RVegan Smoky Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Herbed Chickpea Dumplings

I am super excited that I made a new recipe today which was enjoyed by the whole family!  It has a long name as listed above, but I'm gonna call it Cauliflower Dumpling Soup...It is from Pinterest of course and it's been pinned to my soup board for a while.  It's not difficult to make, but it does have a few steps.  The best part about it is that it used basan flour (chickpea flour) - something I happen to have an almost full bag remaining from my McMansion pantry that needs to be used up.  I love cauliflower so that alone sold me, but the dumplings were interesting and I have never made a dumpling soup before.  Also, for those that are interested, it is gluten-free and grain-free as well as being vegan.

I needed three pots/pans to make it; the soup pot, the oven dish (for roasting cauliflower), and a mixing bowl (for dumpling batter).  That is the limit for my counter space.  I could just manage it with the kitchen table behind me holding the ingredients and my computer with the recipe.

The best part of this soup is that the dumplings really make it a comfort food!  I'm always looking for hearty vegan soups and stews that are a good substitute for meat and potatoes.  This is one of those recipes.  Also, I love this idea of chickpea dumplings and I am already thinking that these dumplings need to be added to other thin soups that need more comfort and substance.  Seriously you have to make this....It has a rich smoky flavor from the smoked paprika.  The spices are not overwhelming, but I thought it called for a lot of salt so I cut that back a bit.  Salt can always be added back in later.  I had all of the spices except hot paprika for which I substituted a Cajun blend.  Another change I made is that I used dried parsley.  When I make it again I will use the entire can (6 oz) of tomato paste (instead of the 4.5 oz the recipe called for).  I used huge yellow onions and was glad - I love onions in soup.  I also added 3-4 more garlic cloves because I have never had a recipe with too much garlic.  I used one huge head of cauliflower, I did weight it at the store and it was over 2lbs with the stem.  I think the recipe is calling for one large head despite the notation about the weight.  

Here's how it looked while the dumplings were simmering.

I am going to share an edible mosaic's picture here prior to the one I took just to point out how terrible I am at taking food pictures even though I do it all the time.

Uh, yea that's beautifully staged and photographed!  Though, to be fair, it makes a good sized pot and I didn't heap all of the dumplings in one bowl, I shared them between four and left some for tomorrow... Also, I realize, for a pic, I should fill the bowl to the brim to ensure no slop on the sides, but then I risk slop on the floor or table (I have to dip the bowls at the stove and then place them on the table in a tiny space with two kids bumping into me continually)...lighting...nice camera instead of phone...beautiful table/dishes...I might work on it (if I don't have to buy anything)...but I get too impatient after cooking & I want to eat!

Despite my photography, it tasted delicious.  The dumplings were really awesome and I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!