Hungarian Cauliflower Soup

I’m Hungarian and soup flows in my veins. Whenever I feel homesick or nostalgic I cook. The taste and the smell of the food can make you travel miles away to foreign lands and home. To your mother’s, grandmothers’ kitchen where soups are very often present on the table as the first course. It’s our heritage.

This vegan version of the Hungarian cauliflower soup is easy, quick, budge and pantry- friendly. The secret of veggie soups is that the more variety of vegetables you use the tastier it gets. Slow cooking gives time to the vegetables to release their flavour before they get too soft. The cauliflower can magically transform water into a nourishing rich soup.

The most dominant spice in this soup is of course paprika which is the base note for most Hungarian dishes. It is fat soluble and we have to cook it in oil. It’s a crucial part of our cooking process because paprika releases the aroma quickly but burns easily which makes the food bitter. We use water to cook most soups instead of broth and let the vegetables show their true character.

Every family has their own way but my mother makes the cauliflower soup with milk. I usually use plant-based creme fraiche from Oatly but might not everyone have access to vegan sour cream , so I make the recipe with non-dairy milk instead. It can be enriched with dumplings too but that’s optional.

What’s you nostalgic food?

Hungarian Cauliflower Soup

Hajnal I’m Hungarian and soup flows in my veins. Whenever I feel homesick or nostalgic I cook. The taste and the smell of the food can make you travel miles away… Soup vegan Hungarian cauliflower soup Hungarian Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

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Ingredients

• 1 medium cauliflower cut into bite size florets
• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 parsnip chopped
• 1 medium onion whole
• 3 garlic cloves whole
• 1 little celery root chopped
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1½ tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 5-6 cups water 
• 1½ cup non-dairy milk/ 1/2 cup cream
• salt and pepper
• handful of chopped parsley 

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pot. Add the vegetables and  cook for 5 minutes. 
2. Sprinkle the flour and sweet paprika on the veggies, stir and sauté until it mixes.
3. Add the water, salt and pepper and bring it to boil.
4. When it's boiling cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. Add milk and the chopped parsley. After a minute close the heat. 
6. Serve hot. Garnish with sour cream (if you have), crushed pepper and parsley.

Notes

Be aware of the paprika. The recipe indicates sweet and not hot paprika. If you like more spicy you can replace some of the sweet. You can find Hungarian paprika in Eastern European shops. Some plant-based milk separates in heat. You can use cream instead.