Spicy Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
Spicy Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
I had a head of cauliflower I really needed to cook up. I thought of soup right away, I often use cauliflower in soup. Problem was, it has been really warm and I wasn’t sure I wanted a steaming hot bowl of soup. Then I realized, I serve other soups cold, why not this soup? It was pretty good served cold. The thing to remember about serving a soup cold, rather than hot, is to double check the seasonings. Cold soups tend to cry for a little more salt. I froze some, so when the weather is chilly I can heat some up and serve it hot, too. Cool, huh?
Spicy Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
3 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small to medium head of cauliflower, cut into flowerets
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 c. diced fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes, I used a pint of home canned tomatoes.
4 c. chicken or veggie stock*
2 T. curry powder
1 T. ground cumin
2 t. smoked paprika
2 t. ginger
Hot pepper sauce, to taste, plus extra for topping the soup
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped basil, cilantro or parsley for garnish, optional
Heat oil in soup pot and cook onions until golden brown. Add garlic and cauliflower and cook another couple of minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the rest of the veggies, the stock and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook soup, covered, until veggies are tender. I like the soup to cook at least an hour so the veggies are really tender. Puree soup until smooth. I use an immersion blender. If you are using a standard blender, and the soup is hot, puree in small batches and remove the middle piece from the blender lid. Place the lid on the blender and cover with a towel. Hot soup will splash up, and you need to be careful not to get burned. Adjust seasonings. Can be served hot or cold and freezes well. Drizzle some hot sauce on soup when serving and some chopped fresh herbs, if you like.
* You might need a little more stock, depending on how thick you like your soup. I often add extra stock at the end.
