Sunday's Soup/Cauliflower, Leek and Sage Soup

It is a gorgeous fall day here in Chicago! Yesterday marked our 12th week anniversary since Berkley came to live with us, so today, we took he and Gracie to my favorite nature preserve for a lovely hike in the woods. What a joy this little dog has been. He has added love, laughter(us laughing, not him), and enough mischief to make it all the more fun. Some of you will think I'm crazy, but hear me out...

From the beginning, Berkley has stood up on his hind legs with his front feet up in the air whenever he is excited. Without thinking, each and every time, I have said, "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!" My husband said, "I think he is saying, Hallelujah! Praise the Lord...I live with Rhonda now!!!" Believe it or not, I have actually taught the dog to stand on his hind feet and put his front feet in the air on command. I raise my hands up, and then say, "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!," and little Mr. Berkley follows suit. I'll have to get a video made to prove it. For those of you who may feel it a bit sacrilegious, I apologize, but it really is quite sweet :)

Since I began sharing soup recipes, we have had MANY versions of Cauliflower Soup of some sort. You can find them all HERE. In the link, you will also see links to my cauliflower wraps, as well as my mac and cheese with roasted cauliflower. That's a Christmas Eve favorite! Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable.

We all love dishes with fabulous flavor, and we also like to be able to present our families with wholesome food. The soup I am sharing today is really quite basic, but so versatile. In fact, this evening, I am mixing a little soup in with some leftover Lentil Nut Loaf that I have crumbled, and will pour over egg noodles. A great way to stretch out an item that isn't quite enough for more than 1. 

This cauliflower soup is full of leeks. I love leeks! Begin with 6 cups of chopped leeks, the white part only. Saute the chopped leeks in oil until tender, and then add 3 chopped cloves of garlic, along with 1 tablespoon of celery seed. I could have used celery in the recipe, but I love the full, rich flavor of celery seed. 

Once the leeks are tender, add 2 heads of chopped cauliflower to the pot. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Cook until the cauliflower is tender and begins to fall apart.

Another favorite of mine is sage. Sage just tastes like fall to me, and there's nothing like fresh sage. For this recipe, I used 3 tablespoons of fresh, chopped sage.

At this point, you are ready to puree the soup. I like to use a handheld mixing wand, but a blender will work well too. Once the soup has been pureed, add more vegetable broth to bring the soup to desired consistency. Add salt and plenty of black pepper to taste. Simmer the soup until it is warmed through.

I didn't do this before I took the picture, but a lovely touch for your soup is to fry a few sage leaves as a topping. Simply add a bit of oil to a small pan. Place the sage leaves in the hot oil for about 5 seconds per side. I could eat an entire bowl full of fried sage! Garnish the soup with the fried sage leaves.

Cauliflower, Leek and Sage Soup

ingredients;
2 large head of cauliflower broken into florets
6 cups chopped leeks
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 bunch fresh sage
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
12 cups vegetable broth

directions;
Heat oil in large soup pot. Add chopped leeks and saute on medium heat until tender. Add chopped garlic. Saute another minute to release flavor, but not burn the garlic. Add celery seed, along with the cauliflower and 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender and beginning to fall apart.

Puree soup until creamy. Add 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage. Adjust the consistency of the soup. Bring the soup to a boil once again, reduce heat and simmer until heated through.

To serve, fry fresh sage leaves in a small amount of olive oil, 5 seconds on each side. Place soup in bowls, top with fried sage and enjoy!

This recipe makes a very large quantity of soup. Freeze smaller batches to use in any dish where a cream soup is called for, or just to enjoy at another time. 

This past week, I warmed up a bowl of the soup and made a grilled cheese sandwich for my lunch. That and a cup of tea...HEAVEN!

Hope you enjoy the soup!

Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Roasted Cauliflower and Kale

Not only is the fall season my favorite time of the year, it also holds my favorite day, the day we get rid of daylight savings and fall back to the good ole' regular time. For me, it's like all is right with the world once more :) 

Our weather in Chicago has been especially mild, no snow, no ice, not even a dip below freezing. But...it's coming!!! :) So in anticipation of the eventual falling temperatures, I've begun to stock my freezer with soups that I can easily take out and enjoy for lunch and dinner. 

Since I've been sharing recipes, I've had a number that included roasted cauliflower; 

Roasted Cauliflower, Leek and Carrot Soup

  
My absolute favorite, Roasted Cauliflower Wraps, and HERE with a twist.

Not so healthy, but oh so good!!!, Roasted Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese, a real crowd pleaser BTW :)

It's obvious that I love roasted cauliflower, so when I came across THIS recipe for a roasted cauliflower and kale soup, I just had to give it a try. The recipe comes from Cooking LSL, Simple Recipes, Inspiring Food. Many of the recipes inspire healthy eating, but the author also enjoys a little something indulgent from time to time. So be sure to check out the blog as I think you'll find lots of fun recipes to try.

