Rainy autumn days are perfect for making a warming hearty soup. This cauliflower-leek coconut soup is an easy and brilliant way to make a mid-week dinner. In fact, it is ready in less than 30 minutes. Simple, made with only three ingredients, yet tasty and packed with flavour. Moreover, it is vegan-friendly as well.
I like soups. In fact, no matter which season we are in, I love making soups. There are so many different recipes and combinations which you can use. Therefore, there’s a soup suitable for every season all year round. Moreover, usually, I try to add an unusual ingredient (well, unusual for my grandmother, wink) to give some extra kick to the flavour.
Most of the times, I add fruits or some lovely spices. I love spices! If you are intrigued, for instance, here are some of my lovely and tasty soups: summerish beetroot raspberry soup, autumn cauliflower spinach soup, creamy avocado yogurt soup, a wonderful beef Pho, rustic carrot green peas soup, thick roasted cauliflower pear soup, super healthy avocado-cabbage soup, warm carrot ginger soup and colourful red cabbage soup.
Why I picked a cauliflower-leek-coconut combination? Well, that’s really simple. I like vegetables, especially when roasted. Originally, I was looking for Brussels sprouts and fennel. But since I couldn’t find them at the small shop, I picked cauliflower and leek.
Moreover, the second reason is, I simply love coconut milk and coconut flavour in general. I love it so much, that I also used it when making fried pickles. Can you believe that?! Wink. Also, there was no doubt roasted cauliflower and leek would make a wonderful combination with coconut milk.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, you’ll need only three main ingredients, plus some spices for this delicious soup recipe. Instead of talking about cauliflower (which I’ve done many times already, for instance in cauliflower crust cottage pie or roasted cauliflower salad) and leek, I will say a few words regarding spices.
Cilantro seeds and yellow curry
The two spices that I used are curry and cilantro. I used yellow curry powder because of its warm and spicy background note. Also, besides cumin, turmeric, ginger, anise, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom, curry consists of cilantro as well. The reason I like curry is, that you can enjoy the flavour without the heat. Wink.
The second spice or herb is cilantro. Are you a cilantro lover? Or does it taste like soap to you? Wink. However, cilantro is really aromatic, either fresh or as seeds. I used the latter. Opposite to some recipes, I didn’t crash the seeds completely into powder. In fact, I usually crush them with the flat part of the knife instead. Consequently, they release just enough oils and flavours to give your dishes a lovely lemony, spicy and nutty note.
You might try with other vegetables and spices, too. And as I said, it’s easy and quick to make, tasty, healthy and more importantly, suitable for everyone, vegans, too.
Ingredients for 2 portions of cauliflower-leek coconut soup:
- 1/3 of cauliflower head (cut into florets)
- ½ leek
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tbsp of cilantro seeds
- 1-2 Tbsp of yellow curry powder
- 400 ml coconut milk (from a can, full-fat)
- parsley
After you preheat the oven to 200º C, wash and drain the vegetables. Then, cut the leek into about 1-2 cm thick circles and keep them as a whole piece. Or, on the other hand, you can separate and break them into layers. Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
Furthermore, cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the vegetables, in a single layer, on it. Moreover, drizzle them with olive oil, season and put in the oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until slightly tender.
Once the cauliflower florets get tender, prepare the coconut soup. Which, I may say, is basically warm coconut milk with spices. No matter how you call it, it will still be tasty. Wink. In a pan, drizzle some olive oil. At the same time, quickly half-crush the cilantro seeds.
Only when the oil gets hot, add the cilantro seeds and stir fry for 3 minutes. Then, add the yellow curry powder and continue to stir. At this point, pour in the coconut milk and stir until well amalgamated. Yes, a lot of stirring, I know.
Then, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Season with two pinches of salt and you are ready to serve.
In conclusion, divide the roasted leek and cauliflower between two plates, pour the coconut soup over them and add some fresh parsley. Also, do not forget the cilantro seeds in the pan. They are small yet very flavourful. This is really a simple and tasty autumn recipe. Therefore, next time you crave for a bowl of soup, try the cauliflower-leek coconut soup. Let me know how you like it.
Enjoy!
