Soup Ideas

Arctic January in Boston means lots of soups. Here are the soups I've tried this year:

Healthy Tomato soup: I added spicy Hungarian paprika to basic tomato soup and finished it with nonfat Greek yogurt (rather than cream) for a protein-packed yet creamy consistency.

Kale, White bean, Sausage soup: iron-rich kale and lean chicken or turkey sausage create great flavor for this winter soup.

Ribollita: Following the traditional Tuscan recipe in the Italian cookbook La Cucina Fiorentina, this hearty vegetable soup uses both collard greens and kale or chard, and both whole and blended white beans for varying textures. Ribollita means "reboiled" in Italian, so this soup should be made the night before serving, then bring to a boil again the next day, hence boiling twice, for a thick, rustic result.

Roasted Cauliflower soup: I roasted both white and golden cauliflower in the oven and then created a three-cheese sauce using blue cheese, gruyere and extra-sharp white cheddar. This is snow day comfort food, best served bubbling hot.

Lentil soup: stewed lentils with sweet potato, carrots and spinach for a fiber-filled winter meal. When it's bitter cold below freezing, spiced lentil stew does the trick.

Stewed Indian Cauliflower

When I think of an Indian cauliflower dish I typically think of aloo gobi, spiced cauliflower with potatoes, but that is a dry dish whereas the following creation is more "wet" - filled with vegetables and robust flavors, this is one you've got to try:

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
1/2-1 yellow onion
Few tbsp. minced ginger
Few tbsp. minced garlic
Spices to taste: garam masala, coriander, tumeric, curry, chili, tandoori spice, salt, pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup (or so) roasted cashews
Bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves
Golden raisins
1/4 lb. fresh Greek feta, diced (this was a last minute addition on a whim)

Method
1) Add oil to large skillet and heat to medium high, adding sliced onion to saute until near translucent. Add minced ginger and garlic.
2) Season with spice mixture to taste (I am of course a bit heavy-handed with spices ...), stirring with wooden spoon to mix evenly.
3) Add the cauliflower and stir to coat with spices - veggies should be a bright golden color. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat, allowing the cauliflower to roast, and add chicken stock.
4) Add diced tomatoes and simmer, adding chickpeas, cashews and golden raisins after a few minutes. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
5) Wilt in spinach, stirring into vegetable mixture. Turn off heat and add in diced feta (this was my last-minute substitute for paneer, Indian cheese, but if you can find it then go authentic!)

Squeeze some lime juice over top for fresh acid if you like, and serve over sweet brown rice. Enjoy!