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.

Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Update December 2018: This is one of the most popular recipes on Foraged Dish! I love it too. I updated it with new images, a video (!!) and made the instructions more concise. Enjoy!

Let's just cut to the chase: I'm a big fajita fan. What's not to love about have a sizzling hot skillet brought to your table?? 

This recipe is simple to whip together --30 minutes tops- but I'm going to bet high here and say it taste better than any Mexican restaurant. All you have to do is the toss the peppers and chicken in the spice mix, spread them out on a pan and throw them in the oven until their sizzling and the peppers are blackened on the edges. Bonus points for a squeeze for fresh lime juice at the end. 

Grab a helping hand and have them make the guac and the pico while you chop the peppers. As a little experiment, I made my pico de gallo with the tiniest cherry tomatoes I could find, and left them whole. All I can say is, you should try it too! Cherry tomatoes are sweeter than regular tomatoes, so each bite was like a bright explosion of yum. It also made for dripping-juicy fajitas, but I have no problem with that when it tastes so fresh.

You can serve these really however you want--I choose cabbage leaves as a paleo tortilla replacement, as they add a nice crunch, but if you really want to go big you could even make your own paleo tortillas. Heck, just use this filling as a salad topping and you'll still be all set! 

Now, enough talk... on to the recipe! 

Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Published September 16, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

3 bell peppers, mixed colors, sliced into strips

1 white or yellow onion, sliced into strips

1 pound chicken breast, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

1 tablespoon olive oil or melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Juice from 1/2 a lime

To serve: tortillas, finely sliced cabbage or romaine, cilantro, pico de gallo, avocado, cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. On a large sheet pan, combine bell peppers, onion, and chicken. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spices. Then toss everything to coat evenly.
3. Place in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until edges of peppers are turning brown.
4. Pull from oven, and sprinkle with lime juice.
5. Serve with tortillas, avocado, cheese, greens (such as cabbage or romaine), minced cilantro, etc.

Sun Dried Tomato & Sausage "Zasta"

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Note to self: When using the spiralizer, keep your your hands on the handle. In fact, keep your hands as far from the blades as possible. Especially the day before a climbing trip. 

Some lessons, you just have to learn the hard way! This dish was actually not the dish I was making when I sliced my finger, but just thinking about the spiralizer right now has me curling my fingers. It's okay--I'm still going to force my fingers to type out this post, because this recipe is just that delicious. What is it about those long strings that make dinner so much fun?! 

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Sun Dried Tomato & Sausage Zasta

Published July 29, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2-3   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 medium or 1 large zucchini

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon coconut oil

2-3 Hot Italian Sausages

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

1/2 cup artichoke hearts, quartered and drained

Sprinkle dried oregano

Sprinkle of red chili flakes

2 sprigs fresh basil, minced

Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional, for serving: grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the sausages and cook until done through. Remove from pan, and set aside for later.
2. Meanwhile, spiralize the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the pan, along with oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil.
3. Slice the sausages into bite-sized pieces, and return them to the pan. Place lid on pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the zoodles are soft.
4. Season with salt & pepper to taste, and serve hot topped with parmesan.