Curried Cauliflower Cream Soup

Just like the fashion industry, the food industry has its trends. What is trending now? These veggies are turning heads: Brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower. Recipes for these vegetables are popping up everywhere, on the Internet, in magazines, newspapers, and even in conversation. If you haven’t tried this trio before, you may be hesitant to do so.

But your grandmother and mother were right when they proclaimed, “Eat your vegetables. They’re good for you!” Vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health.

According to the Self Nutrition Data website, cauliflower contains 25 calories per serving, three grams of fiber, two grams of sugar and two grams of protein. It also contains vitamins A, C, K, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

My husband loves raw cauliflower and he likes the crispy slices in salat. I recently bought a head on sale and discovered the reason for the reduced price. The vegetables were beginning to soften. Since I couldn’t put it in a salad, I thought I’d mash it up like potatoes. Then I thought of the soup. I live in Minnesota and it’s winter, with wind chills that can drop to minus 41. The soup sounded very good.

Cauliflower and curry go well together so I added some to the soup. If you don’t like this spice leave it out. If you love this spice add more. Cooking the curry for a minute before adding the other ingredients brings out its flavor. After the vegetables are ready, the mixture is blended with a hand blender. You can also use a stand mixer, but I use a hand mixer because it’s safer. I don’t have to pour the hot soup into a glass container and I can puree the soup right in the pot.

I garnished the soup with butter and garlic croutons, but other flavors would taste good too. Here is my recipe for Cream of Curried Cauliflower.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 cup baby carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 box (32 ounces) salt-free chicken broth

1 cup of water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3/4 medium head cauliflower, cut into small pieces

8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (for garnish)

Packaged croutons (to decorate)

METHOD

Put olive oil and butter in a soup pot. As soon as the butter has melted, add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add cauliflower, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the Neufchatel cheese. Remove pot from heat. Puree the mixture with a hand blender. Garnish with chopped parsley and croutons, or leave them out and serve the soup with crusty bread. This recipe freezes well.