CAULIFLOWER & SWEET POTATO PURÉE WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS

Save this CAULIFLOWER & SWEET POTATO PURÉE recipe for a cold rainy day, or for whenever you need a warm hug.

You know you want this warm bowl of goodness! It’s a decadent, savory dish that’s healthy and packed with veggies.

This is an easy meal even for a weeknight. And it’s so filling, you won’t feel like you cheated yourself out of a meal.

You can, alternatively, make this using pumpkin instead of sweet potato to cut down in carbs and calories. But, sweet potatoes have much more fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium and protein per gram than pumpkin. So, sweet potatoes really are sweet!

I prepared this recipe using some crispy chickpeas as a topping, which add more protein to the dish. But you could choose to roast some of your chopped cauliflower florets to use those as a topping instead. Also, add pumpkin seeds, vegan pesto, or vegan parmesan... all delicious!

Let’s get cooking!

CAULIFLOWER & SWEET POTATO PURÉE WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 small can of chickpeas (10 oz), drained and rinsed

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 tsp dried sage

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 2 to 3 Cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about one large sweet potato)

• 1 medium-sized cauliflower, chopped into florets

• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

• 1 Cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• Salt & pepper, to taste

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400°F.

2. Take the drained and rinsed chickpeas and spread onto a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt, garlic powder and smoked paprika over the chickpeas and mix well. Spread out into one even layer and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until brown and crispy, stopping halfway through baking to toss the chickpeas to allow to roast on all sides. (Alternatively, you can roast about one cup of the cauliflower florets and use those for topping. Just follow the same directions but with the cauliflower).

3. While you roast the chickpeas, place the onion with 1/4 Cup of the vegetable broth in a large pot over medium heat and cook until translucent. Add more vegetable broth as needed to prevent the onions from sticking to the pot.

4. Add the garlic, sage, paprika, and turmeric, and sauté for an additional minute.

5. Add the chopped sweet potato, cauliflower, milk, and remaining vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetable are fork tender.

6. Use an immersion or stick blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a blender to purée.)

7. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper, more nutmeg, or even some onion or garlic powder.

8. Serve topped with the roasted chickpeas. You can also top with some vegan pesto sauce or vegan parm.

9. Enjoy!