Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup with Ramen

Just.

YUM.

This soup is deeply nourishing and satisfying and originally went without the ramen noodles, but we’ve just decided that it’s better with! You could easily bulk up this soup with some cooked chicken or baked tofu, but we love it just the way it is. This makes an easy, nourishing weeknight meal, that will likely provide you with lunch or dinner a few times over.

Cooking Tip:

SLOW AND LOW IS THE WAY TO GO!
I see a lot of folks these days opting for the Instapot or an Air-Fryer because of the huge upside of convenience. While I do truly understand the demand for quick meal delivery, nutritionally speaking, these are not good options for nutrient value. Both methods are quick cooking and use high heat, having some pretty grave detrimental effects on the nutritional quality of your food and your health long term.

Health Detriments of High-Heat Cooking:

• Cooking food at high temperatures changes its chemical structure, producing toxic products called NFCs, such as trans-fatty acids (TFAs) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), both of which damage blood vessels and can contribute to high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries

• Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE’s) are a culprit in many disease processes, such as degenerative eye diseases & cataracts, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, renal disease, aging and Alzheimer’s disease

• Excessive glycosylation leads to impaired bodily functions, decreased immune function, increased autoimmune disease, diabetes, and increased free radical damage throughout the body, thus increased Cancer risk

• High heat cooking destroys 30 - 50% of mineral value and 90 - 100% of enzymes, which are needed for all metabolic activity in the body

• Proteins become coagulated, making them less accessible and usable for the body, impacting the body’s ability to break them down and, thus, damaging the digestive system

Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6-8
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, diced

1 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1/2 a hot pepper, seeds removed and minced (optional)

3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1 medium)

2 celery stalks, diced
4 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, minced, or 1 Tbsp lemongrass paste
4 cups vegetable broth/stock
2 Tbsp red curry paste

1 can of full fat coconut milk
2 blocks of gluten-free ramen noodles
2 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp maple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch cilantro
Salt and fresh pepper to taste

• Heat coconut oil in a large pot on medium. Add the onions and cook until lightly softened. Add salt, garlic, ginger, and saute another few minutes. Add celery, cauliflower, mushrooms and peppers and sauté until vegetables are slightly softened (10 mins). 


• Heat your broth in a medium pot and whisk in the curry paste.

• Add the curried broth, coconut milk, and lemongrass. 


• Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 15 mins 
or until the vegetables are tender. 


• Add your blocks of ramen and simmer another 8 - 10 minutes, stirring with a fork to separate the noodles.

• Add the tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 
chopped cilantro and serve. 


ENJOY ♡
If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below how much you loved it or what you did differently!

References:
High Heat Cooking & Cardiovascular Disease

Unwanted Health Consequences of High Heat Cooking

Health Dangers of High Heat Cooking

Easy Veggie Noodle Soup

Inspired by the hungry teen boys that are often at our table after snowy adventure days, here is a soup that is nurturing and filling, AND quick & easy in a “use up whatever I have” kinda way. And the kids gobble it back 😊
What will differentiate one pot of this soup from another is the BROTH. I had some bone broth on hand from a crock pot chicken that had brewed for about 2 days, so the broth was dense with flavour and digestive supportive minerals. But a good veggie broth will do just as well here too. Either use a high quality stock cube or brew your own stock with your sad looking veggies that don’t quite make the cut for freshness anymore - be sure to add loads of onions, garlic, ginger, and herbs and spices for a beautiful flavour profile.
Noter: If you live in the Kootenays, try my friend Jen Gawne’s most amazing handmade broths: she offers bone & meat-free broths that are really delicious and bountiful in nutrients.

I’ve discovered that the simple soups are just as popular and joyful as the more complicated ones, and that offering both out to the Universe of varying chefs, of all kinds of skill levels, is an advantage. We all have differing comfort levels and time allowances, and for some, spending time in the kitchen isn’t a priority. I get that. I enjoy inspiring those that are maybe a bit less motivated to branch out their inner culinary adventurer and try something different, especially if it won’t cost them too much time (or $$) 😉

Easy Veggie Noodle Soup

Makes 6-8 Servings
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced (skin on)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp EACH thyme, onion powder, & garlic powder
1/2 tsp rosemary
6 cups high quality veggie broth or bone broth
Noodles (I used 4 cups dry sprouted quinoa rotini)
Juice of 1 large lemon
Fresh parsley
Salt & pepper to taste

• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and add onions. Saute until just becoming transparent, then add in garlic, ginger, veggies, and spices. Stir and saute several minutes until vegetables soften slightly.

• Pour broth/stock over vegetables and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Meanwhile, cook your noodles as directed in a separate pot (you can throw your noodles right into the soup, but I find that it makes the soup very starchy), drain & rinse.

• Add cooked noodles and lemon juice and adjust seasoning on your soup to please your palate. Serve with fresh parsley.

ENJOY THIS SOUP! Adjust it however you feel - add in some chopped kale or spinach, add cooked chicken or tofu, swap out some veggies for others you have on hand, and/or serve it with fresh bread or shredded cheese (vegan or not). If you make it, please leave me a comment and let me know how it goes! SOUP’S ON!

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

It is such an amazing thing to be able to walk into the forest, just a few steps from our door, and find funky edibles to create with and use to feed my family. This soup was inspired a while back, by a bountiful harvest of Honey mushrooms. I’ve made it many times since, with a mix of different wild mushrooms: morels, honeys, and just recently with some Conifer Bear’s Head (a weird looking one!). I’ve also made this soup during the winter months with some of our dried wild mushrooms and even with some store bought brown mushrooms & shiitakes. So if mushroom foraging isn’t your thing, or mushrooms don’t grow wild where you are, you can still make a mushroomy version of this soup that will taste amazing and nourish the soul 😋

A few great reasons to go mushroom hunting:

• Time in nature is fun & relaxing & good for your nervous system

• Wild mushrooms are high in protein, fibre, selenium, and one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D, which makes them a strong immune support

• They can help defend against cancer by protecting our cells against damage

• Cooking with wild mushrooms encourages experimentation & connection to your food, which is healing for the soul and promotes a positive relationship with food & body

• They are super tasty little guys

Note: Before adventuring out into the forest, remember to know what you are picking and learn about wild mushroom foraging or pick with a smarty pants who knows!

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

Makes 5-6 Servings
3 Tbsp coconut oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

8 cloves garlic, minced

5 1/2 cups mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (honeys, shiitake, morel, brown, etc.)
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, packed
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

3 cups high quality vegetable broth, preferably homemade

1 can full fat coconut milk


• In a large soup pot over medium high, heat coconut oil. 
 Add the onion and salt and saute until gently softened.

• Add the garlic, mushrooms, fresh thyme, and season liberally with pepper. Saute until mushrooms soften and flavours blend, this will take a good 15 minutes.

• Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer low-medium for 20 - 25 minutes until mushrooms are well cooked, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings if needed (we like a lot of fresh pepper 😊 ). Remove from heat.

• With an immersion blender, blend soup until desired consistency is reached. You may also choose to transfer the soup to your blender and blend until creamy. Reheat gently. Soup will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge and also freezes well.

If you make this soup, be sure to comment below and let us know how it turned out!
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