Meatless Monday....Once Again

For those of you who are new to this space, eating a healthy and vegetarian diet is very important to both The Husband and me. I have been in the veggie camp for many years (off and on, but mostly on) while The Husband is coming up to his five year veg-iversary. (That's vegetarian as opposed to vegans. I have tremendous respect for vegans and their discipline, but we just aren't there yet, so please no judgement while we continue to consume dairy and egg products.)

I am always searching for new and delicious recipes that will satisfy both of us. We often cook together, but given that I am now home on a much more regular basis, I have been tasked with adding variety to what can easily become a very staid meal plan. I research, Pinterest, and yes...steal relentlessly from my friends and acquaintances if I think that a recipe will add flavour to our kitchen.

Last week a friend posted an Aloo Gobi soup on Facebook that she had prepared and I was immediately intrigued. Cauliflower, especially laced with Indian spices, is a favourite of both The Husband's and mine. It is most definitely soup season here in the Great White North, so I begged and cajoled my friend for the recipe. I asked her if I could share it with all of you and she graciously agreed considering that she herself had "borrowed" it from the PC Cooking School. I will say that I did make a few changes to the original recipe, so the version you are receiving today is a a bit of a combination of all three sources. It is delicious and filling. Enjoy.

Aloo Gobi Soup - makes 16 servings (It makes A LOT!!!)

2 tblsp olive oil
2 cups diced white onions (I like sweet vidalia onions)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tblsp grated ginger root
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I don't do heat well, so I eliminated this. Use as much or as little to taste.)
1 tblsp tomato paste
3 large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (I used sweet potatoes. I had them on hand and I prefer the slightly sweeter flavour that they add. They do add colour as well, so beware the orange.)
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut in florets
2 pkgs (each 900mL) vegetable broth
1 tsp salt (The broth was plenty salty. I really cut down on the salt.)
3 tbslp honey

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions for 4 to 6 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne and tomato paste; cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add potatoes, cauliflower, broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth.  Stir in salt and honey.  Garnish with chopped fresh coriander, if desired.

Per serving:  90 calories, 2 g fat, 210 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 g fibre, 3 g protein