Curried Cauliflower Soup

With my head cold and congestion I found myself daydreaming about a curry cauliflower soup that my mother in law made for us and found this creamy variation with coconut milk.

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets, stems chopped
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 to 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 small lemon, zested (about 1 tsp zest)
• ½ cup white wine
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped green onions/chives
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Thinly sliced hot peppers (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower with enough coconut oil or olive oil to lightly coat it. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. It will really start to smell nutty and you can smell the toasting coconut oil.
2. In a large stock pot over medium heat, sweat the onion with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and a dash of salt until translucent. Add the curry paste and lemon zest and stir to incorporate.
3. On medium-high heat, add the wine. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has evaporated.
4. Add the stems and half of the roasted cauliflower florets to the pot (reserve the rest for garnish). Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk and sugar.
5. Heat just until the soup is warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (or puree in batches in a blender, allowing heat to escape through lid and cover with towel)
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each with ¼ of the cauliflower florets, a sprinkle of basil and chives and hot peppers (optional).

Original recipe from Cookie and Kate