Mexican cauliflower soup
Those not on the South Beach Diet will be happy to hear that a new vendor will be coming to our market. The Tommy Boys Farm will bring 20 different kinds of organic potatoes.
According to Randy Johnson of the Johnson Family Farms in the Fresno area, we should watch the ground temperature carefully. As soon as the ground warms up to 60 degrees, asparagus will shoot up and be in the market the following Friday through probably mid to late February.
I approached this recipe with trepidation. In my early Detroit life, cauliflower was steamed for about 3 hours then covered with a cold Velveeta "cheese" sauce (with pimentos if we had company.)
Paul Reidinger, the food writer for the San Francisco Bay Guardian who gave our market a great review in a July 2003 issue, offers this recipe. I tried it and can honestly say it was fantastic.
Half the recipe was just enough for two.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups sliced onions
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (I used Dixon chili)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 medium heads cauliflower, cored and cut into chunks
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Garnish with diced tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro, or diced avocado and grated jack/cheddar cheese, or diced tomatoes and chopped fresh oregano.
Directions
- In a soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add chili powder and cumin, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Add cauliflower, potato, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Purée in a blender, food processor, or using one of those immersible portable hand blenders. Thin to desired consistency with a little stock or water, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with the garnishes.