Cauliflower, Carrots, Whole Roasted Garlic & Turmeric Soup (V)

A warm hug of creamy garlic essence comes with every bowl of this delicious soup, but it’s so close to summer was it still worth posting? A closer look at the recipe revealed it is from the The Royal Marsden Cancer Cookbook so the answer was a definitive yes. The introduction to this healthful recipe posted by Nigella describes it best:

“Packed full of vegetables and phytonutrients, it is undeniably true that this soup is both soothing and bolstering as well as easy and gratifying to eat. Baking the garlic gives a lot of depth while taking away any potential for bitter heat; strangely, the turmeric seems to assuage, if not remove, the school corridors smell of the cooking cauliflower. And the colour, an almost acid gold, is glorious.”*

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons**

Ingredients:

1 bulb of garlic, top 1/4" chopped off

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Image from Abe Books
Link to book here

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 medium cauliflower, stem removed and broken in florets

2 bunches medium carrots, greens removed, peeled and chopped into 1" horizontal pieces (about 12 carrots)

4 cups vegetable stock (homemade stock makes all the difference in the taste of soup; see link here for easy recipe that can be made ahead of time)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Optional garnishes: fresh curly parsely or cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º F.

1. Place the prepared bulb of garlic on the shiny side of a generous square of tin foil, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top, and seal the foil to make a loose tent around the garlic. Bake for 40 minutes on a cookie sheet and let cool.

2. Heat a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric and stir for 1 minute. Add the baked garlic and stir. 

3. To the pot, add the cauliflower, carrots and 4 cups of stock (or just enough to cover the vegetables). Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and cover the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes at a low simmer until the vegetables are soft enough for a fork to easily pierce them. Let cool for a couple of minutes.

4. Purèe in the soup pot with an immersion blender; or when the soup has cooled, in a food processor or blender, or with a handheld potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the soup to serve.

Top with the garnish of your choice and enjoy!

#paleo #antiinflammatory #cauliflower #carrot #soup #garlic #turmeric #healthyeats #antioxidents #vegan #wellness #foodismedicine #immunebooster #nutrition #anticancer #glutenfree #vegetarian *instarecipes #recipes #instafood #organic

*Recipe adapted from Nigella website here.

**My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.