If you’re looking for the perfect beginning to a small Thanksgiving feast, then this easy yet ingenious cauliflower and apple soup might be just what you are looking – inspired by a dish from New York chef Daniel Boulud.

Cauliflower serves as the backbone for this vibrant, nourishing soup, yet the warming spices from the homemade Madras powder and the apple’s counterpoint of acidity make it difficult to identify this sturdy fall and winter vegetable as the main ingredient.  Not just for festive occasions though, this is an ideal seasonal recipe to be enjoyed all through these colder months.

Nourish note: No need to throw away the leaves or stems of the cauliflower, throw them all in for extra nutrition and zero-waste points.

Cauliflower and Apple Soup

Serves 4 | Equipment: A stock pot; a blender

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and cut into thin half moons
1 teaspoon homemade Madras powder (recipe follows), plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 quart (1 l) vegetable or chicken stock
1 apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 head cauliflower, rough ends trimmed but including greens and stems, broken into small florets
Fresh herbs (cilantro, chives or parsley) plus a shower of curry powder, for garnish

Method

1.   In the stock pot, combine the oil, onions, curry powder and salt, and sweat – cook, covered, over low heat – until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, cauliflower and apple slices and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

2.   Transfer the mixture to the blender and blend until smooth. Serve warm, garnished with herbs and curry powder.

Homemade Madras Powder

3 tablespoons coriander grains
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, such as Kampot
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
10 fresh or dried curry leaves
8 cardamon pods
4 small chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon hot chile powder

In a skillet, combine the coriander, cumin, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves, cardamon pods and chile peppers. Toast over moderate heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Once cooled, combine all the curry powder ingredients in a spice mill and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small spice jar and store in a cool place up to 6 months.

This is a Nourish the Planet recipe, part of a collaborative series by Patricia Wells and Emily Buchanan.
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