Did you survive Thanksgiving? Good. Me too, barely. While in Oklahoma, I ate German chocolate cake for breakfast (more than once), overdosed on queso (entirely necessary) and cheered on the karaoke singers at a smoky Oklahoma City dive bar. Now it’s Monday, which means it’s time to get back into the swing of things. I’m going to need another cup of coffee for this.
Which reminds me: I’m out of half and half for my coffee. I’m also out of fresh greens and produce, so my lunch options are looking bleak. I really wish I had more of this Thai-spiced, roasted cauliflower and coconut milk soup. It’s creamy, yet dairy free, and loaded with good-for-you vegetables and spices. It’s exactly what my body needs after all that chocolate and cheese.
I made this soup with the help of some beautiful wooden tools from my sponsor over there in the sidebar, Earlywood Designs. The rock-solid ironwood cutting board, jatoba ladle and maple sauté stick—all Earlywood. All handcrafted by Brad in Red Lodge, Montana. They are gorgeous heirloom pieces that I look forward to cooking with for the rest of my life, and I’m happy to have the chance to promote a sustainable small business.
Update: Sorry, this giveaway has closed!
Here’s the fun part. Brad and I are giving away five Earlywood ladles! FIVE. To enter, all you have to do is hop over to Facebook and leave a comment on this picture.
We’d be glad for you to like the Cookie and Kate page and Earlywood pagewhile you’re at it, but that’s not necessary to enter the giveaway. We’re keeping it simple.
Lastly, if you would like to order some holiday gifts from Earlywood,Cookie and Kate readers can receive 15 percent off with the code COOKIEWOOD. Happy shopping!
A note on cauliflower. Even if you are not a big fan, I beg you to try roasted cauliflower. I still don’t love raw or steamed cauliflower (I’m a broccoli girl) but I absolutely love roasted cauliflower. Roasted cauliflower with a little bit of salt is, like, French fry good. Totally irresistible. And when you blend it up in a soup, it just makes the soup more creamy and hearty. Try it!
Creamy, vegan cauliflower soup made with coconut milk and spiced with curry. This healthy, comforting soup is perfect for chilly days.
- 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets, stems chopped
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste* (depending on preferred spice level, I love spicy so I'd use 3!)
- 1 small lemon, preferably organic, zested (about 1 teaspoon zest)
- ½ cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)**
- 1½ cups vegetable broth or stock
- 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped green onions/chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- thinly sliced hot peppers (optional, not shown)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower with enough coconut oil to lightly coat it (about 3 tablespoons). Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, sweat the onion with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and a dash of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the curry paste and lemon zest and stir to incorporate. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add all of the roasted cauliflower stems and half of the florets to the pot. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (Or transfer the soup in small batches to a blender, blending until each batch is smooth. Beware of the steam escaping from the lid.)
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each with ¼ of the cauliflower florets, a sprinkle of basil and chives and hot peppers (if using).
- Adapted from The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook. (Great cookbook!)
- *Thai red curry paste: I used Thai Kitchen's red curry paste for this soup. It's pretty readily available in grocery stores these days and shouldn't cost more than a few dollars. Look for it in the Asian food section, near the coconut milk.
- **If you want to skip the wine, just proceed to the next step (add the cauliflower and so forth).
