Creamy Cauliflower & Carrot Soup

When Mr RK goes grocery shopping he often brings home a cauliflower.  I’ve never quite understood the attraction.  They are pretty, in a this is what your brain looks like sort of way.  They don’t have much in the way taste.  I think it’s probably his way of hinting that he wants cauliflower soup. 

Born in Italy, cauliflower is a member of the Brassica family that includes cabbage, brussels sprouts and kale.  It’s an older cousin to broccoli.  Cauliflowers are low in fat and high in fiber, folic acid (for DNA repair) and vitamin C.  They contain sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound that is released when you chop or chew it, which may help your liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances.  It also contains indole-3-carbinol, which appears to slow or prevent breast and prostate tumors.  The cauliflower is a very nutrient dense food, which we should probably be eating more often.

To make the soup, I cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, along with a carrot and some celery.

Instead of boiling or steaming the veggies, I roasted them for 30 minutes with a little olive oil to give them a more interesting flavor. 

You may need to use two pans, so they don’t crowd each other, I did.  I simmered the roasted veggies in some Imagine No-Chicken broth (my favorite) along with a sauteed onion and garlic.  I seasoned the soup with some curry powder and a little salt.  The amount of salt you need depends on the amount of salt in the broth you use.  I added a couple of cups of Silk non dairy creamer to give the soup a creamy texture without the cholesterol of real cream.  

I pureed all of it in a food processor because I was in the mood for a smooth soup.  You can puree half of it if you want chunky soup.

Served with a crusty multigrain bread, this is the perfect comfort food for a foggy day dinner.

Creamy Cauliflower & Carrot Soup

Serves 4 - Use organic ingredients whenever possible

1 cauliflower

1 carrot

1 rib celery

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 clover garlic, minced

3-4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups Silk non dairy creamer

Parsley for garnish

Preheat your oven to 400˚  

Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, removing the core and any leaves

Peel and cut the carrot.

Cut up the celery.

Put the cauliflower, celery, and carrot into a baking pan(or two) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Roast for 30 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, saute the onion and garlic in the remaining tablespoon of oil, in a big pot

over a low heat for 5 minutes.

Add 3 cups vegetable broth, curry powder and salt.

When the veggies are done roasting, add them to the broth.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Put half of the soup in a food processor and process until smooth.

While the processor is running, add 1 cup of non dairy creamer.

If you want a chunky soup, pour the pureed soup back into the pot and add the remaining creamer.

If you want a smooth soup, pour the pureed soup in another pot and process the remaining soup with the remaining creamer. 

Reheat and adjust the seasonings and add more broth if needed.

Garnish with chopped parsley.