Friday, November 21, 2014

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

As fall transitions into winter and the days become longer (and colder), I find myself craving the warm, comforting tastes of soups.  And admit it, so do you.

For almost a year, I've been getting bi-weekly deliveries from Boston Organics (whom I adore). Not only do I get fresh organic produce delivered right to my door but this influx of delicious veggies has forced me to get creating with my cooking.

What's a girl to make when you have 3 pounds of sweet potatoes in your house?

Get thee to Pinterest, I say!

That's were I found a version of this soup, which I adapted slightly.  The recipe says it yields 6 to 8 servings but if you are often cooking for one or two people (like I do), it is very easy to have.  You should expect a halved recipe to serve about 4 ppl.  My batch lasted me about a week.

The unique component of this soup is the garam masala, a blend of spices like pepper, cinnamon, cloves and cardamon, common in North Indian and South Asian cuisine.  Garam refers to "heat" in the Ayurvedic sense of the word - to heat the body - as the spices elevate body temperature.

My roommate, Sailing Foodie, and I happen to love Indian food so it this was already in our pantry. The garam masala add an exotic spice and mild heat to the soup which in my humble opinion just send it over the edge.

The edge of deliciousness.

My version of the recipe includes meat but the soup can easily be made without the meat for those vegetarians out there.  It also doesn't have any cream in it but still manages to be creamy.  Amazing how that works, huh?

But seriously, this soup was mega delicious. In keeping with the Indian theme, this soup is great served with a slice of Trader Joe's Garlic Naan.  Or if you prefer, a good old fashioned grilled cheese works just as well.  Add in a little tomato too, if you're feeling funky.

Perhaps it'll be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Smaznego!


Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Soup
adapted from www.allysonkramer.com 

1 large head of cauliflower
olive oil for drizzling
few dashes of garam masala
1-2 TBL of butter
good quality Polish Kielbasa (a 3"to 4" piece, diced should be enough.)
3 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic
7 cups of water
S + P

  1. Preheat your oven to 400F
  2. Cut cauliflower into florets (bite sized)
  3. Place cauliflower florets on foil lined, ungreased cookie sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil and garam masala.
  4. Roast in oven for about 20-30 min, or until tender and golden brown on tops (want them to be cooked but not mushy)
  5. Remove from oven and let cool.
  6. In a large stockpot or Le Creuset, melt butter and bit of olive oil and saute kielbasa, onions, garlic, and potatoes, until onions are translucent.  Add bit of salt and pepper.
  7. Add water and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to simmer and let cool until the sweet potatoes are tender.
  8. Add in the cooked cauliflower and stir to combine flavors.
  9. Transfer 1/2 of the soup to a bowl and blend the rest with an immersion blender.  (This is what gives the soup its faux creamy look)
  10. Add the reserve soup back into the pot and adjust seasoning to taste.
  11. Serve and enjoy!

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