Creamy Roasted Carrot and Cauliflower Soup with Chickpea Croutons

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 4–5 medium carrots
• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• a piece of leek or shallot
• a tablespoon of butter
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 50–80 ml of cream (light or plant-based is fine) or coconut milk
• salt, pepper
• lemon juice (to finish)
• pumpkin or olive oil (to taste)
• herbs

Chickpea croutons:

• 1/2 can of chickpeas (about 120 g)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt, paprika / garlic / herbs

For serving:

• fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro)
• roasted ham / prosciutto
• eggs (hard-boiled or soft-boiled)

Method

1. First, prepare the vegetables. Cut the carrots and cauliflower into small pieces, toss them lightly with oil, salt, and your favorite spices, and roast them in the oven at 180 °C for about 25–30 minutes. Let them brown nicely—this is where the most important flavor of the entire soup comes from.
2. At the same time, we can prepare the chickpea croutons so that everything is ready at once. Drain the chickpeas, toss them with a little oil, salt, and spices, and place them in an air fryer (or oven) at 180°C for about 10–15 minutes, until they’re nice and crispy.
3. In the meantime, let’s prepare the base. In a pan, gently sauté the leeks—sliced into rounds—in butter. We want them to be nice and tender with a slightly sweet flavor.
4. Once the vegetables are roasted, transfer them to a pot, add the leek, and pour in the broth. Let it simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend, then blend everything until smooth.
5. Finally, add a little cream to mellow the flavor, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The lemon is truly key here—it really “opens up” the soup and gives it a fresh, zesty flavor.
6. Serve the soup with crispy chickpea croutons, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of high-quality oil—pumpkin seed oil is excellent, but classic olive oil works well too. If you want to make the soup even more filling, you can also add an egg or some crispy ham.