This recipe is part soup, part stew, part sauce and altogether delicious, healthy and hearty. It is perfect to cozy up with on these chilly, late fall nights.
I was inspired by a blended carrot soup recipe that was really good but needed more protein and iron. Thus the stew was born. This is a simple recipe – you roast the cauliflower in the oven while the carrots and spices are cooking and then combine the two with a can of chickpeas – so easy!
A key ingredient in this stew is turmeric – a trendy spice these days – for good reason. It is full of disease-fighting and anti-inflammatory antioxidants – super powerful. As with most things you don’t need a lot to reap the rewards. Read more about this superfood spice – Ingredient Spotlight: Turmeric & Why You Need It Everyday
You can also use this stew as more of a sauce by cooking up some quinoa or brown rice and serving the stew overtop which is a great option for day two.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium cooking onion, chopped
- fresh ground sea salt and pepper
- 6 medium/large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4″ rounds
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional – add more or less to taste)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 4 cups (1 tetra box) of vegetable broth
- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 15oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- parsley for garnish (optional)
Tips & Nutrition
This hearty, mildly spiced stew is delicious on its own or served over cooked rice or quinoa.
The chickpeas add protein and iron, the cauliflower is full of vitamin C and the carrots are rich in beta-carotene. The spices give this stew a nice warmth and are awesome disease-fighting antioxidants.
You can easily double the recipe and freeze it in individual size containers for easy weeknight dinners or to go lunches. It is also delicious served over quinoa or brown rice as more of a sauce. You can also stir in some greens like spinach or kale.
Turmeric will stain so be cautious – my white immersion blender is now a lovely shade of yellow 😉
Method
Preheat the oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large soup pot sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is translucent.
Stir in the carrots and season with crushed red pepper, paprika, chili powder, and turmeric. Add in the vegetable broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender.
While the carrots are cooking, toss the chopped cauliflower in a large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Spread the cauliflower evenly on the lined baking sheet and roast in the oven until golden and lightly crispy – about 20 -25 minutes.
Once the carrots are tender, remove the pot from the heat and puree the carrot broth mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
Stir in the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and warm the stew on medium heat for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley.
