Spicy Cauliflower Soup

This is from The Art of Simple Food (by Alice Waters), which is the best cookbook ever. John and Annemarie gave it to us for our wedding...LOVE IT! annemarie sent this recipe my way and said i must try. she was right. I made this last night and wow. i also made chicken burgers but gave mine to caleb and had another bowl of soup instead. (and by the way, full fat yogurt? decadent and delicious. i had some with granola for breakfast today)

so here is the recipe, courtesy AMBF and Alice Waters.

Spicy Cauliflower Soup
(makes 2 quarts: 4 to 6 servings)

This is an unusually spicy and full-flavored soup; if necessary, adjust the pungent spices to your comfort level. (AM's note: In other words, if you can't take spicy hot then take it easy on the chile flakes or leave them out altogether. I left them in, as I love food with heat and the yogurt really helps as well.)

Heat, in a heavy-bottomed soup pot:

- 1/4 cup olive oil

Add and cook, stirring often, over medium heat:

- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed **
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed **
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
salt
freshly ground black pepper

When very soft but not browned, add:

- 6 cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
- 1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed of green leaves and coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
- 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

Raise heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir vigorously with a spoon or whisk to coarsely puree the soup (or use a hand-held blender to puree; can also use potato mashed). You may need to add more broth to thin the sop if it is too thick. Taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve hot . Garnish each serving with:

- whole milk plain yogurt
- chopped cilantro or mint
- a squeeze of lime juice

** I lightly toasted the coriander and cumin seeds on the stove, allowed them to cool and then crushed them with a mortar and pestle - you can also use a coffee grinder for this.

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So, so good.