Grace's Kickass Cauliflower Soup, a redux

Since many people in my life, myself included, are currently down for the count with colds, I feel like it's a good time to re-post my favorite medicinal food recipe. The change of seasons is hard on the body. The stress of dealing with weather changes, less sunshine and upcoming holiday obligations can weaken the immune system and leave us open to viral and bacterial onslaught. Give your body the upper hand by getting plenty of sleep, drinking enough water and tea (easy to forget when you're not sweating as much), utilizing a sun lamp to regulate your circadian rhythms and ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder, doing yoga and getting cardio daily, and, most importantly, feeding the body tasty, healthy food with medicinal benefits.


GRACE'S KICKASS CAULIFLOWER SOUP!

It is vegan, gluten-free and full of immune-boosting vitamins and cardio-pumping spices to kick the pants off whatever ails you. It takes about 45 minutes including prep time.

3 or 4 Tbls olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound cauliflower florets
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp cumin or garam marsala
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
2 pinches of cayenne
5 cups veggie broth

Saute onions, garlic, ginger and olive oil in the bottom of a big soup pot until lightly browned. Add the spices and let them bubble together for a minute or two. Add broth, cauliflower and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender (about 12 minutes). You can either eat it right away or let it sit for a while. It gets tastier and thicker the longer the spices are allowed to sink in.