Egyptian Cauliflower Soup

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenEgyptian Cauliflower Soup

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	10 minutes	Total Time	30 minutes
Servings	6	Cost Per Serving	$1.20

Soup

2	Medium Onions, roughly chopped
3	Celery Stalks, roughly chopped
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
1 head	Cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 L	Vegetable Stock or Water
2 tsp	Olive Oil
To taste	Sea Salt

Dukkah Seasoning

In a large saucepot over medium heat add oil. Heat the oil until it begins to shimmer, then add onions, garlic and celery. Stir well and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add cauliflower to pot, cover with vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for about 25 – 30 minutes.
For the dukkah mixture, toast whole spices in a dry pan over medium heat. Once you can smell the spices remove them from heat. Grind the spices with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.
Toast the nuts and pumpkin seeds and add them to the spices in the pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Blend well.
Add spice mixture to soup. Puree soup with a hand blender or carefully transfer to a stand blender.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for Egyptian Cauliflower Soup.

The nuts and seeds used in this dukkah spice mixture add some protein and heart healthy fats to this vegetarian soup. These nutrients will help you feel full for a longer time after you finish eating. Protein also helps repair and build muscle, and is needed for a healthy immune system.
Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are an excellent source of magnesium: ¼ cup gives you about half of what you need in a day. Magnesium is essential for the growth and maintenance of bones and for nerve and muscle function. It also helps move stool through the intestine.
Preliminary studies suggest that coriander and cumin may help to lower blood sugar levels after a meal. More research is needed before we know whether these spices are helpful in controlling blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.