astray recipes: Cauliflower cardamon soup

Categories: Soup/stew; Low cal/fat
Yield: 4 servings

Measure	Ingredient
1	Head cauliflower (abt 5 cups chopped)
1 tablespoon	Olive oil
1	Onion(s), finely chopped
2	Garlic clove(s), minced
1	Stalk celery finely chopped
2 cups	Vegetable stock
2 cups	(to 3 cups) skim milk
1 medium	Potato (10oz) peeled and diced
1	Bouquet garni of bay leaf, thyme, parsley
½ teaspoon	Ground cardamon or to taste
½ teaspoon	Ground coriander seeds or to taste
	Salt and pepper

1. Cut 6 florets off the cauliflower and reserve. Trim the bottoms, leaves and any tough fibrous parts off the remaining cauliflower and finely chop.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook the onion, garlic, and celery over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until soft but not brown.

Stir in the chopped cauliflower, vegetable stock, 2 cups milk, potato. bouquet garni, cardamon, coriander, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

3. Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower florets in rapidly boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain the florets in a colander and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain the florets and blot dry on paper towels.

4. Discard the bouquet garni. Pur‚e the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan and heat thoroughly. If the soup is too thick, thin with additional milk. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls; garnish each with a cauliflower floret.

High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking by Steven Raichlen pg 40 Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-26-95

cauliflower cardamon soup