Vegetarian Recipe: Indian-Style Cauliflower Soup with English Peas

Every week on the Good Food blog, we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

Amelia Saltsman, author of The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook, first shared this recipe with us on January 22, 2005. Take a look, after the jump…

Indian-style Cauliflower Soup with English Peas

by Ameila Saltsman

Makes 6-8 servings

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

1 onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and trimmed into florets

4-6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock for a non-veg meal)

1 cup shelled English peas

Fresh lime

2 Tablespoons each chopped mint, chives, and cilantro

In a wide pot, heat oil or ghee over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, stir and cook until brown, 1-2 minutes. Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, red pepper and salt and cook until fragrant 30-60 seconds. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in cauliflower and about 1/4 cup water and cover pot to par-cook the cauliflower.

After 5 minutes add the broth. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer soup until cauliflower is very tender, 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Puree the soup, adding a little water if it seems too thick, and season to taste with salt.

Return soup to medium-low heat, add the peas, and simmer just until they are tender but still bright green.

Give the soup a squeeze of lime and serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of chives, mint, and cilantro.