As we – ever so slowly, but surely – emerge from the depths of winter, I’m craving anything + everything GREEN. Which is why I recently went searching for a Spring Greens soup recipe that actually tasted good (i.e., not like celery juice). After lots of trials and tweaking, I’m excited to share a recipe that’s lightly adapted from the blog Kale & Caramel. The original version of this soup features roasted fennel, which I love, so I’ve gone a step further and added roasted cauliflower for extra body and sweet, caramelized goodness.
So while this 100% plant-based soup definitely falls into the “healthy” category – it’s seriously bursting with flavor thanks to all the sweet roasted veggies, bright acidity from lemon juice + zest, zippy greens and vibrant herbs. It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but I’ll bet they are things you already have on hand – and if not, everything can be easily sourced.
Spring Greens Soup with Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower
A colorful and comforting spring soup featuring vibrant greens and sweet roasted fennel + cauliflower. Adapted from the blog Kale & Caramel.
ingredients
- 4 cups sliced fennel bulb, green fronds reserved
- 4 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Roasted fennel and cauliflower, from above
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 6 cups spinach
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup fennel fronds
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped chives
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Carrot top gremolata (see recipe here)
- Fennel fronds
- Drizzle of olive oil
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Lay the sliced fennel and chopped cauliflower on the baking sheet in an even layer, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds (if using). Toss gently to coat the mixture evenly. Roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip the vegetables halfway through roasting to ensure even browning.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and stir another minute. Add the vegetable broth, lemon zest + lemon juice, as well as the roasted fennel + cauliflower and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat, add the spinach, arugula, fennel fronds, chives and mint. Stir to submerge in the soup, cover, and let the greens to wilt in the heat of the broth for a few minutes.
- Transfer the whole pot of ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth (you'll likely need to do this in batches). Return to the pot, taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Garnish with an assortment of sliced radishes, a drizzle of olive oil, fennel fronds, etc. A topping of crunchy pistachio + carrot top gremolata is especially lovely.