Fall Into a Bowl of Soup

As soon as I feel the first nip in the air I start planning what fall soups I’ll be making, to me fall=soup! I love soup, and I love Autumn, so I am feeling pretty happy at the moment. Last week I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from the gym. As you (may) know, for me that means I was on my way home from a swim, and so my hair was wet, as were the clothes I’d thrown on over my wet bathing suit, in short I was looking my very best, so you can imagine how happy I was to run into a friend there. I had run in for two items, but we got to talking, and I got to thinking, and before I’d even left the produce section I’d picked up a few extra items, including this gorgeous cauliflower.

I am very fond of cauliflower, and this one was a hottie! It’s flesh was snowy white, not a blemish in sight, it was big and round, the florets well formed and it’s proportions symmetric and fetching, I was in love, and I had big plans for this baby! After stumbling through the store, leaving a trail of wet footprints, and buying way more than I had intended, I got my cauliflower home, and took another long, loving look at it before tucking it gently into my produce bin.

I knew from the moment I saw it I was going to make a curried cauliflower soup. I have never made a curried soup before, but it felt like destiny. (Perhaps I exaggerate.) I happened to have some curry powder in my pantry, though I have made my own many times. You can make it using whole spices, as Alton Brown does, or you can make your own mixture using dry powdered spices, either way by making it yourself you can control the flavor balance and heat levels. The curry powder you buy already made is generally not very hot, though if you see any type of Jamaican curry it will be very, very hot! The level of heat is provided by cayenne, so if you prefer your soup hot in spice as well as temperature knock yourself out. One note of warning: cayenne pepper gets hotter every time you reheat it! Also, if you have curry powder from last year you should sniff it, and you’ll probably find it’s lost a lot of it’s aroma, which means it’s lost a lot of the flavor too.

Like all spices, curry is fat soluble, which means, that to get the most flavor from it you need to sauté it in some fat, so I add it to the onions and carrots and let the aromas develop before adding the liquid. I used chicken stock but you could use vegetable stock if you prefer. I had planned to make it without cream, and it was good without it, but adding just one cup made a huge difference in flavor, and especially texture. The soup went from smooth to velvety, so the option is yours. I didn’t try this with coconut milk, but that might be a good dairy-free option. 

What soups do you crave when the fall arrives?

Curried Cauliflower Soup

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Serves	6-8
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	1 hour, 30 minutes
Meal type	Soup
Misc	Serve Hot

This curried soup is fragrant and mildly spiced, perfect for a fall dinner or as a starter. Serve with a warm crusty bread and some cheese and pickles for a perfect Saturday lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 Large cauliflower
• 2 Medium white potatoes (peeled and cut into 1)
• 4-5 Medium carrots (peeled and rouch chopped)
• 1 Medium onion (peeled and rough chopped)
• 6 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 2 tablespoons oil (olive or canola)

Directions

Step 1

In a large soup pot heat oil over medium heat until shimmering, and add onion Stir until onion is translucent, then add curry powder, stir well to coat onions, then add carrots Turn heat to low and continue to cook vegetables until curry is fragrant, about 5-7 minutes

Step 2

Add stock to pot, and stir well and cover pot Let cook for 45 minutes over low heat, stirring every 10-15 minutes

Step 3

When time is up check to make sure carrots and potatoes are soft, if not then cook another 10 minutes, or until they are

Step 4

Remove pot from heat, and puree mixture using an immersion blender, or process in batches in food processor or blender, being very careful, as hot liquids can cause the top of the blender to pop off!

Step 5

Once soup is pureed add cream (if using) and test for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. If you want to add more curry powder, saute it in some oil and add some soup to the saute pan to mix in with the curry, then add that back into the soup