softened. Add the cauliflower and cover around 3/4 of the way with water. Add the coconut milk, spices, and bouillon powder.
6. Add the pearl barley and fresh thyme, removing the herbs from the stalk. Season with salt and pepper and allow to simmer for around 40-50 minutes, or until the barley has cooked through.
7. Once everything is cooked through, blend the soup. If it seems a bit too thick, add in some milk of choice to thin it out. It'll remain quite a thick soup due to the barley, and is unlikely to entirely smooth out.
8. Serve piping hot, drizzling some soya cream on top along with a tablespoon or 2 of the baked chickpeas. The addition of some crusty bread is always appreciated too.
Recreating this recipe? Tag me on instagram @juliawgr!
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