Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Warm & Cozy
Any cozy meal tastes great when it starts with creamy cauliflower soup. You can cozy up on the couch with a good book and a blanket during the chilly winter nights, or even better, share the experience with friends or family to create memories that will last through eternity. You can also eat this meal in the summer. If you keep your house cold enough, you can still create the atmosphere of those chilly winter nights. Add warm bread or crackers to this meal to make it even more hearty. The addition of chickpeas gives this a creamy texture. Chickpeas contain a lot of protein and, when cooked and added to a blender, produce a creamy texture.
For more flavor, you can get creative and add non-dairy cream or chicken broth. Chickpeas are versatile and inexpensive. You can buy chickpeas for as little as $1.30 per pound. Chickpeas are also nutritious because they include a range of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats. In this recipe, white beans can also be used in place of the chickpeas. In addition, beans are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. If you don't already have cooked chickpeas in your refrigerator, you will begin by cooking dry chickpeas because they take the longest to prepare. To cook chickpeas quickly, you'll need an Instant Pot. Add one package of chickpeas to a 6-quart instant pot and add water to just under the halfway mark. Cook the chickpeas for 30 minutes. Let it sit and cool for about 15 minutes.
Once complete, the chickpeas make a liquid called aquafaba, which can be used in a variety of different recipes. Aquafaba, when cooled and put in the fridge, makes a gelatinous liquid similar to egg whites. To use the aquafaba, you'll want to release the steam in the Instant pot naturally over time instead of doing the quick release. Then let the chickpeas sit in the water until they reach room temperature. The resulting liquid will have more protein from the chickpeas and will have a gelatinous texture once it's been in the fridge.
You'll need cauliflower rice to get started. You have two options: You can buy pre-made cauliflower rice or buy a head of cauliflower and prepare it yourself. You can make cauliflower rice quickly and easily, and you'll end up spending less money overall because you'll get more cauliflower rice for your money. To make cauliflower rice, rinse a whole head of cauliflower in water, then cut it up into pieces small enough to fit into your blender or food processor. Pulse until you have the consistency of rice. Take out 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower rice and freeze the rest for another use.
You'll need 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas. In a blender, add the chickpeas, water, cream, or broth, along with the cauliflower. Blend until smooth. Add to the pan and then cook until heated, about 10 minutes. Add the salt and stir. Add it to a bowl and enjoy.
If you're using hot chickpeas, you'll want to cool your chickpeas first if you have a blender like a Ninja, because you don't want to put hot chickpeas in there. If you have a Vitamix that you can make hot liquids in, you can skip this step. Once the chickpeas are cooled, add them to the blender along with 1/2 cup water, cream, or even chicken broth for added flavor, and then blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
In a small saucepan, add the cauliflower and cook with a little water and steam for about 5 minutes. Let cool for 1-2 minutes, then add to the blender with the chickpeas and blend until smooth. This definitely highlights the need to have a blender that can blend hot liquids. Add the salt, stir, and enjoy.
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Ingredients
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, white or pinto beans
1/2 cup water or non dairy cream
1 1/2 cup cauliflower rice
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
In a blender, add the cold or room-temperature chickpeas. Add in the water, non-dairy cream, or broth. Next, add the cauliflower rice. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add to a pan and cook on medium-high heat until heated through, about 10 minutes. Add the salt and any additional desired seasonings. Add to a bowl.
Enjoy.
