I love vegetables and am trying to eat more of them for good health. Many of the meals I fix focus on vegetables: stir fry, Minestrone soup, cabbage slaw, carrot slaw, green salads, and this original recipe for cauliflower soup. The idea for cauliflower soup came to me when I saw my grocery store was running a sale on this crunchy white vegetable.
Dietitians say we should eat vegetables that have lots of color, such as green beans and beets. Don't be fooled by the white color of cauliflower. Pale as it is, this member of the cruciferous family is packed with nutrition and fiber.
According to the Live Strong website, cauliflower is "an immune system soldier, an excellent source of vitamin C and folate." Just three raw florets provide you with 67 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin C. This rotund vegetable may also help to decrease LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, the article continues.
The head of cauliflower I bought had already been in the refrigerator a day and I wanted to use it before it became soft. I often create new recipes and this recipe for soup came from years of cooking experience. You can use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup. It tastes best if the garnish of curried almonds is still warm.
Are you trying to eat more vegetables? A large bowl of cauliflower soup equals two servings of vegetables. Best of all, this soup tastes mighty good. Pair this Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Curried Almonds with crusty bread or garlic toast. Complete the meal with fresh strawberries, raspberries, or your favorite dessert.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 head of fresh cauliflower, broken into small pieces
26-ounce carton of unsalted chicken stock
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup spreadable light cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sliced almonds (or more)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (more if you like curry)
Method
Put the butter and oil in a soup kettle and set over medium heat. As soon as the butter has melted add the onions and cook until soft. Add the cauliflower, chicken stock, water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is fork tender. Remove pan from heat and puree soup with an immersion blender. (Make sure there are no vegetable chunks hiding in the bottom of the pan.) Return soup to heat and set on lowest setting. Add in cream cheese and stir until melted. Cover soup to keep it hot. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet. Add sliced almonds and curry powder. Toast almonds over low heat, stirring often, until they are golden brown and you can smell the curry. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each one with curried almonds. Makes 6 servings.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson
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