“Would you like to have some cauliflower for dinner tonight?”
If you asked me this question 2 years ago, I would have answered “no” without any hesitation.
But today, I can’t tell you enough how much I like cauliflower, and how many different ways I’m willing to try to prepare it, like today’s simple cauliflower soup.
I used to hate cauliflower, especially during my high school years. I still remember one night, the minute my dad placed the stir-fried cauliflower on the dinner table, all of my tastes buds started to struggle, my eyes started to water. “I don’t like cauliflower, they’re just bland and don’t go well with rice.” As a flavor-craving-eater, those were the exact words I spoke at that moment. For the next 10 years and more, I don’t think I ever cooked, bought, or even tasted a cauliflower dish.
Ten years later, I decided it was time to try this big white flower again. I also want my son to grow up having a love and appreciation for vegetables. I was surprised how much he loved my stir-fried cauliflower with a touch of spiciness. So did I.
What a disservice a cook can do to their family by carelessly preparing a wonderful vegetable, such as cauliflower, which results in their never wanting to touch it again. In an attempt to make a vegetable more pleasing, cooks will often overpower it with ingredients like cheese sauce and bacon. All these mistakes could make your child into a picky eater. What an incredible responsibility us cooks have. Luckily, you found this quality food recipe website.
Get ready to fall in love with cauliflower for the very first time!
If you frequently cook vegan, you may find cauliflower is quite popular in vegan recipes. Such as:
Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Cauliflower Cheddar Slices
Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Cauliflower Dip
My challenge in making this soup was to enhance the natural flavor of the cauliflower without its being lost and muddled amongst all the other ingredients. The inspiration for today’s cauliflower soup recipe partially came from my navy bean potato onion soup (https://lightorangebean.com/navy-bean-potato-onion-soup/). All you need are these three main ingredients:
Cauliflower
Leek
Potatoes
The same time the cauliflower and potatoes are simmering in water, I sautéed the leek in oil until it was fragrant and soft. Once the cauliflower and potatoes were cooked, I added the leek into the saucepan and let them simmer together for a few more minutes. In the end, I used my hand blender to puree the soup.
To make the soup more appealing, I garnished it with some sweet mini peppers and roasted chickpeas before serving. If you prefer the soup to have a much more pale color, you can just use the white part of leek. The strong onion-like flavor from leek blends really well with the creamy cauliflower.
This cauliflower soup is simple, quick-to-make, and healthy. It’s a perfect winter soup you can prepare in 15 minutes.
This cauliflower soup is a simple, quick-to-make, and healthy winter soup you can prepare in 15 minutes.
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 small cauliflower approximately 1 lb
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large leek
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- For Garnishing
- 2 sweet mini peppers seeded and sliced
- ¼ cup roasted chickpeas see note
- In a saucepan, bring water or vegetable broth to a boil over high heat.
- While the water is heating, rinse and cut the cauliflower head into small florets. Peel potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Transfer the cauliflower florets and potato cubes into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium-low until the water is boiling again. Cover with lid and simmer until the potato cubes are easily pierced with a fork, approximately 8 minutes.
- While the cauliflower and potatoes are cooking, cut the leek lengthwise first and then slice it. If you prefer the soup to have a pale color, remove the green part of leek and only use the white stalk. Swish the sliced leek in water and strain. Heat a sauté pan over high heat until hot. Add olive oil and wait for 30 seconds until the oil is hot. Add the well-drained leek and remaining ingredients into the oil. Saute until the leek is soft and fragrant.
- Once the cauliflower and potato are cooked, transfer the leek into the saucepan and continue to simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. Garnish with sliced pepper and chickpeas. Serve immediately.
For roasted chickpeas, see recipe here: https://lightorangebean.com/roasted-chickpeas-quinoa-veggie-bowl/
Had it with some yam flatbread instead of the chickpea garnish. It was fantastic! I used fresh ginger as well, and it was very good.