When I went out to walk the dog this morning, I noticed that our basil plants were not too happy about our overnight cold snap. The purple opal ones were particularly droopy, and since the weather’s only going to get colder, I knew I needed to use them soon. I’d already frozen as much basil as my fridge could hold back in the summer, so I started thinking of warm, winter dishes that I could use a whole bunch of basil in. I’d made a wonderful Provençal Bean and Vegetable Soup with Pesto back in April, but I was hoping to make something a lot simpler than that, something I could whip up quickly for lunch. Something creamy.
And this potentially addictive soup is what I came up with. It’s warm and creamy but somehow tastes like summer. And it’s purple! Who could ask for more on a chilly day in November?
Purple Pesto Soup
It’s purple because of the variety of basil I used, but it would be just as delicious with regular basil.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 1/2 cups (or 1 15-ounce can) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup purple basil leaves, firmly packed (or use green)
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter (or try almond butter or tahini)*
- white pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
- additional garlic, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in a non-stick pan until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add the hot water and cauliflower, reduce heat, and cover. Cook until the cauliflower is completely tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the basil and cashew butter. Use a hand blender to puree the soup until it is completely smooth. (Alternately, put the soup in batches into a regular blender and blend smooth; return soup to the pot.) Add white pepper and salt to taste and add additional garlic if desired.
Notes
*The cashew butter contributes a lot to the creaminess and the flavor, but leave it out if you prefer your soup to be lower in fat.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) |Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Per serving: 154 Calories (kcal); 3 g Total Fat; (14% calories from fat); 10 g Protein; 26 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 54 mg Sodium; 9 g Fiber
Amy-lee
July 16, 2010 at 6:09 amDelicious! The cauliflower taste really comes through. I used green basil but it still turned out kinda purple. Not that I’m complaining. 🙂
Virginia
January 14, 2012 at 2:39 pmI love your blog, Susan! It has been inspirational to me for years. When you mentioned freezing basil, did you mean the actual leaves?? or chopped, or as pesto…? Just curious. thanks!
Susan Voisin
January 14, 2012 at 3:53 pmI chop it in the blender with a little water and freeze it in ice cube trays.
Kary
November 1, 2013 at 9:02 amI enjoy many of your recipes. Thank you for making eating healthy taste so good!
Can something other than cauliflower be used? What would you recommend?
Susan Voisin
November 1, 2013 at 9:05 amYou could use cooked potatoes, or you could make it a very green soup by using broccoli.
moonwatcher
November 1, 2013 at 11:58 amHi Susan,
What a beautiful soup!! And it sounds very tasty. I love the purple basil and the tones it gives the blended soup. So sad to see the last of Summer’s treasures go, but oh, what a way to go!! The basil’s long gone here up north, but I can enjoy it vicariously through your beautiful photo. Thanks!!
xoxo
moonwatcher
Karen Westq
November 1, 2013 at 7:21 pmI tried this today, and love it. It reminds me very much of potato soup, especially garnished with chopped green onion and fake “bacon” bits. Delish and very low cal (I left out the cashew butter).
Jody
August 17, 2022 at 7:36 pmVery disappointing. It didn’t turn out remotely purple, in spite of using gorgeous purple basil and purple onion as well. It came out a very unappetizing shade of paste-gray. Majorly lacking in flavor as well – not a hint of pesto flavor. What a waste of time and my beautiful purple basil! If I try it again, I’ll use purple cauliflower, vegetable or chicken broth instead of water and add some other seasoning.