So the other day I had a hankering for a big bowl of lentil and sausage soup. But I didn’t really want all the lentil carbs and I had 1/2 a cauliflower which needed eating up.
And hey presto. I decided to try finely chopped cauli in a soup. I think you know where this is heading…
While it’s not the prettiest soup, it definitely wins on flavour. Especially with the meaty chunks of sausage and the bright green flavour highlights from the parsley oil.
And this is a soup that gets better after a few days in the fridge.
Chunky Cauli & Sausage Soup with Parsley Oil
Ingredients
- 4 sausages crumbled
- 1/2 large cauliflower about 500g/1lb
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2.5 cups chicken stock
- small bunch flat leaf parsley
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan on a medium high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil. Remove sausage casings and crumble the meat into the pan. Cook stirring every few minutes until meat is browned.
- Finely chop cauliflower. I was aiming for lentil sized pieces but ended up with more pea-sized. It doesn’t matter too much.
- When the sausage is browned, add cumin, chopped cauli and stock. Cover and simmer stirring once or twice for 15 minutes or until cauli is cooked and tender.
- While the soup is cooking finely chop the parsley and combine with the olive oil. Season well.
- Taste soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve in two deep bowls topped with parsley oil.
WINE MATCH: An elegant red like pinot noir.
Variations & Substitutions
pantry-friendly – parsley = pesto. Frozen cauli.
keto / very low carb – replace 1/2 cauli with baby spinach (wilted in at the end).
vegetarian – replace sausages with cooked lentils or white beans. and add a splash of soy sauce to boost the umami flavours.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with crusty bread or toss in cooked pasta or cooked lentils.
more substantial (low carb) – add extra sausage, serve with crumbled feta or goats cheese on top. Also good with a dollop of mayo or aioli or roast walnuts (or any nuts really). And if you’re really hungry all of the above!
short on time – use pesto instead of making the parsley oil.
no sausage – use ground (minced) pork instead.
prettier – stir in baby spinach, sliced kale (or drained and defrosted frozen spinach) and allow to just wilt before serving.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
sausages – freeze them.
cauliflower – ungrated cauli will keep for weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen but the texture isn’t as good when defrosted.
cumin seeds / chicken stock / extra virgin olive oil – keep them in the pantry.
flat leaf parsley – tends to be the most long lasting of the leafy herbs. Should keep for a few weeks in the fridge if wrapped in a plastic bag. For longer periods pop it in the freezer – it will wilt but will still be usable in this dish.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook soup as per the recipe but keep the parsley oil. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, bring back to a simmer and top with parsley oil.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I made the recipe with romanesco that was a bit past it and some broccoli in place of the cauliflower. The prep took quite a long time for cutting up the veg. I used ground cumin but seeds definitely would have been better. The pesto topping helped a lot. I prefer your other cauliflower soup recipe, Jules!
Good to know Mary!
I’m going to try this recipe this week. I plan to sub pesto for the parsley oil.
Good call on the pesto Mary!
This is a winner! It’s especially nice because most commercial soups contain nightshades.
Excellent Debbie!
Love the recipe! For a plant based version, I was wondering if you had a replacement for the chicken stock?
I’d use vegetable stock and a splash of soy sauce or miso paste to add extra umami / savoury flavours.
Jx
Can I substitute any other vegetable for the cauliflower, because I really don’t like it, or broccoli, but I like the idea of this soup.
Of course Colleen!
You could use any cooked or roast veg you like. Zucchini or mushrooms would be excellent. If you don’t mind the carbs something like sweet potato would be fab too.
Jx