Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

A perfect soup for these cold days and made with cauliflower a favorite vegetable of mine and so healthy for the digestive system and detoxing the body. Most of the seasoning comes from curry powder?a full tablespoon?so be sure to use a fresh, high-quality curry powder (or simply one that you like). My favorite is the Maharajah blend, which contains cardamom and saffron, I add it in two stages to give the best flavor. (I,ve posted a homemade curry blend that makes this soup taste amazing below)

Ingredients

Recipe

  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste or minced ginger root
  • 1 small chile pepper, such as jalape?o or serrano, seeded and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon cubes)
  • 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 1 large), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon mild curry powder, divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 large head cauliflower, separated into bite-sized flowerets
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
  • *1/2 cup orange lentils
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2-4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Instructions

1.Heat a large non-stick pot (4 quarts or larger). Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, chile pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds.

2.Stir in the broth, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon of the curry powder, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat until sweet potato softens, about 20 minutes.

3.Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, and tomatoes to the pot. Add just enough water to almost cover the cauliflower, probably about 3 cups. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and add salt and cayenne pepper (more if you like things hot, less or none at all if you prefer it not spicy). Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and serve hot.

Notes

Instant Pot or Other Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions:

Follow the instructions in Step 1 using the Saute or Brown setting on your electric pressure cooker. In Step 2, instead of bringing to a boil, close the lid, lock it and make sure the release valve is set to pressure. Use the manual or high pressure setting and set the time for 4 minutes. After the time is up, turn the cooker off and carefully turn the release valve to quick release the pressure. Follow Step 3 using the saute setting on low or medium heat. (You may also try returning the cooker to high pressure for 1 minute and then turning it off and letting the pressure come down naturally.) Stir in peanut butter just before serving.

Nutrition Note: The peanut butter adds a gram of fat per serving but gives the soup a richness you won?t want to miss. If necessary, you can leave it out or substitute with cashew butter or another nut butter.

Curry Spice:

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or ground chilies

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/8th of recipe Calories: 181 Fat: 1.9g Carbohydrates: 35.6g Sugar: 7.6g Sodium: 866mg Fiber: 7.7g Protein: 7.4g