Creamy Cauliflower Curry Soup

A few years ago, I earmarked a recipe for "Creamy Broccoli Parsnip Soup with a Considerable Kick of Curry" in my beloved From Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook. I finally made the recipe last year and it was delicious, of course. However, it just didn't look appetizing. So this year, I decided to revamp the soup to make it a little prettier. 

To make this soup a bit more appealing without changing the flavors too much, I turned to broccoli's sister (cousin? niece? who knows!) cauliflower. Cauliflower gives the soup a similar flavor without the green hue. And to give the soup a smoother texture, I switched out the parsnips for a combination of potatoes and daikon radishes. 

The result was an equally delicious and even more beautiful Cauliflower Curry Soup. This soup is perfect for a chilly fall day, served with a hunk of focaccia or sourdough on the side!

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 1 hour

Makes: about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup onion (1/2 an onion)

• 4 cups vegetable stock

• 2 cups chopped yellow potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)

• 1 cup chopped daikon radish

• 5-6 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head of cauliflower)

• 1 teaspoon red curry paste

  • This teaspoon packs a bit of a punch. If you are sensitive to spice, start with about 1/4 teaspoon and work your way up as you can handle.

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

Methods

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes.

2. Add in the veggie stock, potatoes, radish and a large pinch of salt. Simmer until the potatoes are beginning to soften, about 15 minutes. Add the cauliflower, curry paste and cumin to the soup and continue simmering until the cauliflower is soft, about 15 more minutes.

3. Transfer about half of the soup to a blender and carefully blend until smooth. The heat from the soup might cause the blender lid to lift and the hot soup to splash out. To avoid this, remove the center circle from the blender lid and do not fill the blender more than halfway.

4. Transfer the blended soup back to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with toasted bread for the ideal dining experience, and eat up!

Sustainability Tips

• Vegetables: Make this salad when all the produce is in season (pst! that's fall!). Doing this will make it easier to find local and organic produce. Buying organically and locally cuts down on pesticide contamination and can help you get to know your local food producers.

• Vegetable broth: Homemade vegetable broth is the most sustainable option because it can help you cut down on food waste and packaging waste. The Kitchn has a great vegetable stock tutorial!