6-8 Servings || Estimated Preparation Time: 75 minutes

  Cauliflower Cashew Soup
      Nourish & Thrive
     
  
  
  Cauliflower and cashews are the dream team; both of these nutritional wonders also seem to have shape-shifting ability, because the end result is utterly smooth and satisfying. This creamy dish will heartily fill you up, finishing with a satisfying crunch from stove-top-crisped grains and nuts. The perfect bowl for a chilly night, earthy veggies are rounded out with sweet shallots and finished with the zip of apple cider vinegar and the zing of lemon juice. Feel free to divide the finished soup up and stow away in the freezer (just squeeze some fresh lemon juice on it again to brighten it right back up after reheating). You’ll be all set for another night when you only have the energy for heating something up on the stove and sinking into the couch with a cozy blanket. 
  
  
  6-8 Servings
  4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  6 shallots, thinly sliced
  4 garlic gloves, pressed/minced
  2 bay leaves
  12 fresh thyme sprigs
  Sea salt
  1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  head of cauliflower, cut into small florets, (reserve ½ cup for topping, finely chopped)
  1 1/8 cups raw cashews, divided into (1) cup, whole and (1/8) cups, finely chopped
  1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  8 cups vegetable broth
  Black pepper, freshly ground
  1/4 cup buckwheat groats
  1/2 lemon, juiced
  1/2 teaspoon paprika

  Wash, chop, and prep all ingredients.
  Soup:
  Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat for several minutes, once the pot is hot, add (2) tablespoons of olive oil and as soon as it shimmers in the pan add the (6) sliced shallots, (4) minced cloves of garlic, (2) bay leaves, and thyme leaves from (12) sprigs. Season with sea salt.
  Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, 6-8 minutes.
  Add the (1/2) cup of apple cider vinegar and simmer for about 2 minutes.
  After setting aside (1/2) cup cauliflower for the topping, add the rest to the pot, along with (1) cup of raw cashews, and (1/8) teaspoon of cayenne pepper; season with sea salt and pepper.
  Cover the pot and reduce the heat, occasionally stirring until cauliflower is tender to a fork tine (about 20 minutes or more).
  Add the (8) cups of vegetable stock, and season again with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer; keep partially covered another 20-25 minutes. Once the cauliflower is falling apart, fish out the bay leaves and remove the pot from the heat.
  While the soup is cooling a bit, move on to the topping (below)
  Once the topping is prepared and the soup has cooled, begin blending the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend the soup in batches in a counter-top blender. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon the buckwheat-cashew topping over the top.
  Topping:
  Heat a small sauté pan on medium heat. Once hot, add (2) tablespoons of olive oil and immediately add the (1/2) cup finely chopped cauliflower, (1/8) cup finely chopped cashews, and (1/4) cup buckwheat groats. Season heavily with sea salt and stir often until the buckwheat is crisped and the cashews are golden.
  Remove from the heat and stir in the juice from (1/2) lemon and (1/2) teaspoon of paprika and set aside.
  Tip: This soup can be made a couple days in advance, or stored in the freezer for up to one month in glass freezer-safe containers

Cauliflower and cashews are the dream team; both of these nutritional wonders also seem to have shape-shifting ability, because the end result is utterly smooth and satisfying. This creamy dish will heartily fill you up, finishing with a satisfying crunch from stove-top-crisped grains and nuts. The perfect bowl for a chilly night, earthy veggies are rounded out with sweet shallots and finished with the zip of apple cider vinegar and the zing of lemon juice. Feel free to divide the finished soup up and stow away in the freezer (just squeeze some fresh lemon juice on it again to brighten it right back up after reheating). You’ll be all set for another night when you only have the energy for heating something up on the stove and sinking into the couch with a cozy blanket.

Health Highlights

You may know the benefits of cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and the healthy fats and fiber found in nuts like cashews, so here we are introducing a new tool in the arsenal: buckwheat. Neither a grain nor a product of traditional wheat, buckwheat is a seed, jam-packed with “trace minerals, including manganese, magnesium and copper. It is also a good source of the B vitamins: B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, folate, thiamin and choline.” This recipe could be a great alternative for someone experiencing a dip in appetite as it may help stimulate hunger and is nutrient and calorie dense with the help of cashew nuts.

