This soup is full of surprises.
For starters, if you’re not crazy about cauliflower (no worries, we can still be friends…I had a bad experience a while back and I went through a cauli-averse phase myself…so I get it), this soup might win you over. The broth is off-the-charts flavorful, and by association the cauliflower is pretty fantastic too.
Another surprise, if you’re a big meat eater, you might not miss meat even a little with this hearty soup. The herbed chickpea dumplings are not only rich in fiber and protein, but they kind-of look like meatballs so your eyes might start to play tricks on you.
And if you’re seriously into grains and think they have a place at every meal (hi, Mom!), you probably won’t miss them when you sit down to a bowl of this awesomeness. Grain-free dumplings made from high-protein chickpea flour give the illusion of a carb-y treat…but they’re better. They’re delicious, and so much more nutrient-dense.
I know a lot of the time smoky (as pertaining to food) = bacon. Not here, friends. Smoked paprika is beautiful in this dish, especially paired with sweet paprika and a touch of hot paprika. It’s a trifecta of paprika perfection.
Take note, the dumplings are made from chickpea flour and they do taste like chickpeas! If that’s not your thing, you can skip them and add one or two cans of any kind of beans you like (of course chickpeas would be perfect, but white beans would be equally great) to bump up the protein. Using canned beans instead of making the dumplings also shaves about 15 minutes off the cooking time!
Plus, I should mention, this meal is also relatively budget-friendly. If you have a well-stocked pantry, you’ll probably only need to pick up a couple things from the grocery store to make it.
How is that for a fabulous weeknight meal?
- 1¾ lbs (800 g) cauliflower florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 6 cups)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 medium-large onions, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon hot paprika (more or less to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium vegetable stock
- 4¾ oz (135 g) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy or tamari sauce
- 1½ cups (180 g) besan (chickpea flour, also known as gram flour)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- ½ cup (120 ml) water (or slightly more or less as needed)
- Minced fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread the cauliflower in an even layer on a large baking sheet and roast until tender and browned in spots, about 20 to 25 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 5-quart pot over medium heat; add the onion and carrot and cook until slightly softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, the bay leaves, spices (smoked paprika through black pepper), vegetable stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down a bit to keep it at a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the roasted cauliflower to the soup during the last 2 minutes of simmer time. Taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
- While the soup simmers, make the dumpling batter. Whisk together the besan, salt, baking powder, scallion, and parsley in a medium bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the water a little at a time until it comes together into a thick dough (about the consistency of cookie dough).
- Use a 1 tablespoon measure to drop the batter into the simmering soup. Lightly spoon a little broth over the dumplings, then cover the pot and cook until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle the minced fresh parsley on top if desired, and serve.
Reheating: Not to worry if some of the dumplings disintegrate into the soup as they’re cooking – this is normal. Just a heads-up if you try to reheat the leftovers, try not to stir the soup too much because the dumplings will disintegrate even more. (Of course the soup still tastes fine this way…it just isn’t as pretty.)
Time-Saver: Instead of making the dumplings, add 1 or 2 cans of chickpeas (rinsed and drained) to the soup instead.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Julia says
October 25, 2013 at 7:33 amIt doesn’t take much convincing for me when it comes to cauliflower! I love soup and cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies. Making this ASAP! :)
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
October 25, 2013 at 10:05 amI am loving the combination of cauliflower and chichpea! This is a must!
Anna @ Bashful Bao says
October 25, 2013 at 10:31 amI must admit that I’m not a fan of cauliflower, but that soup does look amazing. I’m definitely going to have to try making those chickpea dumplings!!
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies says
October 25, 2013 at 10:45 amWe all love cauliflower in our home. I’ve made a couple of cauliflower soups which have been a hit but your version is very different. Pinning this and definitely give it a try next week!
Erica says
October 25, 2013 at 10:50 amowwww. SO need to try this. Love that the meatballs are grain free!!!
