Leek and Cauliflower Soup

November 4, 2017

By Anna Varriano

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I love making soup at this time of year, especially with fresh, local veggies, like cauliflower and leeks. In addition to making a delicious soup, leeks and cauliflower are packed with health-boosting nutrients, many of which have been shown to protect and promote cardiovascular health. This recipe makes about 12 cups of soup and it freezes beautifully.

What You’ll Need:

  • 5 or 6 leeks (about 6 cups when coarsely chopped)
  • 2 medium cauliflower (about 6 to 8 cups when coarsely chopped)
  • 8 cups of chicken or veggie broth, store bought or homemade (I used veggie broth this time)
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 3 TBSP coconut oil
  • Salt
  • Optional garnish: a few tablespoons of a brightly coloured cooked vegetable (e.g. beets, carrots, spinach) and some fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, or cilantro

Step 1: Prepare Leeks

Cut off the roots on the bottoms of the leek and the harder, darker part of the green tops. Cut each leek in half length-wise and wash if necessary to remove any dirt. Coarsely chop the leeks and put aside. Heat the olive oil and coconut oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the leeks and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, or until leeks are soft and just starting to brown a bit. While the leeks are cooking, move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Prepare Cauliflower


Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower , coarsely chop it up, and add it to the cooked leeks in the pot. Stir well to combine the cauliflower and leeks.

Step 3: Add the Broth

I usually make my own broths, but this time, I didn’t have any ready so I used this product to make the veggie broth:

Add the broth to the pot and stir well.

Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, put the lid on the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is soft.

Step 3: Blend Soup

Before blending the soup, let it cool off to avoid ‘blender explosion’. Given the amount of soup to be blended, you’ll likely have to do it in batches. Once soup is blended, return it to a pot, give it a stir and a taste, and season to your liking.

Step 4: Serve

Once you’ve seasoned the soup to your taste, heat up what you want for serving, and freeze the rest. Serve as is, or if you want to fancy it up a bit, take about ¼ cup of the soup and blend it with something that will give it a nice bright contrasting colour. I had some cooked beets in the fridge so I used a piece of beet. Set this coloured mixture aside. Ladle the soup into bowls, then drizzle the coloured soup mixture onto the bowl either in stripes or a spiral, then drag the edge of a knife through the soup to make an interesting pattern. Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs for an extra burst of colour … and taste!

Enjoy!

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