Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup – Quick & Simple

Hello, out there. Are you chilly, yet?

Are your toes and fingertips always cold? Are you feeling a bit under the weather? Has the seasonal change taken its toll? Have you a preschooler who keeps wiping her perpetually runny nose with her hand and then trying to feed you things from her plate? Yep. It’s that season. So, put on your favorite warm socks and sit down in your favorite chair with a warming, comforting, incredibly simple yet satisfying soup.

As an antidote to the growing cold, naked trees, and sneezes, I make all kinds of soups. I tailor my soup recipe choices to how I’m feeling and for whom I’m cooking. Food can certainly be some of our best medicine. So, I’m choosing recipes that will help counter some of the specific symptoms (onion for cough) and more general issues (dry ginger for the cold).

My friends Sarah, Josh, Iris, and Bobo have been so wonderful to me, since I’ve been in Denver, and right now, they are all feeling a little sniffly. For them, I’m happy to whip up one of my favorite soup recipes that I make even for myself, when I’m sick. I make it because the ginger and curry are quite warming (you can add some additional heat, if you want).

Additionally, turmeric (which you have to use with black pepper, if you want the health benefits) softens joint and muscle discomfort, making this perfect for flu and cold season–not to mention, it might stave off viral infections But, also, this is one of the fastest soups that you can make because it has so few ingredients. If you wanted to, you could adapt this to be more complicated by layering the spice mixes. I started making this when I had little in the house, but needed something good to eat. I was sick, so running to the store seemed like a serious chore.

I always keep shallots in the house, they are wonderful all of the time. Many a soup base starts with shallot, leek, or onion. However, they need the help from all of these flavors–ginger, pepper, curry, coconut milk–in order to transform into a comforting pot of deliciousness. It is the least that I can do to reflect how warm and comforting my dear friends, Sarah, Josh, and Iris have been for me, especially since I’ve moved to Denver.

Ingredients:

• 3 large shallots, minced
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 T turmeric
• 1 t black pepper
• 2-3 T curry powder
• 1/2 t or more, cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 t dry ginger OR 1 inch of fresh ginger, sliced
• 8 c vegetable stock
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 can coconut milk
• lemon juice, to taste
• coconut oil, to taste
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in your soup pan on medium-high heat.
2. Add the shallot, turmeric, black pepper, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and ginger to the pot. Sauté until the shallot is transparent but not brown.
3. Add the vegetable stock and bring up the heat until it is in a rolling boil.
4. Add the cauliflower and let the pot come back up to boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cauliflower is cooked to desired tenderness (10 minutes for more of a bite, up to 20 for softer soup).
6. Turn the heat off and add the coconut milk.
7. Add lemon juice for a brighter soup. Add a little coconut oil for richer soup.
8. Adjust spices and salt to taste.