Jeanette says
October 25, 2013 at 11:09 amFaith, I love everything about this hearty soup – can’t wait to try it!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
October 25, 2013 at 11:22 amI love the dumpling toppers, such a tasty soup!
dixya| food, pleasure, and health says
October 25, 2013 at 12:37 pmchickpea dumplings sound really really good. I can never get its consistency correct. thanks for sharing this.
Joanne T Ferguson says
October 26, 2013 at 1:20 amG’day Faith! What a great combination, true!
Love the sound of chickpea dumplings and wish could try some of your yummy soup right now!
Cheers! Joanne
Tieghan says
October 26, 2013 at 8:04 amThis is so gorgeous, Faith! I love the dumpling toppers and the smokiness! My kind of soup!
Jenni says
October 26, 2013 at 9:47 amGarbanzo beans are one of my favorite ingredients, hands down. They’re so versatile. I’ve never seen a chickpea dumpling recipe, though! These look incredible. I’ll have to pick up some chickpea flour. I’m not familiar with using it in my cooking, so it would be fun to experiment with it! This recipe sounds like a winner.
Jess @ Keeping It Real Food says
October 26, 2013 at 10:04 amI can’t wait to try this—thank you for sharing!
Sarah Crowder (punctuated. with food) says
October 26, 2013 at 2:13 pmJust found your blog through How Sweet It Is…so glad! Drooling over everything here…
angela@spinachtiger says
October 27, 2013 at 2:41 pmOh my gosh, what a lovely, comforting, healthy looking dish.
Suzi says
October 27, 2013 at 5:27 pmThis looks amazing. I must try it soon.
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
October 28, 2013 at 8:35 pmChickpea dumplings? Heck yeah!
Shannon B says
November 4, 2013 at 6:32 pmI made this spicy soup last night, and loved it! It was easy to make, but still made the kitchen smell great. The dumplings were a delicious addition.
EyeCandyPopper says
November 14, 2013 at 10:48 pmThat looks beautiful, delicious and healthy! Just the way I like it!
i Veg 2 Differ says
December 16, 2013 at 9:53 amI came across an adapted version of your recipe via another site and decided to make a veganized version of it tonight but as it turns out it was originally vegan to begin with!!! LOL!!!! I will however will be omitting the soy and Worcestershire sauce and probably adding white beans.
I cannot wait until dinner tonight!!!!!
Angela says
February 16, 2014 at 9:18 pmI made this tonight and the whole family (including my 3 and 6-year old boys) enjoyed it. MMM! So good for a blustery winter evening…
Ellen Lederman says
October 14, 2014 at 5:15 amStumbled onto your blog looking for vegan dumpling stews. Made this for company last night. Absolutely loved it. The flavors were deep and rich. Fun to have both cauliflower and dumplings—and guilt-free since the dumplings are made from chickpea flour.
Very impressive! Thanks so much.
Jules says
January 8, 2015 at 7:27 pmMade this last night ~ SUPER delicious!!! Easy too. Definitely a keeper. Fed my family and friends, and amazingly I was able to save a portion to take to work for lunch today. Even better the 2nd day! Thanks very much for sharing.
Shelley says
January 13, 2015 at 7:18 amJust eating the leftovers of this for lunch today – delicious. I added a chopped courgette to the roasted cauli and chucked some cumin powder over the veg. Thanks for the great recipe.
James says
December 21, 2016 at 6:14 pmA++
Thanks for this soup!
Jill Roberts says
December 25, 2017 at 8:43 amLegit speechless, these smoky roasted cauliflower soup with herbed chickpea dumplings vegan grain free gluten free recipe look unreal!! Thanks a lot for sharing Faith!
Bella Hardy @ Healthnerdy says
June 22, 2018 at 6:56 amDefinitely I will make this smoky roasted cauliflower soup with herbed chickpea dumplings on the weekend for my family.
Robin Hamilton @Wellness Wires says
October 1, 2018 at 5:28 amThese smoky roasted cauliflower soup with herbed chickpea dumplings looked soooo good, I had to try and make them. I used your suggestion and used 2 medium carrots.