Cauliflower Puree with Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup vegan butter (or regular butter)
• ½ cup chickpeas, cooked & drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
• Squeeze of ½ to 1 whole lemon, plus some zest (to taste)
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper
• Milk or water to thin, or more chickpeas if necessary to thicken
• 1½ cups cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1½ cups cooked (or canned) chickpeas, drained
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper
• A few pinches chopped rosemary
• A sprinkle of capers
• An extra drizzle of olive oil
• A few pinches of red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil, boil 3 cups of the cauliflower florets until tender, about 10-20 minutes.
3. While the cauliflower is boiling, start roasting the rest of the cauliflower and the chickpeas. Prep 2 baking sheets with foil. Separately toss the chickpeas and cauliflower with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper. (I do this right on the baking sheet). Roast both in the oven until golden brown, about 25-35 minutes, checking halfway through.
4. Make the cauliflower puree: Drain the boiled cauliflower, and transfer to a high speed blender. Add the garlic, butter, ½ cup chickpeas, rosemary, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and blend to form a smooth puree. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, pepper, and/or lemon as necessary. If yours is too thick, add some water or milk. If it's too thin, add some more chickpeas. The consistency should be thinner and lighter than hummus. (*note that I used a Vitamix. If you're using a regular blender yours might not be as smooth).
5. Plate with a generous scoop of the puree and top it with the roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, capers, a few small pinches of red pepper flakes, and another pinch of rosemary. And an extra squeeze of lemon if necessary.