Cauliflower & Parsnip Soup with Caramelized Onions & Apples

Update 11/18/2018: This is one of the most popular recipes on Foraged Dish! I have updated it with a video and new images, and refined the instructions. The soup is the same!

1. Roasted Cauliflower

2. Caramelized Onions

3. Sautéd Apples

4. Ultra creamy

5. Plant-based

6. A swirl of truffle oil

7. Let's count caramelized onions twice because-- well, I shouldn't have to explain

These are just a few reasons to love this soup, which is super cozy, and perfect for a snow day.

The body of this soup is made up of roasted cauliflower, parsnips, and garlic. They get browned in the oven and then puréed with veggie broth and coconut milk for a smooth, silky soup. The texture is similar to potato soup, but parsnips lend a sweet, earthy note that feels super fall-y.

Parsnips, apples, caramelized onions … all great fall flavors! And all of them have a natural sweetness, which means this soup goes really well with something savory, like buttered sourdough or grilled cheese, or just a few slices of gruyere on the side. Saltiness that balances it all out.

Cauliflower & Parsnip Soup with Caramelized Onions & Apples

Published November 3, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

3 large parsnips, roughly chopped — 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and divided

4-5 cups vegetable broth, (this will vary depending on size of parsnips)

1/2 cup coconut milk (canned, full fat) OR half-and-half

1 large yellow onion, sliced thin

1 large crisp apple, cored and diced

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Truffle oil to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. On a sheet pan, combine cauliflower, parsnips, and garlic. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, and stir to coat veggies. Place veggie in oven and roast 20-25 minutes, until browning on edges.
3. While the veggies roast: heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over low heat. Add sliced onions to pan, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are a golden brown. Add a pinch of salt during this step to speed it up. Add diced apples to pan, and cook 5 minutes longer, until apples are softened.
4. Place cooked veggies in a blender with coconut milk, broth, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste. (Test soup for temperature at this point: if your soup needs to be warmed up, do it now: either heat it in the microwave, or bring it to a simmer in a sauce pan).
5. Divide soup among serving bowls and top with caramelized onions and apples. Drizzle with truffle oil and season with pepper to taste.

Paleo Carrot Cake Coconut Smoothie

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What do you do when you need a "reset"? 

Last week, we had a really grey day. It wasn't just cloudy--it actually hailed and snowed before the clouds gave way! It left a heavy feeling on everything: spring's first daffodils sagged to the ground, people moved slowly, and my pep, which often correlates with sunny weather, settled at ho-hum levels. 

Often my "reset" button is going for a run. When I'm in a rut, running is like mediation for me. The practice of mediation usually emphasizes not thinking at all, but I struggle with that. The meditative state I find while on a run is different. It's quiet so that I can reflect, but I can't think too hard. Instead my mind just wanders in an unconstrained stream of consciousness. 

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I love the freedom that comes with running, so when I awoke to that grey, grey day last week, I was sort of bummed. Not only was the cloud cover leaving me feeling "blah," it was keeping me from enjoying springtime on the trail. I needed something to make the morning brighter. The answer: a Paleo Carrot Cake Coconut Smoothie.

The color of this smoothie was enough to get me excited. And then I took a sip, and left that grey-mood on the floor. It was creamy and luscious (thank you, coconut milk!), and bright and fresh (an you too, fresh ginger and pineapple!). I used coconut water, which is great for hydration--this smoothie probably would makes a great post run gulp, but hey--sometimes you wake up to hail and you just have to take life as it comes. Packed with Vitamins A and C, this smoothie is a powerhouse in a glass and totally brightened my week. I hope it can do the same for you! 

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Paleo Carrot Cake Coconut Smoothie

Published March 15, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized carrots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup milk of choice (dairy, nut milk, coconut milk, etc)
• 1/2 cup pineapple, fresh, frozen or canned
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1 banana, frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch teaspoon cloves
• Pinch teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup crushed ice
• 1 tablespoon toasted coconut, for garnish

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients aside from toasted coconut to blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pour into two glasses, and garnish with toasted coconut. Serve cold.

Paleo Chocolate Chip and Fig Sunbutter Muffins

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Last week, after climbing, we sat in the car debating where to eat, when this place came up on Yelp: mmm...Coffee Paleo Bistro. Decision made! It's rare enough to find a paleo-friendly restaurant, let alone something with a strictly paleo menu.

Mmm...Coffee Paleo Bistro is a small cafe that serves only paleo goodies. It's disguised as a coffee shop, but dishes up grain-free everything, from muffins to brownies and granola. My eyes grew three sizes when I saw the muffins in their pastry case. Those are paleo too?! I asked, already knowing the answer. They were tall, golden muffins that overflowed from their muffins cups the way muffins do in any coffee shop. The owner of the bistro confirmed: paleo. 

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After splitting a muffin for dessert, I knew that it was game time: go home and recreate these muffins. Puffy and oversized. Soft, sturdy, and a bit nutty. I began searching for recipes for sunflower seed butter muffins as soon as I had a decent internet connection. I knew that mmm...Coffee's version used flax, but I prefer to bake with eggs and figured I'd give it a shot. Want a close up of what had me so excited? The texture of these muffins is just so... muffin-y, in a way that most paleo muffs fall short. See:

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Since these muffins are made of primarily sunflower butter, they're high in protein--sunflower seeds are higher in protein than most other common nuts and seeds. Sunflower butter has an addicting peanut butter-like taste to it, so it pairs well with fruit flavors (like figs!) and chocolate. I've been day dreaming about a PB&J version of these muffins, too! 

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Paleo Chocolate Chip and Fig Sunbutter Muffins

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegan   |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Yields: 6   |    Total Time: 30 Minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup sunflower seed butter AKA "sunbutter" (NOTE: if you use homemade sunflower seed butter, your muffins may turn a slight green color as they cool. This is due to a naturally occurring and edible nutrient in plants called chlorogenic acid.
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (skip this if you are using salted sunbutter)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped dried figs (roughly 7 figs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the sunbutter, bananas, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Puree until smooth.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips and figs until evenly distributed. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners until they are about 3/4 of the way full.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.