METAL - Julie Johnson Bear Don’t Walk / Eastern Nutrition / Fall 2013

Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

http://www.brooklynsupper.net/2013/10/roasted-cauliflower-garlic-soup-with-
caramelized-onions/#.Unf4P2S9Kc0

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 head garlic, broken into cloves, ends trimmed and smashed, with the papery skin left on

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

4 – 5 cups vegetable broth (see above)

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower and garlic with the olive oil, zest, salt, and spices, and

turn out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the cauliflower

is tender and the edges are lightly browned. When it’s cool enough to handle, peel the papery

skin from the garlic. Using your blender of choice, puree the roasted vegetables with the broth

until smooth. Check salt levels and adjust as needed. To serve, heat over medium-low heat,

stirring often, for 20 minutes.

for the topping

1 red onion, sliced thin

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus a pinch

8 crimini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

pinch of black pepper

3 tablespoons parsley, minced

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, and then the

onion slices and sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring

occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours. After 1 hour they’ll be sweet but limp; after 2, delicious; but after 2 1/

2 hours will they be crisp and sweet and perfect. Remove to a bowl.

Just before serving the soup, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet. Add

the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 7 minutes, or until the mushrooms have

given up their water and are crispy on the edges. Fold in the onions and parsley. Off the heat and

set aside. Ladle the soup into bowls, add the topping, and drizzle with olive oil.

Pattern: Lu qi xu, phlegm in Lungs, Chest congestion, Taiyin xu‡fluid accumulation

Recipe analysis:

Cauliflower: cools lung and ST heat, sweet and slightly bitter, cool

Garlic, black pepper, cumin, onion: acrid, breaks accumulations, hot, disperses phlegm,

stimulates SP yang to transform fluids, moves qi

Coriander: cooling, stimulates digestion, acrid

Lemon zest: expels heat, phlegm and toxins

Mushrooms: cooling, nourishes stomach, moderates hot nature of spices, garlic and onions

Parsley: diuretic, stimulates appetite

This recipe is a great one for phlegm congealing in the lungs. Its temperature is well-balanced,

with the cool cauliflower balanced by the hot, phlegm dispersing garlic, onions and spices. It is a

soup, so it is easily digested and can be thought of as a taiyin tonic. Perfect for fall!