Exhausted – that pretty well sums up how I’ve been feeling lately. This school term, like every term before it, has found me always madly trying to catch up, let alone stay ahead. That can be pretty frustrating, especially since I like to take my time when tackling assignments and projects. It does put things in perspective though – I’m really looking forward to going back to work in May. I’ve been taking some courses relevant to my job, so it should be even more rewarding this time around (I worked for the same employer through the fall term). Right now, I’m just trying to focus on the end goal.
So what do you do when everything is hanging in the balance? Well, I make soup. This week it was a creamy cauliflower soup that I chanced upon in Smitten Kitchen’s archives. It’s exactly what I was looking for – hearty and comforting, with the added bonus of being pretty darn healthy too. I like that in a soup. I bumped up the flavour a little bit from the original by adding more garlic, some chili-garlic sauce (I suspect a pinch or two of red pepper flakes would be work just as well) and some fresh rosemary I had in the fridge. These strong flavours were muted by the cauliflower, and the balance ended up being just right for my palate. I’ll be eating this soup for the next few days for lunch, accompanied by a simple salad or some bread. Perfect food for imperfect times.
Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¾ tsp chili-garlic sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped, leaves and core removed
- 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
- ½ cup Parmesan
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onions, garlic, and rosemary. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chili-garlic sauce and stir to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute more.
Add cauliflower and stock, stirring to mix.
Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender and almost falling apart.
Purée the soup using either an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches).
Stir in the Parmesan.
Season with salt and pepper.
Tags: cauliflower, Soup
