Curried (Vegan) Cauliflower & Leek Soup

This creamy Curried Cauliflower & Leek Soup is a delicious addition to our repertoire in the Cafe and has been very popular. It was the first creamy soup I had tried using a non-dairy milk.

The original recipe that I picked up on Pinterest from Beard and Bonnet calls for canned coconut milk, which I have listed in the recipe below. It was also elegantly garnished with crushed red pepper and cilantro stems.

This last time I made it, I used fresh coconut milk, which was thinner than the canned. It was easy to adjust for this by using only milk and no water in the soup. I have a few heat-sensitive customers, so I garnished this time with cilantro and red bell pepper.

I made a few other changes in the recipes, mainly in the procedure.

Curried (Vegan) Cauliflower & Leek Soup

Ingredients

• Cauliflower, 2 lb.
• Leeks, 1 cup cleaned chunks (white or light green parts only)
• Ginger, 1-1/2″ piece
• Basmati rice, dry, 1-2 TB
• Limes, 1-1/2 for garnish and additional flavor
• Cilantro, 1/3 cup
• Thai green or yellow curry paste, 2-3 TB
• Coconut butter, 2 TB
• Coconut milk, 4 cups (either use one can augmented with water to make 4 cups, or use 4 cups of fresh coconut milk)
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. Add coconut butter/oil to the soup pot.
2. Prepare the veggies for cooking and pureeing, beginning with the cauliflower. Remove the greenest part of the cauliflower leaves and discard or save for use in another soup stock. Cut out the core and stalk portions of the flowerets and add to the soup pot. Reserve flowerets.
3.  Wash mud out of the leeks and cut lower portion into chunks, leaving the tougher darker green portions for another soup stock. Add prepared chunks of leeks to soup pot.
4. Peel ginger piece and add to soup pot.
5. Cut away any brown parts of cilantro stems. Cut of remainder of stems and put into soup pot. Reserve the leaves to mince for garnish.
6. Add the dry rice to the pot.
7. Add half the coconut milk (fresh or reconstituted from can) to the pot.
8. Bring mixture in pot to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook veggies until soft.  Cool slightly.
9. Move the contents of the soup pot to a Vita-Mix or blender and blend until very smooth and hopefully thick.
10. Move blended ingredients back to the stock pot and add the curry paste and perhaps a little lime juice if you wish. I like to use the lime as a garnish and let people squeeze their own lime juice into the soup if they wish.
11. Add the uncooked cauliflowerets to the pot and simmer until the cauliflower is slightly soft. This won’t take long at all.
12. Check the seasoning and add salt to taste or more curry paste if desired.
13. Dish up, garnish with minced cilantro and either a few red pepper flakes or chopped red bell pepper. Enjoy.