Cauliflower Cashew Soup

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

Photo by Nourish & Thrive

Photo by 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.

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 

  1. Wash, chop, and prep all ingredients.

Soup

  1. 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.
  2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, 6-8 minutes.
  3. Add the (1/2) cup of apple cider vinegar and simmer for about 2 minutes.
  4. 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.
  5. Cover the pot and reduce the heat, occasionally stirring until cauliflower is tender to a fork tine (about 20 minutes or more).
  6. 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.
  7. While the soup is cooling a bit, move on to the topping (below)
  8. 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.
  9. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon the buckwheat-cashew topping over the top.

Topping

  1. 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.
  2. 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

Curried Lime Cauliflower

4 Servings || Estimated Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Photo by Nourish & Thrive

Photo by Nourish & Thrive

Making vegetables satisfying can be a task of its own, leading us to sometimes do crazy things, like sneaking them into recipes until they’re unrecognizable. Not here. Cauliflower is the absolute star of this recipe, and there’s no need to hide anything. The slightly charred cauliflower has a satisfying crunch, while the fresh lime juice and cilantro brightens everything up. I’d try this with some of your biggest veggie critics! 

Health Highlights 

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that just seems to check off all the right boxes. It’s what’s called a cruciferous vegetable (like broccoli, bok choy, and cabbage, just to name a few), and this group of vegetables has intense cancer fighting phytochemicals and can even help the body eliminate excess estrogen. Not only that, but cauliflower is high in fiber and is a good source of vitamins C, E, and K, as well as folate and minerals! Combined with the spices in curry blends with an extra dose of turmeric (with black pepper to help with curcumin absorption), this recipe is the pinnacle of anti-inflammatory. Turmeric can also help stimulate your appetite, so if you’re not particularly hungry during treatments, this recipe may help give you a little hunger boost!

Tools 

  • (2) cookie sheets 

  • (1) large prep bowl 

  • measuring spoons 

  • knife with cutting board 

Ingredients 

  • (2) heads of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

  • (1) lime, zested and juiced

  • (1/2) bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped 

  • (1) tsp curry powder (cumin, coriander, turmeric, dry mustard) 

  • (1/2) tsp turmeric 

  • (1/2) tsp freshly ground black pepper 

  • pinch of sea salt 

  • (2) tbsp olive oil

  • (3) tbsp vegan mayonnaise 

Method 

  1. Wash your veggies, and assemble the ingredients. 

  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees 

  3. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the (1) tsp curry powder, (1/2) tsp turmeric, (1/2) tsp black pepper, pinch of sea salt, and the (2) tablespoons of olive oil, until well coated.  

  4. Spread the cauliflower mixture on 1-2 baking sheets, avoiding overlap and roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes 

  5. While the cauliflower is roasting, use the same mixing bowl from earlier to mix up the (3) tablespoons of vegan mayo, with the lime zest and lime juice 

  6. When the cauliflower florets are beginning to brown and crisp up at the edges, take them out of the oven, serve up a hearty helping, and then heartily drizzle the dressing over top. Sprinkle it with the chopped cilantro and sprinkle with a touch more sea salt. (You could also toss everything together in that same large prep bowl, if you’re going to be eating everything up in one sitting with family or friends, but I like to keep the dressing and cilantro separate for reheating leftovers!) 

Cancer Tips 

  • AICR states that one of the most studied spices for its anticancer activity is turmeric and it gets its yellow color from the well-studied compound curcumin. In lab studies, curcumin reduces inflammation and limits cancer cell growth. Studies are also looking at how curcumin – in high amounts -- may help cancer survivors [More info]

  • Turmeric is a spice that contains the antioxidant curcumin. According to The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, researches have found in laboratory studies that curcumin interferes with some cancer development pathways, and now human studies to test these relationships are currently in the very early stages [More info]

  • Though human studies are thus far inconclusive, studies in animals and experiments with cells grown in the laboratory have identified several potential ways in which compounds found in cruciferous vegetables may help prevent cancer by: protecting cells from DNA damage, helping to inactivate carcinogens, possessing antiviral and antibacterial effects, having anti-inflammatory effects, inducing cell death (apoptosis), and inhibiting tumor blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and tumor cell migration (needed for metastasis) [More info]

  • A study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that some spices, including coriander, can prevent heterocyclic amine (HCA) from forming in meats during cooking. (The National Cancer Institute defines HCAs as chemicals formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures. A high consumption of foods containing HCAs is associated with a higher risk of cancer.) [More info]

Recipe adapted from It's All Easy