Spiced Cauliflower and Carrot Soup

I love to cook with what I have on hand. Some of my best meals have come out of a forage in my fridge, freezer and pantry. This is one of those recipes.

I had been to a favorite produce market and they had the most beautiful fresh cauliflower.  I couldn’t resist. I had also picked up some other produce.  I had picked up a lot of other produce.

I can’t help myself. I see the bounty of fruits and veggies and I buy more than I should. Not a surprise, the cauliflower got pushed to the back of the fridge.

A few days later, I was looking for inspiration- and there it was- this lovely head of cauliflower.

I thought of soup right away. I often use cauliflower in soup. I also had a bunch of carrots, so I decided to use them together. The combination, paired up with some of my favorite seasonings, made for an excellent meal.

I served it with a drizzle of hot sauce, and a little fresh parsley from the garden. This soup freezes well, so I may save some for another day.

While I ate it hot, this soup could be served cold.

Spiced Cauliflower and Carrot Soup

3 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small to medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
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.