Lemony Cauliflower and Red Lentil Soup. Kindsoups

Creamy Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

As usual, we all added our own choice of spices.  The garam masala was good at defining the taste more.  Lemon definitely brightened it up.  And just a little extra salt brought out more of the spices.  Relatively easy soup.  Makes ~ 7 quarts.  Used an immersion blender.  For my taste, the coconut milk wasn’t necessary, just diluted the taste.  After blending, it was fairly creamy with just about 1 cup of coconut milk.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
• 3 large yellow onions, chopped
• 9 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• (1+ Tbsp garam masala added)
• (Can add paprika as well)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 4 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed and picked through to remove any stones
• 21 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more to taste
• 12 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (from 1 1/2 medium heads)
• 3 cups light coconut milk, plus more for optional garnish (used ~ 1 cup, but tasted better without)
• 1/3 -1/2 cup fresh lemon juice,  to taste 

Instructions

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until aromatic, 30 seconds more. Stir in the cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste to incorporate, followed by the lentils. Add the broth and salt, and bring to a boil.
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• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. If the lentils have absorbed most of the broth, add more as needed – 1 cup at a time – for a thick but soupy consistency. Add the cauliflower and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat so the soup is at a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is soft, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Or, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender: To prevent spatters, be careful to not fill it more than halfway, remove the center ring from the lid, and hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend.) Stir in the coconut milk and lemon juice, then taste, and season with additional salt, if desired.
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• Ladle the soup among the bowls, garnish with a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired, and serve hot