Layer upon layer.
12 years ago my husband Jason and I went vegetarian. It was a great three months. In all honesty we didn't plan on lasting a lot longer. (It’s okay, laugh at my joke. I’ll give you a minute.) I was bored of the time I thought I was cooking and it's in a great opportunity to trust me ingredients, recipes and techniques.
In a moment of great serendipity I reached for Deborah Madison's Vegetarian for Everyone. In the introduction Debra mentions that most people who either decide to give up meat, or eat meat regularly and are having a plant-based meal to find the flavor a bit one note. What they are typically missing is the meat, the umami, those funky, savory, complex flavors. What they are eating, is lazy plant-based food.
Deborah, as a chef, and gifted one thought, develops complexity and depth of flavor with a patient hand and determination. The results taste both effortless and incredibly satisfying. So thank you Debra. With your inspiration I created - layer upon layer - this relatively quick, incredibly simple, satisfying and hearty winter soup. And no, you won’t miss the meat.
Cauliflower Kale Tomato Soup
Serves 8-10
This bold, complex vegan vegetable soup builds layer upon layer of flavor - earthy mushrooms, rich tomato paste, sweet paprika and salty, funky miso. You’ll never miss the meat!
Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
4 cups sliced Crimini mushrooms
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs red miso paste
2 tbs sweet paprika
1 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
8 cups vegetable stock
1 medium head cauliflower, cut in florets
1 14oz can San Marzano or other plum tomatoes
10 cups Portuguese kale, chopped
Red wine vinegar
Directions:
• Heat oil in an 8 quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste, red miso paste and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits.
• Add bay leaves, thyme sprigs and vegetable stock. Simmer 10 minutes, allowing flavors to develop. Add cauliflower, kale and tomatoes. Cook until cauliflower is just tender, breaking up tomatoes as they cook.
• Season soup to taste with an extra drizzle of olive oil, a splash red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Tip: Red miso is a bolder flavored paste than the traditional white and yellow. The red color comes from a higher ratio of soybeans to grains and longer fermentation. It is bold, funky and delicious, and adds that “je ne sais quoi” complexity that is often missing from meatless soups.