Ingredients

(4) tablespoons olive oil, divided into (2) tablespoons each
(6) shallots, thinly sliced
(4) garlic gloves, pressed/minced
(2) bay leaves
Leaves from (12) fresh thyme sprigs
Sea salt
(1/2) cup apple cider vinegar
(1) head of cauliflower, cut into small florets, (reserve ½ cup for topping, finely chopped)
(1 1/8) cups raw cashews, divided into (1) cup, whole and (1/8) cups, finely chopped
(1/8) teaspoon cayenne pepper
(8) cups vegetable broth
Black pepper, freshly ground
(1/4) cup buckwheat groats
(1/2) lemon, juiced
(1/2) teaspoon paprika

Tools

cutting board and knife
garlic press
large heavy pot
immersion blender
small sauté pan
handheld citrus juicer

Method

Wash, chop, and prep all ingredients.

Soup

Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat for several minutes, once the pot is hot, add (2) tablespoons of olive oil and as soon as it shimmers in the pan add the (6) sliced shallots, (4) minced cloves of garlic, (2) bay leaves, and thyme leaves from (12) sprigs. Season with sea salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, 6-8 minutes.
Add the (1/2) cup of apple cider vinegar and simmer for about 2 minutes.
After setting aside (1/2) cup cauliflower for the topping, add the rest to the pot, along with (1) cup of raw cashews, and (1/8) teaspoon of cayenne pepper; season with sea salt and pepper.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat, occasionally stirring until cauliflower is tender to a fork tine (about 20 minutes or more).
Add the (8) cups of vegetable stock, and season again with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer; keep partially covered another 20-25 minutes. Once the cauliflower is falling apart, fish out the bay leaves and remove the pot from the heat.
While the soup is cooling a bit, move on to the topping (below)
Once the topping is prepared and the soup has cooled, begin blending the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend the soup in batches in a counter-top blender. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon the buckwheat-cashew topping over the top.

Topping

Heat a small sauté pan on medium heat. Once hot, add (2) tablespoons of olive oil and immediately add the (1/2) cup finely chopped cauliflower, (1/8) cup finely chopped cashews, and (1/4) cup buckwheat groats. Season heavily with sea salt and stir often until the buckwheat is crisped and the cashews are golden.
Remove from the heat and stir in the juice from (1/2) lemon and (1/2) teaspoon of paprika and set aside.

Storage Tips

This soup can be made a couple days in advance, or stored in the freezer for up to one month in glass freezer-safe containers

Cancer Tips

Eating nuts like cashews is associated with higher survival rates in colon cancer. In a 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, research showed people who ate nuts every day were 11 percent less likely to pass away from cancer than people who consumed no nuts. [More info]
Studies indicate some protective associations of Allium vegetable (shallots/onions/garlic) consumption against cancers, particularly cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. [More info]
Human studies are thus far inconclusive, but studies in animals and experiments with cells grown in the laboratory have identified several potential ways in which compounds found in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, may help prevent cancer: They help protect cells from DNA damage, help inactivate carcinogens, have antiviral and antibacterial effects, have anti-inflammatory effects, induce cell death (apoptosis), inhibit tumor blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and tumor cell migration (needed for metastasis) [More info]
According to the AICR, cruciferous vegetables, which are high in fiber lower the risk of colon cancer. Additionally, non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower likely lower the risk of mouth, pharynx and larynx cancers. [More info]
Buckwheat is a seed jam packed with “trace minerals, including manganese, magnesium and copper. It is also a good source of the B vitamins: B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, folate, thiamin and choline.” [More info]
From the results of a 2007 study, it is suggested that buckwheat hull possesses anticancer properties against a variety of different cancer cells. [More info]

Recipe adapted from bonappetit.com’s “Cauliflower-Cashew Soup with Crispy Buckwheat”