Here I am, back at it with the soups. What can I say? I love a good soup, largely because they freeze well and when I’m in a pinch, or don’t feel like cooking, I can hit “defrost” on my micro and *POOF* - dinner is done.
Below is my second favorite soup. It’s both hearty and flavorful. It just happens to come from the same author my favorite soup, Soul-Southing African Peanut Stew. The main ingredients are cauliflower, red lentils, and curry powder. Curry powder is a blend of spices. Alton Brown has a recipe for curry powder, of which turmeric is the main ingredient. But I digress. On to the recipe:
Indian Lentil-Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or other oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1-2 tablespoons curry powder, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained (I used green lentils)
- 1 medium cauliflower, chopped into bite-size florets
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until translucent.
- Stir in the ginger, curry powder, coriander, and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the broth and lentils and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes more.
- Stir in the cauliflower and sweet potato. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the cauliflower and sweet potato are tender. Season with the salt and pepper, and add more curry powder if desired. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cilantro, if desired.
