Simple Cauliflower Soup
Easy, nourishing, warm, filling, packed with nutrition, and easy on the waistline… This soup is a winner. Cauliflower peaks in the fall, which makes for sweeter and more flavorful dishes (and soups!).
As with most cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is an incredibly good-for-you food. It is filled with vitamin C, vitamin B, is known for its antioxidant properties (vitamin K), is anti-inflammatory and provides a ton of fiber (hello easy digestion).
It has been shown to be powerfully anti-cancer, particularly with bladder, breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cancer. It's glucosinolates bind to defective mutated genes and remove them from the cell, and the sulforaphane (sulfur compound) kills cancer stem cells.
There are only a handful of ingredients so developing each’s flavors is key. Coax them out. If you have the time, roast the cauliflower florets for an added dimension to the soup.
Be creative and bold with seasoning - it is what takes this soup to the next level. My iterations:
truffle oil + cayenne + freshly cracked pepper
turmeric + red pepper flakes + black rice
pepper + freshly chopped dill + toasted pumpkin seeds + feta + hemp seeds.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ghee, extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil
4 celery sticks, evenly sliced cross wise
1/2 medium white onion, evenly sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cauliflower head cut into small florets, leaves reserved and stem sliced thinly
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 1/2 cups water or stock (vegetable, chicken, etc)
if using water, 1 heaped tablespoon kosher consomme, otherwise 1 teaspoon
freshly ground pepper
truffle oil, for seasoning (see note)
seasonings & toppings (see note)
Heat oil in a medium pot. Stir in celery and onion. Cook until soft and starting to turn golden, ~5-7 minutes. If using any cooking spices (see note), add them at this point and sautee for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Increase heat to medium high and add cauliflower florets, stem and salt. Cook, stirring, just until the florets begin to soften and slightly brown. Add garlic, broth and 1 teaspoon of consomme (or water and 1 tablespoon of consomme), and cauliflower leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a constant simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is tender, ~4-6 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and remove leaves (I like eating the tender parts). Using an immersion blender, puree soup in the pot. At this point you should decide on your consistency, adding more water or broth as needed to thin it out. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and a drizzle of good quality truffle oil. See notes below for more topping inspiration.
Serves 4 as a main (but be generous with toppings!)
Seasonings & Spices Note: cooking spices (turmeric, cumin, curry, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, herbes de provence, etc), dash of truffle salt, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, cayenne,
Toppings Note: drizzle of good quality oil (truffle, olive, sesame), dollop of pesto, handful of chopped fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill), nuts & seeds (hemp, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds), cheese (feta, parmesan, grated aged cheddar), fried mustard seeds, croutons, baked tofu, leftover vegetables or grains (quinoa, farro, etc)