Spiced Cauliflower Soup

So...this is my new favourite soup. Have I said that before?
Spicy, warming, rich and creamy while meeting my 3 very important criteria for a dish: Simple to make, extremely Nourishing (not only for the body but the mind & soul too) and, yes you guessed it Delicious! I hope you know by now that I wouldn't share a recipe with you that didn't meet these three expectations. Why not get the best BANG for your BUCK?

It's winter over here on the beautiful west (or wet) coast of of British Columbia and if you're in the thick of it like we are (maybe not super cold but so, so very wet) then you know how much comfort a warm, hearty bowl of soup can bring you. In my humble opinion, this soup has all you need to keep that wet, cold, wintry chill out of your bones and satiate your body. Stores of plant nutrients from the humble yet dynamic and powerhouse cauliflower, essential fats from the sweet and creamy cashew and coconut, spicy and warming qualities brought to you by garlic, ginger and onion and the healing and supportive properties of cinnamon, cumin and turmeric.

Speaking of turmeric, it's a pretty awesome spice. It's a golden coloured powder from a rhizome (ginger is a rhizome too) that is dried and ground to make the powder. When you hear people talking about turmeric being anti-inflammatory, high in anti-oxidants, with cancer preventing and reducing properties, plus pain relieving effects, it's mostly the active and well studied component within it called curcumin.

The amount of curcumin in turmeric is under 7%. So if you're planning to supplement then it's important that the label states how much "curcumin" it contains. Eating turmeric alone will NOT be as potent as taking the approved Health Canada dose of 300 mg supplement of curcumin three times a day. But it certainly may have some benefit if eaten regularly. If you're looking for therapeutic use, you'd likely get more benefit from supplementing.  I believe in using food as medicine, but there's a time and a place for supplements.

Some of the contraindications for supplementing with Curcumin are if you:

• Are pregnant
• Taking anti-platelet medications or blood thinners
• Have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction
• Have stomach ulcers or excess stomach acid

There are many people that take curcumin supplements to help relieve joint inflammation or to use as an anti-oxidant. It's also been studied to protect your brain and heart, as well as to prevent and reduce the side effects of diabetes.

Turmeric is fat-soluble and doesn't absorb well in your gut, so if you want to absorb the goodness (curcumin) of this herb then add a pinch of black pepper. This will make it more absorbable...and delicious!

This is the time of year when many animals hibernate. Us humans tend to slow it down a bit, spend more time indoors, eat heartier meals, maybe find more time for inward reflection and contemplation. Why not do all of this with a nice, warm, soothing bowl of Spiced Cauliflower Soup!

Spiced Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 red onion, diced
3 tablespoons grated ginger
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2  teaspoon cumin, ground
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium - large head cauliflower, cut into florets
5 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup cashews
1 8 ounce can full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot. Melt coconut oil.
2. Add onion, cook for 4-6 minutes until they soften. Add ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook for another minute.
3. Stir in cinnamon, cumin, turmeric salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add cauliflower and cashews, stir until coated with spice. Cook for 3 minutes.
5. Pour in water or stock. Bring to a boil then immediately turn down to low heat. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
6. Stir in coconut oil and lemon juice. Season with more salt if needed. Turn heat off.
7. With a blender or immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and creamy.
8. Serve while nice and warm!