To me soup is like warm hug in the winter time. In this recipe I lightened up the classic Potato Leek Soup by swapping starchy potatoes with cauliflower and cutting out the cream.
Cauliflower is in the cruciferous family and is one of the healthiest vegetables out there. The many health-protective phytochemicals in cauliflower include reducing inflammation, boosting immune function, repairing DNA, and blocking cancer cell growth.
One ingredient you might not be familiar with in this soup is nutritional yeast. It’s loaded with B vitamins and has a slightly cheesy taste. I sprinkle it in soups to bump up the savoriness but I also love putting it on roasted vegetables, pasta, and homemade popcorn. My favorite brands are Red Star and Bragg’s and you can find it in health food stores or Amazon. Just make sure you don’t buy Brewer’s Yeast! It’s not the same thing at all.
Cauliflower Leek Soup
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This is a lower-carb version of Potato Leek soup with much more fiber to keep you full longer.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated margarine, like Earth Balance
3 medium-sized leeks, diced small
1 cup chopped yellow onion
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large cauliflower, broken down into small florets
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil and margarine. Add the leeks, onion, and sea salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir well. Cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the cauliflower, vegetable broth, and rosemary, cover with lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and mashable.
- Remove the soup from the heat, stir in nutritional yeast and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot until smooth. Add pepper to taste and serve immediately.