Soups have always been seen has a healing food, giving you energy or providing comfort when you’re not feeling your best. Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson give guidance on what you should be putting in your bowl in Clean Soups.
This is my riff on korma, a traditional Turkish and Persian side dish. Korma means “to braise,” and cauliflower is the ideal braising vegetable. It stands up to the simmering liquid, soaking in all the aromatics without breaking apart. Normally kormas are thick and creamy, but here I’ve forgone the cream without losing any of the irresistible signature spiciness. Kormas demand coriander and cumin, and here I’ve doubled up on the cumin, using both the seeds and the ground version. Kormas can be mild or fiery. This is a one-alarmer.
6 servings
- Rinse all of the vegetables well, including the kombu.
- In a 12-quart or larger stockpot, combine the carrots, onions, leek, celery, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, garlic, parsley, kombu, peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Add the water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for at least 2 hours, or until the full richness of the vegetables can be tasted. As the broth simmers, some of the water will evaporate; add more if the vegetables begin to peek out.
- Strain the broth through a large, coarse-mesh sieve (use a heat-resistant container under¬neath), and discard the solids. Stir in the salt, adding more if desired. Let cool to room tem¬perature before refrigerating or freezing. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until translucent and slightly golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and cumin seeds and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower, sweet potato, coriander, turmeric, ground cumin, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring until coated. Add the reserved tomato juice and ½ cup of the broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Add the remaining 5½ cups of broth and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Serve garnished with the cilantro, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reprinted with permission from Clean Soups, copyright 2016 Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
