This spicy vegetarian soup is perfect when you have a head cold, or just to warm up a winter day.

• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
• TSP ground ginger
• TSP ground Cloves
• Large dash toasted sesame oil
• 6 pitted black Kalamata olives
• 3 or 4 large mushrooms, sliced in big pieces
• 2 or 3 fresh scallions, sliced in big pieces
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped in a few large pieces
• Vegetable broth to cover, 30 oz. or more, preferably organic
• 1 large carrot or 6 baby carrots, sliced

In a large pot, melt the butter over high heat, and add at least half the cauliflower pieces. Let sauté for about a minute, stirring once.

Sprinkle ginger and cloves on top. After another minute, shake sesame oil on top.

Add the garlic pieces and wait. After a little while, add the black olives and the rest of the cauliflower. Let it continue to sauté for another minute or so, stirring once or twice.

Pour in the vegetable broth. Add the mushrooms and scallions. Let it approach boiling, then cut the flame to a very low simmer. Let the soup simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Add carrots.

Using a large spoon, remove at least half of the cauliflower and other vegetables and at least four ounces of broth and put them in a blender.

Blend to a creamy consistency. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot and stir.

Let simmer until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

Before serving, optionally place a couple of spoonfuls of leftover rice in each bowl, then pour the soup on top.

Tags: recipes, vegetarian

Filed under: Design, recipes

23 Responses to “Spicy cauliflower soup (vegetarian)”

1. 
   Ethan said on 14 February 2009 at 12:54 pm:

   I can’t abide by olives (horrible, nasty olives), but this sounds wonderful.

2. 
   Jeffrey Zeldman said on 14 February 2009 at 1:01 pm:

   Omit olives if desired!

3. 
   Ryan Dotson said on 14 February 2009 at 1:15 pm:

   Ooh. Makes me wish I didn’t have things to do tonight because this would be a delicious dinner! Tomorrow!

4. 
   Ryan Dotson said on 14 February 2009 at 1:16 pm:

   Oh, and thanks for sharing!

5. 
   Maykel Loomans said on 14 February 2009 at 1:28 pm:

   Looks pretty sweet! It does give me a physical urge to just blurt out one of my old, idle projects. If you have a picture of the lot, http://www.sochef.com is the place to put up the recipe! Oh snap, there I did it.

   Also good for a head cold, yet not so vegetarian, is a large pan of mussels, with onions, leek, wintercarrots, sellery, lots of pepper. This gets cooked and left standing on the stove for a while. After dinner you’re then able to take out some of the water and put a few tablespoons it in a glass. It’s very spicy and opens just about everything it can in your throat/nose/ear area. I always take half a coke glass, which is overkill, but works great ;-)

6. 
   Stefan David said on 14 February 2009 at 2:00 pm:

   Sounds really nice, I may try that. But how can something with butter be vegetarian food? Here in Germany butter is made from cow’s milk.

7. 
   Jeffrey Zeldman said on 14 February 2009 at 2:21 pm:

   Stefan:

   It’s vegetarian, not vegan. To make the recipe vegan, you’d replace the butter with a vegetable oil (like olive oil) and saute at a lower heat for less time.

8. 
   Stefan David said on 14 February 2009 at 2:44 pm:

   Ok, than vegetarianism seems to be handled in a more strictly way here. Here it means herbal only, what is “no milk, no eggs”. Otherwise it is lacto-ovo vegetarianism (you linked on that, not on vegetarian) where dairy products and eggs are allowed.

   Nice: In a London pub some years ago I’ve seen vegetarian menu which included tuna sandwich and salad with shellfish. Different interpretation there? Seems that I should see such things more liberally.

   Nice recipe anyway. And thank you for the tip with the vegetable oil instead, though I’m a positive carnivore ;-)

9. 
   willem said on 14 February 2009 at 4:25 pm:

   Double or triple the recipe and freeze portions in for a quick and sumptuous dinner after a long day – add a chunk of sourdough bread and Bob’s your uncle!

10. 
    Don - Creatively Done said on 14 February 2009 at 5:31 pm:

    Being a vegetarian (not vegan) and raising one, we always can use ideas and recipes like this. Sounds yummy yummy in my tummy tummy! Thanks.

11. 
    Thorvald said on 14 February 2009 at 6:18 pm:

    Add the garlic pieces and wait.

    How much garlic do you use? It’s not listed under ingredients.

12. 
    Jeffrey Zeldman said on 15 February 2009 at 11:52 am:

    How much garlic do you use? It’s not listed under ingredients.

    Oops, my bad.

    Three large cloves of garlic, chopped into a few big bits. I’ve updated the post to include this ingredient. Thanks for catching the error! :)

13. 
    vectr said on 15 February 2009 at 1:14 pm:

    It has been a staple of the Great British diet for centuries and reinvented itself with orange and purple varieties but the once popular cauliflower is feeling the heat.

    A bristly upstart from an Italian branch of the family is threatening to capture cauliflower’s place between the roast potatoes and carrots on Sunday dinner plates.

    Cauliflower production has fallen in Britain by about 35 per cent in the past decade as fears increase that farmers are abandoning it.

14. 
    vectr said on 15 February 2009 at 1:16 pm:

    whoops…

15. 
    Thorvald said on 15 February 2009 at 2:12 pm:

    Will try the soup over the next days. Preemptive measures… :)

16. 
    Shane said on 16 February 2009 at 8:50 am:

    In a London pub some years ago I’ve seen vegetarian menu which included tuna sandwich and salad with shellfish.

    ♫ But it’s ok to eat fish cause they don’t any feelings

17. 
    Rob Hunter said on 16 February 2009 at 9:22 pm:

    thanks for this. I’ve put it on my todo for next week.

18. 
    Damon Cool said on 19 February 2009 at 6:56 pm:

    I like your soup, but it looks a little on the boring side.

    Please check out my new favorite food site:
    http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

    Mmmmmmmmm

19. 
    Paul said on 24 February 2009 at 9:21 am:

    The burgers look great!!

    http://www.directondergoed.nl

20. 
    Pam said on 29 June 2009 at 4:28 pm:

    I saw that someone wrote to freeze the soup for later. I wanted to know if anyone has tried that yet? I am a Personal Chef and am thinking about making this for one of my clients.

    Thanks!