Soup is the ultimate winter comfort food and this spiced cauliflower soup with poached soup is a nourishing, filling soup that is a new favourite in my home.

Soup can often be low on protein and a little light as a complete meal, but this soup is an exception.  It contains both legumes (split yellow peas) and chicken which bump up the protein content and make this a filling, nourishing lunch.  Split peas are a highly nutritious source of both carbohydrate and protein. They’re high in fibre which feeds our good bacteria and also provide a source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium and iron.  They’re something we should aim to include in our diets regularly, and this soup is an easy way to do just that.

This soup is topped with some spiced seeds that add a lovely crunch and add some healthy fats.

This recipe was adapted from the Donna Hay winter edition 2015

Here’s the recipe.

Spiced cauliflower soup with poached chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground corriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
500g cauliflower, chopped into pieces
1 cup yellow split peas
1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
cracked pepper
1.5 L salt reduced chicken stock
2 x 150g chicken breasts, cut in quarters.

Spiced seeds:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cashew nuts, chopped
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprikia

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat.  Add the spices and cook for about 30 seconds, stiring.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.  Place the onion/garlic spice mix into a large pot along with the cauliflower pieces.  Rinse the split peas well and add to the pot along with the cashew nuts, cracked pepper and chicken stock.  Heat over a high heat until it comes to the boil, then reduce to medium and cook for 35 minutes or until the split peas are cooked.  Add the chicken breasts to the soup, and return to the heat for around 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the soup from the heat, and leave to sit for 5 minutes with the lid on.  Remove the chicken and set aside, leave to cool slightly and shred.   Blend the soup using a stick blender.

To make the seeds:

Heat the oil over a medium pan and add the cashew nuts and seeds.  Sprinkle over the spices, and stir for a minute.  Take off the heat.

To serve, top with chicken and seeds.