What could be more comforting on a cold, spring day than a warm bowl of gluten-free cauliflower soup? It’s sweet, mild and nourishing, and it gives the kids something fun to do as the rain pours down. Many child nutrition experts claim that kids who help pick out, prepare or cook a food are much more likely to eat it. I agree. My sons and I started making gluten-free cauliflower soup together this winter, shortly after their second birthday, and they’re hooked. They love pouring in the ingredients, stirring the pot and pureeing the vegetables with the “magic soup wand.” Best of all, their faces glow with pride when we invite Grammy and Grandpa over to eat the dinner they’ve cooked.
- The Proud and Happy Cooks.
My boys aren’t mature enough to add ingredients to a hot pot on the stove, so I invented the following recipe with fun and safety in mind. It can be cooked all at once using a food processor or blender to purée the soup, or it may be cooled down and puréed using a stick blender We usually do the latter because it’s easier for me and because stick blenders are A LOT of fun. Just don’t pull it out of the pot while it’s twirling! (We call it the Magic Soup Wand and it is magic! We love ours. Shop for stick blenders here).
Gluten-Free Cauliflower Soup
1 pound cauliflower, chopped (about one medium head or you can use frozen)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup cream or half and half (can substitute low-oxalate 100% natural Swanson’s chicken broth)
¼ – ½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 – 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (can omit or substitute goat cheese)
*Note: Although, black pepper is considered a high oxalate ingredient, this quantity of pepper only adds a small amount of oxalate to individual servings (1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper has about 3.3 mg. oxalate.)
Step 1: Let the kids put the cauliflower and the onion in a medium soup pot or a large sauce pan. Add about 1 – 1 ½ cups water (should be about an inch deep), then let the kids stir it a little (although it’s not really necessary.) Cover the pot and cook over medium heat about 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, checking occasionally to make sure there’s enough water in the bottom so the vegetables don’t burn.
- Soup wands are fun! (Note: I have since bought
- a stainless steel stick blender because of concerns
- over chemicals leaching into my hot food from
- the plastic. I am loving my new Cuisinart stainless
- steel stick blender!)
Step 2: If you choose to purée hot soup, transfer the cauliflower mixture into a food processor or blender (you may have to do this in batches). If more than ½ cup of the water remains, pour some out; otherwise keep the remaining water (pouring out the water reduces the oxalate content a little and keeps the soup from being too watery–keeping just a little adds a lot of flavor though so with such low oxalate veggies I always leave a little cooking water in the pot). Let the kids add the cream and seasonings to the soup while it’s in the food processor. They can also turn the processor on and stop it to stir occasionally if some of the cauliflower is sticking. Transfer the puree back to the soup pot.
If you use a soup wand (stick blender) with young children, you must either transfer the soup to a cold soup pot or you must set the pot on a cool burner and let it cool for 1 – 2 hours. After checking the pots’ temperature, let your kids add the milk and the seasonings. Purée the soup directly in the pot using the soup wand on a low setting.
Step 3: Simmer the soup until it is warm (10-15 minutes). Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Let the kids garnish their own soup at the table with shredded cheese if desired.
Makes: 5-6 cups of soup
Variations: Substitute broccoli or asparagus for the cauliflower. If using broccoli, add 1 cup of cheese (8 ounces) directly to the soup, then let family members add cheese as wanted at the table for broccoli cheese soup.
Time-Saver: In Step 1 you may microwave the vegetables in a glass dish with about ½ cup water on high for 5-6 minutes instead of boiling on the stove.
- Aidan loves to eat the soup he made.
Low Oxalate Dieting Tip: Let family members pepper their own bowls of soup at the table instead of adding it to the pot if the low oxalate dieter prefers not to eat black pepper. You may also substitute white pepper instead.
Picky Eater Pleaser: Try adding a larger portion of cheese to a smaller amount of soup to introduce the soup to a cheese lover.
Menu Planner: I serve this as a main dish with sliced fruit on the side at lunch. It also goes well with chicken and a salad for dinner.
Other Dieters: This version of cauliflower soup may be appropriate for Paleo, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free, and GAPS diets. It may also be used on a dairy-free or casein-free diet with appropriate modifications.
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