Cauliflower Soup
I started making this soup last spring, and it easily slid up to the top of my favorite soups list! I can eat soup all year long, and I realize that I am in a rare camp. I find my tribe in the fall months when “normal people” reach for comfort food such as soups.
I absolutely love the depth of flavor and vegetable-dense consistency! One may easily adapt this recipe to follow vegan guidelines and serve as a stand-alone dish. This hearty soup also pairs well as a compliment to fish or chicken!
Phase 1: Detox, Compliant
Why this a healthy recipe: As stated above, this recipe is a Phase 1: Detox compliant for my clients. The vegetable density, alone, puts this recipe in a beneficial category. Vegetables contain phytonutrients, natural chemical compounds, that benefit us when we consume the plant. Phytonutrients act as antioxidants, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory agents, so yeah, they’re kind of a big deal. They are certainly a big deal when one feels less than optimal!
The bone broth offers collagen, which rebuilds vital tissues such as the intestinal lining. For those opting for vegetable broth, the broth still adds phytonutrients and mineralized hydration.
The recipe calls for turmeric and other warming spices, which benefits Spleen Qi and nourishing Yang energies according to TCM, and for conventionalists out there, it supports the detox organs.
Who does this support: I recommend this soup for nearly everyone! The main star of the dish is cauliflower, which is a neutral vegetable and helps move Qi, aka life force energy, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It also helps boost the immune system. Anyone needing to support the liver’s detox function, which, in today’s day in age, is most of us, will benefit from the recipe. This soup is the equivalent to your liver’s Merry Maids service!
Side note - did you know that our liver is responsible for over 500 different joby-jobs for the body?!?
Oof! I digress…
Diverticulitis, Liver Congestion, Hemorrhoids, IBS, Leaky Gut, Ulcers, ADHD, Migraines, Auto-Immune, Nervous System Disorders, Estrogen Dominance, Thyroid dysfunction - I could go on and on!
Who should avoid this recipe: While I stated a pretty darn good case for most people to make this healthy soup, there is a subset that I recommend proceed with caution. First off, which may seem obvious, anyone with an allergy or food sensitivity to the unavoidable components of the dish. Secondly, anyone that either knowingly has or suspects SIBO. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, commonly referred to as SIBO, benefits from a Low-FODMAP or Med-FODMAP diet. Cauliflower is neither of those two things. However, this recipe does cook the cauliflower, and one with SIBO may process the soup without any issues - I would just relax and have a small bowl to start. Test it out to ensure your body doesn’t bloat you up like a bag of microwave popcorn before you decide to load up for more.
I am sure if you stick around with me long enough, you will hear how much I recommend soups for people with health issues. The reason being that cooked vegetables are easier for the body to break down and utilize, and the broth helps repair the gut lining and brings in more hydration along with the naturally mineralized water contained in vegetables.
Before getting started - take a deep breath and get into the present moment. Relax the shoulders and release the stress of the day, days that passed, and days to come.
Affirmation: I prepare the soup with gratitude and love for my body.
You might be asking yourself, “WTH, Mandy?!? Why the random affirmation and mindfulness sesh?” Let me explain before you bounce - everything is energy. The stress you carried into this cooking session radiates throughout the space. A very basic law of energy is that energy doesn’t die, it transfers. I recall watching a documentary where a cup of yogurt sat in front of a person. The researcher placed electrode monitors on the yogurt and noted the frequency changes of the yogurt as the man sitting near the yogurt discussed different topics. The yogurt’s vibration drastically shifted to an incoherent, low vibration when the man reflected on the need to call his lawyer and other stressful to-do’s as opposed to more peaceful or joyful topics discussed.
Getting yourself grounded, present, and in a state of gratitude increases the healing frequency of the food you prepare for you and your family. In addition, that state of presence and gratitude also signals the parasympathetic nervous system, which will aid in the digestion of this high vibe, nourishing food.
Let’s face it - that’s a win-win! All too often, we look at dinner prep as a chore and not a relaxing, creative event. It’s another obligation that ultimately creates more work for us. Let’s flip the script and adopt a new narrative!
After shifting into the highest level of peace possible, prepare your cauliflower by first cutting the head of the cauliflower in half. From there, cut the base of the core as well as leaves away from the flower. Rinse the two halves. Proceed to chop the head of cauliflower as well as any remaining core into quarter-size or smaller pieces, place in a bowl, and set aside.
Before tackling the remaining vegetables, heat up 2 tablespoons of avocado oil (or fat such as ghee or grass fed butter) in a Dutch oven or large pot on medium heat (low-medium if you’re a slow vegetable chopper - no need to smoke up your house with overheated oil).
While the oil is heating up, dice the onion, peel and chop the carrots, and chop the celery. By now, the oil should be warm. Add your carrots, celery, and onion to the pot. Stir frequently to prevent browning the vegetables. Once the carrots begin to soften, add the cauliflower to the pot and stir the mixture to evenly distribute the cooked vegetables into the cauliflower.
Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened. Now add Garlic, Harissa, Cumin, Cumin Seed, Paprika, Turmeric, and Thyme to the vegetables and stir to coat the veggies. Next, add a conservative amount of salt and pepper at this step.
Once your cauliflower and other veggies have softened, add the broth making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for any flavor-filled pieces. Next, add your nutritional yeast, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and coconut milk. You may now taste the soup to determine if more salt, pepper, or any other spices are needed.
Let the soup simmer on low for about 20 minutes to allow the vegetables to finish cooking and absorb sufficient flavor.
Finally, add that wonderful dill! Uh! I love dill! I would sleep on a pillow of dill. Not really, but I absolutely love it.
Soups require a little more work than a salad and equally as nourishing. You can make a big pot that feeds your family for more than one night. I love leftovers, and soup develops flavors over time, which makes it the perfect leftover. I am also a fan of freezing soup into individual serving sizes for lunches and quick dinners.
The recipe calls for
2 Heads of Organic Cauliflower, Washed, Patted Dry, & Chopped
2T Ghee, Grass Fed Butter, or Avocado Oil
1 Large Onion, Diced
5 Carrots, Chopped
3 Celery Stalks, Chopped
5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 tsp Harissa Seasoning (or Hot Sauce)
1 T Cumin
2 tsp Cumin Seed
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
Salt & Pepper
2 tsp Thyme
2 T Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
6-8 Cups of Chicken Broth, or Vegetable Broth for Vegan
1 Can Coconut Milk
Fresh or Dried Dill
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