Dairy Free "Cream" of Cauliflower Soup

We are homebound today after after freezing rain and snow blew through last night. What makes it worse is they are not expecting the temperatures to go above freezing for the next couple of days. This kind of weather shuts everything down around our neck of the woods, we are in the south, we don't do snow well. (right after husband spent twenty minutes clearing the car, his work called and told to him to stay home, his office would be closed)

I like being homebound, it puts me in the mood to cook, and soup is a natural for days like today. I make a lot of soup, especially in the winter, pair it with a sandwich or a nice piece of bread and you have a meal. I am always on the lookout for a new recipe and have been trying to find ways to adapt some of the old recipes I made before going dairy free. 

I used to make a cauliflower cheese soup, it no longer worked with my new dairy free lifestyle, but I really had a taste for it.  I started with the base of the old cauliflower cheese recipe and adjusted and added/deleted  ingredients until I came up with something that tasted pretty good. An immersion blender and coconut milk made it so creamy that I didn't even miss the cheese. I knew it was a winner when husband remarked that I needed to write down what I did so I could make this soup again. 

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

1 head cauliflower

1 carrot, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2-3 slices of bacon, chopped 

1-2 cups coconut milk

1 tablespoon butter spread (I use Earth Balance)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Break/cut  cauliflower into small pieces and cook in water till fork tender. While cauliflower cooking saute chopped carrot and onion in 1 tablespoon butter spread in saucepan until tender, take it out of saucepan and set aside. Then cook bacon in that same saucepan until crisp, drain on paper towel. Once cauliflower is cooked, drain and add remaining butter spread, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add about a cup of coconut milk and begin using the immersion blender and continue adding the coconut milk until it gets to the consistency that you like. I blended the cauliflower until it was pretty smooth, you may like it a little chunkier. After blending the cauliflower I added the bacon, (reserve a little for garnish)  blended, then added the onions and carrots. I only blended a few seconds after I added carrots and onion because I wanted some texture. I garnished with the leftover bacon bits.

I like the thicker consistency, you may like yours a little thinner. Seasoning could also be adjusted to your taste. My goal was to make a cream soup without using dairy, this worked

Moroccan Chickpea Chili

Did you know that January is National Soup Month, it's also National Hot Tea month, National Slow Cooking Month and National Oatmeal Month. I am not sure who comes up with this or why but in celebration of National Soup Month I though I would share a new favorite soup of mine.

I was looking for something new and different and used ingredients I already had on hand. (Yes, I had turmeric on hand, I think my son had bought it on one of his visits home, it's not unusual for him to cook when he comes for a visit). I was a bit nervous about using all these spices but it was delicious and is now a regular week night meal.

Recipe from "Cooking Light" September 2007

Moroccan Chickpea Chili
 2 teaspoons olive oil
 1  cup chopped onion
 3/4 cup chopped celery
 1/2 cup chopped carrot
 1 clove minced garlic
 2 teaspoons ground cumin
 2 teaspoons paprika
 1 teaspoon ground ginger
 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
 1-1/2 cup water (I used 2 cans chicken broth)
 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained (I used 1 can)
 1 (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes
 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. And onion, celery and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, tomato paste, chickpeas and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

This recipe is quick and easy, and has the added benefit of being healthy and low fat and did I mention it was delicious. Trust me on this one, you've just got to give this one a try.

Warm Goodness For A Cold Day

We love all kinds of soups during the winter. Paired with some bread and a salad and you have dinner. The bonus for us is that most recipes make enough soup for us to freeze for another meal to be used at a later date...I love that part. A friend made this soup for me a couple of years ago, she got the recipe from another friend...bottom line, we have no idea where the recipe came from. It is perfect for a cold winter day like today and it's so easy to make.



Italian Beef and Bean Soup
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 cup sliced carrots
1 medium zucchini sliced and quartered
1 14 1/2ounce can Italian style tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 cans beef broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups fresh spinach

Cook the ground beef and the garlic, add the carrots (I slice the carrots and precook in the microwave a bit to soften) Then add remaining ingredients except spinach and zucchini and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. I then add the zucchini, cook until soft and then add the spinach. I use baby spinach and pull it right from the bag ( I also use more than 2 cups because we like spinach) This soup is very forgiving, you can adjust to suits your tastes. This recipe serves 4-6 people