Golden Soup

Creamy and velvety, my golden soup is a nutritious and warming meal, loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients. Prepared with vibrant turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic, cauliflower, potatoes and a splash of coconut cream for richness, this quick and easy recipe is sheer comfort and love in a bowl!

A vibrant, healing, and comforting soup

Taking care of my body and mind as I've gotten older has become so important to me. I love reading about healing ingredients, herbs, and natural remedies backed by science that create a sense of comfort, energy, and vibrancy to support my lifestyle.

I also appreciate how food is such a huge part of our natural healing process, and how healthy ingredients can have such a powerful and positive impact on daily living and how I feel!

It's long been known that ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, garlic and spices have a terrific way of reducing inflammation in the body, helping with digestion and a general sense of wellbeing.

Other ingredients such as cauliflower (part of the cruciferous vegetable family) are also extremely good for us. So to me, it made perfect sense to create a delicious and easy soup recipe to support not only my coziness in cooler months, but my immune system and general health as well.

My golden soup recipe is packed with good-for-you ingredients, then blended into a silky, rich and velvety elixir, perfect when I need a "pick-me-up" type of meal to luxuriate in. It's quick and easy to make, is absolutely mouthwatering, and brings so much warmth, vibrancy, and feel-good energy to meal time!

My recipe for golden soup

For me, part of the appeal of this golden soup is how colorful and bright it is. It gets its beautiful, sunny yellow hue mainly from the ground turmeric which it contains.

Ground turmeric is a vibrant yellow powder (though one can often find fresh turmeric alongside fresh ginger in the markets these days). It brings lots of that rich, yellow color to any dish it's added to, and has even been known to help with inflammation and digestion.

For me, using turmeric in my cooking is the best way to get just the right amount of it without overwhelming my system (which can sometimes be the case with turmeric supplements). I love to combine it with fresh ginger, lots of garlic, plus a pinch of curry and white pepper for depth of flavor.

And because I like a velvety consistency when it comes to golden soup, I'm opting to use organic cauliflower florets and some diced potato to create that creamy texture and enhanced flavor.

I also like the flavor of chicken stock in this recipe. But if you prefer to make this golden soup completely vegetarian, then vegetable broth or stock can easily be substituted.

To give this soup a touch of creamy richness, a splash of coconut cream at the end does the trick deliciously.

Here's a glance at my golden soup recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I add my aromatics to some ghee in my soup pot, and sauté for a few moments to soften and bring out the aroma and flavor.
2. Then, I add in my cut cauliflower florets and diced potatoes, stirring them in to get coated in the aromatics and spices. I then add in my chicken stock.
3. Next, I gently simmer the soup for about 22 to 24 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
4. When done, I use my immersion blender to purée the soup until silky.
5. Finally, I finish the golden soup with some coconut cream and a teeny squeeze of lemon or lime (optional, but I like to balance the richness).
6. I serve in bowls garnished with crunchy, roasted chickpeas, roasted cashews and chopped cilantro and/or green onion.

Recipe

Golden Soup

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This golden soup is deliciously velvety, brimming with lots of warming, anti-inflammatory ingredients to make for a comforting meal!

Category: Soup
Cuisine: Indian-American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 431 calories (per serving)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons ghee (or unsalted butter, or avocado oil)
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons freshly-grated ginger (about a 1 inch piece)
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric (powder)
• 1 (heaping) teaspoon curry powder
• ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 (10 ounce) bags cauliflower florets, chopped into smaller pieces
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 ¼ cups coconut cream
• Small squeeze lemon or lime (about ½ teaspoon), optional
• Chopped cilantro or micro greens, for garnish
• Crispy roasted chickpeas, optional garnish
• Roasted, chopped cashews, optional garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place a large soup pot (6 to 8 quart, preferably stainless steel) over medium heat, and add in the ghee. Once melted, add in the diced onion, plus a pinch of salt, and sauté the onion for about 3 to 4 minutes, until beginning to soften.
3. Next, add in the garlic, ginger, ground turmeric, curry powder and white pepper, and stir together with the onions until aromatic, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Then, add in the chopped cauliflower florets and the diced potatoes, and stir those into the golden aromatics until they are coated in the spices.
5. Pour in the chicken stock (or veggie stock), stir to incorporate, and bring the golden soup up to a vigorous simmer.
6. Then, turn down the heat, cover, and gently simmer the soup for about 22 to 24 minutes, or just until the potatoes are tender.
7. Using a handheld immersion blender (or regular blender, working in batches), blend/purée the soup until completely smooth, silky and velvety. Then, stir in the coconut cream, and add a small squeeze of lemon or lime, if desired, just to give it a tiny pop of acid.
8. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with crispy, roasted chickpeas, cashews and cilantro or green onions, or your favorite toppings.

Tips & tidbits for my golden soup recipe:

• Turmeric can stain, so use a stainless steel pot for cooking: Because turmeric can easily stain (a bright yellow!), if you have a stainless steel soup pot to prepare this golden soup, that would help. Note that wooden or light colored spoons also tend to grab this vibrant color, and plastic blenders do too.
• What is ghee, and where to find it: Ghee is a clarified style of butter that is used in Indian cooking, often found in a glass jar in the section of the market where you find oils and other fats. If you prefer not to use ghee, you can substitute unsalted butter, or even avocado oil.
• Tasty toppings and accompaniments for golden soup: I love to top a bowl of this soup with crispy roasted chickpeas and cilantro, but you can also use micro greens, and/or roasted, chopped cashews for crunch, or even croutons, if desired. Also, warm naan on the side makes this soup more of a substantial meal.

Craving more warming and nutritious recipes? Check out my recipe for Coconut Chicken Soup, Coconut Curry Shrimp, Carrot Ginger Soup, Ramen with Lemongrass-Ginger Broth, Cauliflower Curry, Potato Curry with Peas, or even my recipe for Curry Lentil Soup!