This divine, nourishing Creamy Vegetable Soup (with crunchy chickpeas) is a protein rich meal or starter. It’s loaded with fibre, good fats, liver and gut loving veggies and it tastes so creamy and delicious. The chickpeas add in lovely flavour and texture and also form a complete vegetarian protein with the cashews.
The curry flavour is very mild, almost unnoticeable but it adds a real depth of flavour (and lots of goodness) that just works beautifully with the cheesiness of the nutritional yeast. There’s so much to love in this wholesome soup.
Health benefits
Cauliflower and sweet potato bring fibre, vitamin C and slow-burning carbohydrates to support steady energy. Cashews add healthy fats and a lovely creaminess while also offering minerals such as magnesium. The mild curry spices gently support digestion, and roasted chickpeas add plant protein and extra fibre to keep you fuller for longer.
Ingredients
For this creamy vegetable soup recipe, you will need cauliflower, sweet potato, celery, onion, garlic cloves, cashews, chicken broth, mild curry powder, nutritional yeast and a topping of roasted chickpeas seasoned with tamari, cumin, smoked paprika and maple.
How to make this Creamy Vegetable Soup
Roast the seasoned chickpeas until crisp. While they cook, sauté the onion and celery, then add garlic, curry spices, cauliflower, sweet potato, cashews and broth. Simmer until tender, blend until smooth and stir in the nutritional yeast. Taste and adjust the seasoning so the flavours really shine.
Serving suggestions and how to store
Serve warm with the crunchy chickpeas and fresh coriander scattered over the top. A drizzle of chilli oil works beautifully if you enjoy a little heat. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer and reheat gently to maintain that velvety texture.
Vary this Creamy Vegetable Soup to suit your dietary needs
Omit the chickpeas for a legume-free version and add toasted pepitas on top. Swap the nutritional yeast for grated parmesan if dairy is tolerated.
For more healthy soup recipes, click HERE.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil – or ghee
- 1 onion/s – diced
- 2 stick/s celery – diced
- 4 clove/s garlic – minced
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 small cauliflower – approx. 400g broken into florets, stem chopped
- 1 sweet potato/s – peeled and diced
- 140 g raw cashew nuts – 1 cup
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 750 ml stock or broth – 3 cups chicken or vegetable
- ¼ cup/s nutritional yeast – see variation below
Crunchy Chickpeas
- 400 g can chickpeas – drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp tamari
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
To Serve
- ½ bunch/s fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan-forced).
- Drain the chickpeas really well and dry in a clean tea towel.
- Toss in the tamari, cumin, paprika and maple syrup.
- Place on a baking tray (in a single layer) and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring a few times.
- While they are roasting make the soup.
- Place the onion and celery in a large pot with the olive oil or ghee.
- Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder and saute for a couple of minutes, stirring.
- Then add the cauliflower, sweet potato, cashews, broth or stock and season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables have softened, 20-30 minutes.
- Allow to cool before pureeing with a stick blender or blender. Add the nutritional yeast and blend again. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt really brings out the flavour).
Thermomix
- Follow steps 1-5 to make the crunchy chickpeas.
- Place the onion (quartered), celery (roughly chopped) and garlic in the Thermomix bowl. Chop 5 seconds, speed 5.
- Add the olive oil and curry powder; saute 3 minutes, 100deg, speed 1, MC off.
- Add the cauliflower (roughly chopped), sweet potato (roughly chopped) and cashews and chop 5 seconds, speed 5. Add the broth or stock and seasoning.
- Cook 25 minutes, 100deg, speed 2, steaming basket on top to prevent splatter.
- Add the nutritional yeast.
- Blend 30 seconds, speed 6-7 or until smooth. Turn the dial up slowly to prevent splatter and make sure the steaming basket is still on top.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt really brings out the flavour).
Serve
- Once the chickpeas are crunchy (or almost crunchy) remove from the oven and serve over the soup with the coriander. I also added a drizzle of chilli oil (because I love a bit of spice) but this is entirely optional.
Make-ahead
- Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Grab Bag Formula Method
- If you've done the **Grab Bag Formula Short Course, this is the method to convert this recipe…
- Place all the ingredients for the soup into the Grab Bag.
- Carefully seal your Grab Bag. I close most of the seal then press out as much air as I can then complete the seal. Place the Grab Bag in the freezer.
- To cook, remove the Grab Bag from the freezer, place on a baking tray and thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Tip the contents of the Grab Bag into a large oven proof dish (with a tight fitting lid) or Dutch oven. It may still be a bit frozen; that’s okay.
- Place the lid on the pot, set your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan-forced) and cook for 2 hours.
- Allow to cool before pureeing with a stick blender or blender. Add the nutritional yeast and blend again. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt really brings out the flavour).
- ** The Grab Bag Formula Short Course is available to purchase for just AU$46 HERE.ORIf you are a full-access Well Nourished Family member, the course is included in your membership and you can access in the members portal – HERE.
Variations
Legume free
Omit the chickpeas. Perhaps top with toasted pepitas.No nutritional yeast
Sub with grated parmesan cheese.What did you think of this deliciously creamy plan-based vegetable soup…let me know in the comments below…
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Suzanne Hart says
Super delicious! Created this one using the thermomix! Loved by the whole family!
Well Nourished Team says
We are so happy your whole family loved this one Suzanne 🙂
stu says
Where are the nutritive values for the recipe?
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Stu, sorry we don’t provide nutritional values on our recipes.
Emma says
Hello, I have the very old thermo without the steamer. Can I still make it using this with the lid on? Or off?
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Emma, you could cook with the lid ajar or the rice basket on top.
Jessica Fletcher says
Beautiful soup! Will definately be a staple over winter in our home. Can you please tell me how long it would store in fridge for? Thank you
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Jessica, so happy to hear you loved this soup. A few days in the fridge otherwise great to freeze and defrost when ready to eat it.
Sharon Kinnear says
The addition of some chilli oil really made it for me. A creamy and tasty bowl of yum!
Well Nourished Team says
What a delicious addition!
Nicole Amery says
Have made this many times with various veg combos – very versatile and all 3 kids usually eat it. They love the crunchy chickpeas 😊
Well Nourished Team says
That’s so great to hear the kids love it!