And we’re back! Our computer crashed, or rather had a shelf crash into it, and so I’ve been on a bit of a forced computer hiatus. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. And so we pick up where I left off.
I had an amazing curried cauliflower soup with yogurt and cashews at a restaurant in San Francisco about six months ago that I’ve been dreaming of ever since. The one I made recently was completely different but still really good. For starters I didn’t have curry powder, so I made my own (combine ½ teaspoon each of turmeric, dried coriander, and hot paprika or chili powder and 1 teaspoon of cumin) . It was a pungent spice mix, heavy on the cumin, with a taste distinct from the store bought stuff. And the soup is thick and filling without the addition of cream (god bless my immersion blender). In the end I added labane to enhance the flavor and make the texture slightly more silky. Sprinkle croutons or crisp pieces of cauliflower on top for textural contrast.
This recipe was named an Editor’s Pick in the Food52 Challenge “Your Best Dirt Cheap Dinner.”
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- 1 head cauliflower (about 2¼ pounds), cut into florets (about 6 cups)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped butter
- 3 onions, sliced 1 inch thick
- 2½ teaspoons curry powder
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup yogurt or labane (optional; adjust to suit tastes)
- Preheat oven to 450°F . On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out and roast until the florets turn brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside ½ cup of the crispiest florets for garnish.
- Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder, cauliflower, water, and broth; cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until a desired consistency is reached. Stir in yogurt or labane if using. Season with salt and pepper and serve in bowls, garnishing with the reserved cauliflower florets.
So I made the soup again with a few changes (can I ever make the same thing exactly the same way twice?). Both were awesome. This time I used actual Madras curry powder (which is more similar to the mix I made than to curry powder commercially available in the US). I sauteed the onions and added the curry powder, than added 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup water, and 4 chopped potatoes. I let this cook while the potatoes softened and the cauliflower was in the oven. I added the cauliflower, remaining water (plus even a little more water – so it came up an inch or two from the top). I let this all simmer for a bit, then mixed it with the immersion blender. I added maybe 1/2 cup labane, plus more curry powder and cumin, ras-al-hanout, salt, paprika, and Sherry vinegar. I kept mixing and tasting and adding until it tasted just the way I wanted.
Looks good….need to try out.
Thanks! It’s one of my husband’s favorites and most requested recipes 🙂
Such a flavorful soup:) Loving this totally …Yumm 🙂
Thank you! It’s a favorite around our house 🙂