Hi people, especially my vegetarian and vegan friends. Are you hungry? Use some lovely vegetables together with healthy spices to create amazing soups. I made an amazing healthy cauliflower spinach soup. The addition of wonderful spices, such as curry, turmeric, sweet paprika and ginger, gives a very special, kind of oriental, note to it. This soup recipe is an easy and great idea for a family supper or lunch.
As I mentioned before, this is a healthy and hearty soup. In addition to that, it’s also creamy, thick and very rich in flavour. If you are thinking of a “classic” clear-beef soup right now (that kind which my grandma used to make every Sunday) you are far away from this soup’s recipe. Wink. That being said, I have nothing against a classic beef soup, but I prefer a thick and rich one more.
Moreover, this healthy cauliflower spinach soup is made without any meat and other animal products. This makes it vegetarian and vegan! Oh gosh, I am making vegan recipes without knowing it. Ha ha ha. But, nothing to worry, I am still a meat lover. Wink.
Cauliflower and spinach are more than just vegetables
Why I used spinach and cauliflower? These two vegetables are simply great for soups. Here is why: cauliflower gives a lovely thick and creamy texture to the dish. Besides, it is a healthy low-carb substitute for potatoes as well. In fact, I also used it in my cottage pie recipe. Simply delicious!
Moreover, cauliflower is rich in fibre and easy addition to your diet. Just like cauliflower, also spinach has its benefits. Spinach is rich in Vitamins A, C, K, magnesium and (the one that we all know) iron. Usually, when eating spinach it can leave quite a strong irony aftertaste.
As a result, after adding spinach to the cauliflower and the blend of spices, you will still taste a hint of spinach but no iron. This healthy cauliflower spinach soup is a perfect food camouflage for kids who don’t like spinach. Wink.
Turmeric, paprika and curry
Have you noticed the colours? Amazing. I love earthy colours. You will get them thanks to the blend of spices (turmeric, paprika and curry). This mixture gives a rich flavour to the soup and any other dish. More importantly, all three spices used in this soup recipe are a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Their benefits are preventing heart diseases, fighting cancer and also Alzheimer’s. To summarize, turmeric, curry and paprika are not only tasty and colourful but also very healthy.
Last but not least, I added some coconut milk too. Yeah, again. I just can’t cook without it. Wink. Oh, and the same goes for cilantro. I love this herb. There is no way I could say „I have enough of cilantro“. Check out some of my recipes where I used cilantro ( Chili lime chicken, a delicious spicy carrot beef, tender almond butter chicken, a creamy avocado yoghurt soup, a flavourful beef Pho or in a sweet potato salad).
Ginger and cilantro
Ginger is another spice that I love. Of course, I used it also in this recipe. Ginger is a great friend of turmeric, curry, paprika and cilantro. It adds a lovely citrusy, spicy and a tangy kick to the dishes. Lovely! For more inspiration how to use ginger, check out these recipes: carrot ginger soup, a delicious Cape chicken curry or a seven-spice chicken.
Are you ready to make this healthy cauliflower spinach soup? Prepare your vegetables and spices. Let’s make a lovely bowl full of healthy boost.
Ingredients for 2 portions of a healthy cauliflower spinach soup:
- 1 Tbsp of avocado/coconut oil
- 1 red onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- a piece of ginger (3 cm, peeled and chopped)
- ½ of a cauliflower head (cut into florets)
- 2 carrots (cut)
- 2 tsp of curry powder
- 1 Tbsp of paprika
- 2 Tbsp of turmeric
- salt and pepper
- 600-800 ml vegetable stock (warm)
- 2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach (washed)
- cilantro (plus some for garnish)
- 2 Tbsp of full-fat coconut milk
First of all, find a larger deep pot. Then, chop the onion, garlic and ginger. In the pot, melt some avocado or coconut oil and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes until glossy.
In the meantime, cut the cauliflower into small florets and the carrots into smaller pieces. It really doesn’t matter how they look like. The only purpose of cutting them is so they cook faster. Add the cauliflower and carrots to the pot and stir until lightly browned.
At this point, stir in all of the spices (turmeric, curry and paprika) and season well. Then, pour in the warm vegetable stock, give it a stir and let it cook for 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower and carrots get tender.
Blend the healthy vegetables and spices
We are almost there. In the end, lay the fresh spinach in the pot (it will wilt in a matter of minutes) and cook for another 3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop some cilantro and put it aside. Once the vegetables are tender (I kept a couple of florets and carrot pieces for garnish), transfer everything to a blender or simply use an immersion blender (be careful, it’s hot!) and blend for 30 seconds or until pureed.
Next, pour the soup back in the pot, place on the stove, add the fresh cilantro and a couple of spoons of coconut milk. Yummy! Stir and let it cook for a minute.
Finally, serve a big bowl of this healthy cauliflower spinach soup to your family either for lunch or supper. It might be a perfect recipe for winter and colder days, but it’s a nice treat in summer and spring, too. Sprinkle some more cilantro and maybe some turmeric over each individual bowl for an extra kick.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
