Thursday, January 15, 2009

Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Soup - Slimming Down With Soups!



I love everything about soup. I love cooking them, I love eating them, I love creating them. They are a great way to fill up without many calories (at least the way I make them). They are also a great way to work in all those wonderful vegetables that we are supposed to eat every day. If you have a garden, they are a great way to use up those bumper crops.

If you have a cup or even a bowl of soup with lunch or dinner, it will prevent you from over-eating the main course while providing added nutrition.


Here’s a tasty and healthy recipe that I love serving to my guests. Most creamy cauliflower soups have butter, cream and cheese – not very healthful or low calorie. This version gets its creamy texture from a few added potatoes. With only 123 calories per serving, it provides almost 6 grams of fiber.


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Vegan Creamy Cauliflower soup 

[makes 6 servings] 
2 t olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium inner stalks of celery
2 ½ cups of Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 large head of cauliflower 

½ to 1 teaspoon of salt, (more or less to taste)
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, (more or less to taste)
 

6 cups of vegetable stock
¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of mushrooms (white or something exotic)


In a medium stockpot, heat olive oil and cook the onions and celery for several minutes. 

Stir in the potato, cauliflower, salt, pepper and stock and bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. 
Processing in batches, put the mixture in a blender until smooth. 
Return to pot, add mushrooms, and cook until they soften.
Stir in the lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Per serving: 123 calories, 1.8g fat, .2g saturated fat, 5 g protein, 25.2 g carbohydrates and 5.8 g fiber.

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