Curried Cauliflower and Leek Soup

his is one of my favourite soups. It's pretty quick to make, and really warms you up. You can make it "as is", and you can also grate in a green apple while cooking the cauliflower to add some extra complexity. If you're not a fan of leeks, or you only have regular onions, you can saute a whole finely diced onion in a bit of oil in the same pot that you'd cook the cauliflower in, before you add the stock. So, even more options for you.

Here's the list of ingredients:

• Half a head of cauliflower, cut up into small pieces
• One whole leek, cleaned well, and cut into short lengths
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp of olive or canola oil
• 1 tbsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• Curry powder or garam masala or some other Indian spice mixture (or roll your own!)
• 3 cups of vegetable stock (fresh is best, store bought/made if you must)
• A big handful of freshly chopped cilantro

Begin by bringing the 3 cups of vegetable stock to a boil. Once that happens, add the cauliflower. While the caulilflower is cooking, heat a skillet to medium heat with the tbsp. of oil, and add your leek. Season with a bit of salt, and cook until the leek is soft and becoming slightly browned (carmelized goodness).

Once the leek is done, add it to the pot with the cauliflower. At this point, you can add your spice mixture. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes to let the flavours develop.

When the cauliflower is soft enough to push a fork through easily, take it off the heat. Add the nutmeg at this point. In batches, blend it to a smooth puree. Be careful - blending hot liquids can be tricky, so go slowly, and maybe let it cool a bit first. I find it best to put my blender on pulse mode.

When it's all blended, you can either serve right away, or let it cool and then re-heat, which helps improve flavour. Serve with freshly chopped cilantro on top as a garnish.

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