Curried Cauliflower Soup With Coriander Crunch
I learned to cook by making soups, and I will always love soup. Although we have moved into spring, the cool evenings still warrant a cozy bowl. In California, cauliflower is still widely available at the farmers market and will peak in April, so there is still time to enjoy this velvety, perfectly spiced soup topped with my latest obsession: Coriander Crunch.
It’s a hit with everyone, including my 11-year-old, who has been asking for it regularly lately—he loves it that much. Cauliflower is a nutrient-packed, low-carb vegetable that’s high in fiber and rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and folate. It’s such a versatile ingredient and works beautifully in this dairy-free, plant-based, flavorful soup.
And let’s talk for a moment about the coriander crunch, made with toasted coriander, fennel, and black mustard seeds. It’s a milder, welcome break from the omnipresent chili crunch with a kick—which I’m not mad at, but sometimes it can be a little intense for my digestion.
This topping is so good that I originally created it just for this soup, but quickly discovered it’s excellent on eggs, avocado toast, roasted vegetables, fish, and more. The last time I made it, I made a triple batch—it’s that good. All three seeds are also said to promote digestion.
Honestly, this recipe might warrant its own post. When you make it, go ahead and make a triple batch.
Serves 6/ Preparation time 25 minutes/ Cook time 35 minutes/ Total time about 55 minutes
Gather Soup ingredients
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (3 g) black mustard seeds
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 150 g)
1 leek, yellow parts only, sliced into semicircles and washed (about 120 g)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced (about 70 g)
2 garlic cloves, diced (6 grams)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced (10 grams)
3 teaspoons (9 grams) Indian curry powder
½ teaspoon (1 gram) coriander seeds
2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets (about 900 grams)
1 bay leaf
8 cups (1.9 L) vegetable broth or water
1 can coconut cream (5.4 oz / 153 grams) or 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz / 400 ml)
½ cup (80 grams) hemp seeds
1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut aminos
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ume plum vinegar
Salt, to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
Make Soup
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the black mustard seeds and stir for a few moments to release their aroma and flavor. Add the onion, leek, carrot, garlic, and ginger. Stir continuously until the onion is translucent, being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in the coriander seeds and curry powder, and continue stirring until the vegetables are well coated with the spices. Add the cauliflower florets and bay leaf, then stir. Pour in the vegetable broth or water. Depending on the size of your cauliflower heads, you may need to add a little more liquid.
Cook, partially covered, over low heat until the cauliflower is tender when poked with a fork, about 25–30 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover the pot, and stir in the coconut milk and hemp seeds. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. In batches, transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the pot.
Stir in the coconut aminos, ume plum vinegar, salt, and lemon zest. Warm the soup gently before serving. Serve topped with Coriander Crunch (recipe below), edible flowers, chopped cilantro, and a crack of fresh pepper. Enjoy
Gather Coriander Crunch Ingredients
2 tablespoons (12 grams) coriander seeds
1 tablespoon (6 grams) black mustard seeds
½ tablespoon (3 grams) fennel seeds
½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
½ teaspoon (3 grams) flaky salt
Make
Place all the seeds into small frying pan and dry roast over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Allow the seeds to release their aroma and begin to pop, do not burn as seeds will become bitter. 3-5 minutes
Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle or small food processor and grind till seeds are roughly chopped.
Transfer back to the pan and add the oil. Cook on low heat, stirring for one minute and add salt. Turn off heat and let cool. Transfer to a jar with lid. Will keep for two weeks. No need to refrigerate.
