Let's get Vegucated! Cauliflower edition: Creamy cauliflower soup

Cauliflower was on sale the other day at my local No Frills so I picked one up. Usually I roast it and add that to salads or just keep it on hand to munch on for a snack but this time I thought a soup would be nice. If you’re new to the blog you might not know that I’m a big lover of soups. I make them pretty often. I think they are a great way to get a lot of nutrient dense food in one bowl with little effort. If you don’t have a crockpot (slow cooker) then I suggest that you get one. I use mine a lot. Its a great addition to any kitchen but particularly if you are short on time.  You can prep everything the night before (like I do) then pop it in the crockpot in the morning and turn it on. When you get home....voila! Dinner is ready. Just like a good wifey.

 Cauliflower is kind of an underrated vegetable because of its white colour. We are always taught that we should eat colourful veggies, which is completely true. But just because cauliflower isn’t colourful doesn’t mean it’s not full of nutrients. Here is a quick summary of the nutrient profile of cauliflower:

In 100 grams:

·         25 calories

·         0 grams fat

·         0 cholesterol

·         30 mg sodium

·         3 grams fiber

·         2 grams sugar

·         2 grams protein’

·         77% RDI Vitamin C

·         2% RDI Calcium

·         2% RDI Iron

 Pretty good right? So throw in some cauliflower once in a while. I prefer to eat it cooked. Raw cauliflower is not my fave. Cauliflower curry, roasted with lemon and paprika, mashed, in soup, blended, made into a “rice” are some great ways to utilize this veggie. J  Here’s an easy recipe to get you started:

 Creamy Cauliflower Soup with split peas

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
1 ½ cups yellow split peas
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves
5 cups water
3 cups veggie stock
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili flakes
2 bay leaves
1 160ml can low fat coconut milk

Directions:

Put all ingredients except for coconut milk into a crockpot and cook for 6 hours.  Remove bay leaves, add coconut milk and blend with a hand blender or once the soup has cooled down put into a blender and puree until smooth.

If you don’t have a crockpot, follow the same directions but cook on medium heat until split peas and cauliflower is soft. Remove bay leaves, add coconut milk and blend.

Serve with brown rice or a side salad. J

Hope you enjoyed a little bit of vegucation over here at Vegucated in Vancouver.

Peace

Xoxo

K