JE Lamble Concepts
"food, breath, movement, intention: Yoga and the Art of Life"
Cauliflower Mushroom Veloute with Apple Chips, Brussel Sprout Leaves and Crispy Shallots
This rich and creamy soup is neither filled with cream or heavy in calories, dairy or fats!! If you are looking for a rich soup to wow any pallet then this is the soup for you! It delivers big rich creamy flavors with the satisfying knowlege that it is both vegan friendly, body friendly and heart & soul friendly!!
STEP #1
Start by placing 1 or 2 strips of dried Kombu (sea vegetable found in healthfood stores) into a glass of warm water to soak.
Every soup needs a base, a foundation to build its flavours on. We begin with a large soup pot, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 cloves garlic, 2 shallots shallots, 1 large or 2 small onion and 2 cups mushrooms. Chop, dice and mince how you prefer because in the end it will all get the blender!! Saute on medium/highheat until onions are translusent adding water as needed to deglaze the pot.
STEP #2
Once the base to this soup is ready it is time to add 1 head of chopped Cauliflower, 1-2 strips of soaked and minced Kombu, 4 teaspoons fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried (if usind dried add during Step #1) and 3-4 cups water. Kombu gives the soup minerals. It is important to soak the Kombu, then mince it into small pieces before putting it into the soup to cook. Kombu is a thick sea vegetable that needs to be cooked all the way through so that it will blend seemlessly into the soup. Use fresh thyme and remove leaves and discard stem or dried thyme. Remember that only 1/4 the amount of dried thyme is needed in ratio to fresh. Add just enough water to cover the ingredients in the pot then let simmer to allow the flavors to get acquainted and until Cauliflower is cooked through, approximately 20-25 minutes.
STEP #3
Once cooked through, place into a blender. This may take a few turns as the contents of the pot will not all fit into the blender at once. Each portion blended add 1 tablespoon of tahini and 1-4 tabelspoons of Ume Plum vinegar or paste to taste. This is the real secret!! The tahini adds richness and the ume plum adds salt and tartness. Ume plums are brined plums that help to alkalanize the blood. But also in this instance they add great flavour to our dish! Pour into bowls and serve hot as is or garnish with baked Allspice Apple Chips, Roasted Brussell Sprout Leaves and Crispy Shallots or cool and store as desired.
Ingredients:
2 strips of Kombu approximately 2"x 4", soak in cup of warm water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms, preferably shitake with stems removed, dried shitakes need to be soaked or button mushrooms
1 head cauliflower, chopped
3-4 Tbsp fresh thyme, stems discarded or 1 tsp dried thyme
3-4 cups water
2-3 Tbsp Tahini
6-9 Tbsp Ume Plum Vinegar
