Cauliflower, Garlic and Turmeric Soup
by NigellaIntroduction
Packed full of vegetables and phytonutrients, it is undeniably true that this soup is both soothing and bolstering as well as easy and gratifying to eat. Baking the garlic gives a lot of depth while taking away any potential for bitter heat; strangely, the turmeric seems to assuage, if not remove, the school corridors smell of the cooking cauliflower. And the colour, an almost acid gold, is glorious.
Written for The Royal Marsden Cancer Cookbook, published by Kyle Books. Photography by Georgia Glynn-Smith.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Packed full of vegetables and phytonutrients, it is undeniably true that this soup is both soothing and bolstering as well as easy and gratifying to eat. Baking the garlic gives a lot of depth while taking away any potential for bitter heat; strangely, the turmeric seems to assuage, if not remove, the school corridors smell of the cooking cauliflower. And the colour, an almost acid gold, is glorious.
Written for The Royal Marsden Cancer Cookbook, published by Kyle Books. Photography by Georgia Glynn-Smith.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 bulb garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 cauliflower (broken into florets)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 large potato (peeled and diced)
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock (Marigold bouillon powder or cube is fine)
- fresh parsley or coriander/cilantro, to serve
- 1 bulb garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 cauliflower (broken into florets)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 large potato (peeled and diced)
- 4 cups hot vegetable broth (Marigold bouillon powder or cube is fine)
- fresh parsley or coriander/cilantro, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Cut the top off the head of the garlic so that you can just see the tops of the cloves. Sit the garlic on a generous square of aluminium foil (shiny-side up) and drizzle a small amount of the olive oil over. Pull up the edges of the foil to form a tightly wrapped but baggy parcel and put in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a little while you get on with the soup.
- Pour the rest of the oil into a wide saucepan and fry the onion gently for 10 minutes or so until softened but not browning. Add the cauliflower florets and turn in the oily onion. Add the turmeric and keep stirring, then stir in the potato. Cover and cook over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Squeeze in the pulpy, sweet, baked garlic cloves (just squish the head straight into the saucepan) and then add the stock/broth. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook for a further 15 minutes or so. Purée in a foodprocessor or blender or, if you like a soup with more texture, just stick a handheld blender in the pan or bash about with an old-fashioned potato masher.
- Add freshly chopped parsley or coriander/cilantro to the bowls as you eat.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Cut the top off the head of the garlic so that you can just see the tops of the cloves. Sit the garlic on a generous square of aluminium foil (shiny-side up) and drizzle a small amount of the olive oil over. Pull up the edges of the foil to form a tightly wrapped but baggy parcel and put in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a little while you get on with the soup.
- Pour the rest of the oil into a wide saucepan and fry the onion gently for 10 minutes or so until softened but not browning. Add the cauliflower florets and turn in the oily onion. Add the turmeric and keep stirring, then stir in the potato. Cover and cook over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Squeeze in the pulpy, sweet, baked garlic cloves (just squish the head straight into the saucepan) and then add the stock/broth. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook for a further 15 minutes or so. Purée in a foodprocessor or blender or, if you like a soup with more texture, just stick a handheld blender in the pan or bash about with an old-fashioned potato masher.
- Add freshly chopped parsley or coriander/cilantro to the bowls as you eat.
Additional Information
• Boost the protein and energy of this soup by adding a blob of crème fraiche or sour cream, and grated cheese just as you serve.
• Alternatively, eat with a light meal of bread and a selection of cold meats or cheeses, or hummus.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Cover and refrigerate cooked soup for up to 5 days or freeze in a resealable container for up to 3 months. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot. Reheat only once.
• Boost the protein and energy of this soup by adding a blob of crème fraiche or sour cream, and grated cheese just as you serve.
• Alternatively, eat with a light meal of bread and a selection of cold meats or cheeses, or hummus.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Cover and refrigerate cooked soup for up to 5 days or freeze in a resealable container for up to 3 months. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot. Reheat only once.
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Show more commentsI've just had this for my dinner, it was so tasty. Easy enough to prep. I will definitely making this again.
I couldn't get this recipe out of my head. Finally got a beautiful cauliflower head so and just finished making this. So delicious!
Made this tonight. Delicious.
This is our favourite soup. More than the sum of its parts. I wish I had a cauliflower at the moment!
This turned out delicious. I followed the hints of others and roasted the whole cauliflower covered in oil, herbs and spices, also doubled amount of garlic. Along with turmeric I added ground coriander & Moroccan seasoning. This worked out an economical soup as caulis are abundant and very cheap. An easy soup that I will definitely be making again.
This soup is absolutely delicious! It is super creamy when pureed. The roasted garlic adds such an incredible subtle flavor. I followed the recipe exactly, but chose to add a half tsp each of cumin, coriander and za'atar when adding the turmeric. It was amazing, and so satisfying on a winters day! Highly recommended! Thank you Nigella for such a wonderful (and vegan) recipe! This is definitely my new favourite soup!
I made the cauliflower, garlic, turmeric soup yesterday. While baking the garlic I sliced the cauliflower, potato and onion and added them to the pan with the garlic, roasting them all together, then continues with the recipe. It was the best cauliflower soup ever. Thanks for the recipe.