Cauliflower and Coconut Soup with Honey and Spice Chickpeas

, from Issue #67. July, 2016
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Cauliflower and Coconut Soup with Honey and Spice Chickpeas

This is an easy cauliflower soup that gets enriched with coconut cream and a lovely spiced chickpea garnish. 

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
400 grams floury potatoes, thinly sliced (I used agria)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup coconut cream
sea salt and ground pepper
To serve
Honey and Spice Chickpeas
extra coconut cream, to serve mint leaves, to garnish 


Honey and Spice Chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1–2 teaspoons harissa paste
1 x 400-gram tin chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
sea salt 

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the onion, potatoes garlic and all the spices. Season generously, cover and cook over a gentle heat until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water to prevent it catching on the base of the pan.

Add the cauliflower and the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer until everything is tender.

Add the coconut cream and bring just below the boil.

Roughly puree the soup with an immersion blender, leaving some of it quite chunky.

To serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with a little coconut cream and a spoonful of the spiced chickpeas. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. 


Honey and Spice Chickpeas

Whisk the oil, honey and harissa together in a bowl, then stir in the chickpeas to coat well.

Place a sauté pan over a medium heat and add the chickpeas, scraping in the oil mixture left in the bowl.

Cook until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally so they don’t catch and burn. Add the coconut and cook for 1–2 minutes until golden, stirring constantly.

Tip into a bowl and sprinkle with a little sea salt.