Curried Cauliflower Soup

Curried Cauliflower Soup

1 head Red Dog cauliflower, including the stem, roughly chopped
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed with your knife
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 tablespoons yellow Thai curry paste (can sub another color)
5 cups stock (veggie or chicken)
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
Sea salt, to taste
Sliced green onion, chili peppers, cilantro, chili oil and/or freshly squeezed lime juice, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the chopped cauliflower on the baking sheet, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes, or until it is soft and dark brown in many spots.

While the cauliflower is roasting, begin the rest of the soup. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until both the carrots and onion are brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the turmeric and Thai curry paste and cook for 1 more minute. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove and dark bits.

Add the remaining stock and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the cauliflower has finished cooking. Pull the cauliflower from the oven and add it to the pot (reserving a few small pieces for garnish, if you’d like).

Using an immersion blender (or, working in small batches, using a regular blender), blend the soup until it is very smooth. Add the coconut milk and season to taste with sea salt.

Serve the soup garnished with the reserved cauliflower florets and any or all of the other garnishes.