Indian Spiced Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup onion (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated, or about 1 Tbsp of ginger paste)
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons cayenne (or Kashmiri chili powder, optional, to taste*)
• 28 oz canned whole plum tomatoes (with liquid)
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (optional if you'd prefer to omit)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
• Additional chopped fresh cilantro
• Plain yogurt (or a drizzle of cream)
• Sliced jalapeno (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 425F.

2. 2

   Remove the leaves and core the cauliflower. Break or cut into bite-sized florets. Scatter onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir or toss to coat the cauliflower in oil. Roast in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender (test it with a knife) and golden in spots. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. 3

   While cauliflower is roasting, melt butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat on the stove-top. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until softened, but not browned. While the onion is cooking, measure out all the spices and stir together in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. 4

   Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, about 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste and spices and cook, stirring, another minute. Add the canned tomatoes, with their juices, the brown sugar, if using and the chicken broth. Use the edge of a spoon to break up the tomatoes in the pot. Stir to combine. Add the roasted cauliflower to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow so gently simmer for 10-15 minutes, to allow the flavours to blend. (Remember, the cauliflower is already cooked, so you don't need to simmer long).

5. 5

   At this point, I like to give my soup 2 or 3 pulses with an immersion blender. Not too much, as I like to keep some of the cauliflower chunky. If you don't have an immersion blender, a potato masher would probably work, too. Totally optional though, as you like.

6. 6

   Taste soup and add salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed. (Salt generously, to really bring out all the great flavours). Stir in the 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro. Serve warm topped with a dollop of plain yogurt and more chopped cilantro. Add some jalapeno slices if you'd like a pop of heat. Nice served with warm Naan bread.