There are only 4 basic ingredients in this soup, cauliflower, kale, onions, and garlic. Roasting the cauliflower is key to the recipe, so please don't take a short cut and just boil the cauliflower. 

What really makes the soup special is the roasted kale chips that you top the soup with just before serving. A warning about kale chips...they're REALLY good. I made mine up, ate ALL of them and then had to make more for the soup!!! 

The soup can easily be made up in advance and kept in the freezer until you've ready for a bowl. Although the soup is very easy to make, it's a soup that you could serve to any foodie type person as it's just that special.

I followed the recipe and made no changes. One suggestion would be to top the soup with a little grated white cheddar cheese, maybe even a smoked white cheddar. I think it would make a nice addition. 

If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Nothing like a bowl of soup that warms the soul and is still good for you!

Happy Fall!

Rhonda

Eating For Your Future/Sunday's Soup

This past week, two of my friends asked me about my eyes. Both asked in the same manner, a little hesitant. I told them the same thing, I won't know anything more until the end of April, but in the meantime, I'm doing my best to eat a very healthy diet. Actually, the diet is so healthy that my husband jokes about my skin turning green ;)
The first of February, I began the Daniel Diet. My acupuncturist wasn't happy about me drinking only water, so I have tweaked it a bit, a cup of green tea in the morning and a little kombucha everyday. Once a month, she also has me do a kidney flush. The recipe is simple, a gallon of distilled water, juice of 2 lemons and 2 limes, 2 tablespoons of Grade B maple syrup and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Mix all ingredients and drink over a 48 hour period. The first time I mixed up the concoction, my husband took a taste and said, "I don't think she likes you very much." The cayenne can be a little shocking, but thankfully, I like spicy things.
For the most part, the diet has gone rather well, although I have succumbed to temptation a few times. The fact that I'm not eating meat is not an issue for me, but I miss cheese! I miss bread! I miss having a little something sweet! I had initially planned to do the diet for 21 days, but I have decided to stay with it through Lent. I've learned a lot about why I crave certain foods and I have realized the link between stress and cravings, and being overly tired and cravings. So another interesting journey....to be continued :).

Now on to this week's recipe. What caught my attention was the title, "The Best Vegan Soup I've Ever Tasted." So I thought, that's enough incentive for me to give it a try! Now that I've made it, I wouldn't necessarily say that it's the best I've ever eaten, but it is awfully good. The soup is full bodied, full of flavor and yet mild. If you like cauliflower, I highly recommend giving it a try. There is one mistake in the instructions, they left out the addition of the chopped cabbage. Be sure to add the cabbage with the other vegetables and cook all together. You can find the original recipe HERE. Be sure to look around a bit as there are lots of great looking recipes on the site. I think I will be camping here for a while :)

Cauliflower Soup

3 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups green cabbage, roughly chopped
1/2 cup leeks, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup parsnip, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary, minced
3/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 cups coconut milk
2 1/2 cups celery juice (or vegetable stock)
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt (additional to taste)
Black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil slightly in the stock pot, and sauté the cauliflower, leeks, parsnips,  cabbage, garlic, rosemary, and thyme until the cauliflower is slightly browned.
2. Add the celery juice (or vegetable stock) and coconut milk. Let simmer for approximately 30 minutes, then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Blend until smooth, either using a handheld immersion blender or transferring your soup to a food processor or blender in 2 or 3 batches (depending on the size of your blender.)

*I was not able to get the celery juice, but since I really like the taste of celery, I added 2 stalks of chopped celery and a teaspoon of celery seed to my vegetables. I then used vegetable stock for my liquid.

I served my soup with chopped green onions and toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy!

Sunday's Soup

I simply love cauliflower, however it is cooked. Recently, I was scrolling through Pinterest and I came across a soup called
Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup

If you like cauliflower, I STRONGLY encourage you to give this soup a try. It is wonderful.
When I went to the site to check out the recipe, I found out that the creator of this recipe is a guy named Kevin Lynch. He says, "I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen." Well, this soup is a winner. You can check out his website and take a look at the array of cookbooks that he has written, as well as this recipe here, http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/roasted-cauliflower-and-aged-white.html
Here's the recipe. As you can see, it is quite easy to put together.

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or chicken stock *
• 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup milk or cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper, arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the broth, deglaze the pan, add the cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
5. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.
6. Mix in the cheese, let it melt without bringing it to boil again.
7. Mix in the milk, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

*Be sure to roast the cauliflower and don't skip that step. The roasting gives the soup a wonderfully rich taste. When it comes out of the oven it will be beautifully browned.

By the way, I did not use cream and quite honestly, I used skim milk. I couldn't be happier about how it tastes. I did add about an extra 1/2 cup of milk to get the soup to the consistency that I wanted. I also used vegetable broth rather than the chicken broth. Other than adding a little more milk, I made no other changes to the recipe. To serve the soup, I sprinkled just a bit of Thyme on top. 

Once again, if you like cauliflower...and cheese :), be sure to print off the recipe and give this soup a try. I know you won't be disappointed.