TCJ: Cauliflower & Cabbage Soup

I've got to admit, I'm not much of a cook, but when I actually get something right in the kitchen, I'm always pleased as punch! I'm more of a all-in-one pot kinda person, so soup, pot rice, porridge and instant noodles are really the staples over at TCJ HQ. I think the best invention would be the rice cooker, because you can fry, steam, boil, stew, (bake?)... almost anything, with a trusty cooker.

So on Sunday I wasn't feeling much of an elaborate meal, and the fridge was only stocked with cauliflower and cabbage, so I thought, hey, this would be good for a sweet autumn soup. I'm not a stickler for recipes, because I don't like how you have to follow all the measurements in creating a meal, so I can't really give you a set recipe. That said, I do know what I put in, so you'll have to be the judge of your own dish! Be creative, you know?

Ingredients:


A bowl of cauliflower florets (diced)
1 onion (diced)
garlic (diced, one or two cloves is enough)
2 chillies (the small ones, and depending on how hot you want it)
Chinese cabbage (diced)
1 medium-sized potato (for thickening)
salt
pepper
olive oil
water (from blanching the cabbage)

First I steamed the cauliflower florets and blanched the cabbage till soft so that I could dice them up easily. Unlike me, if you have a processor, I believe a rough chop of the vegetables are fine. I had to cut them finely so I could mash them up roughly later. I also boiled the potato and mashed it with some salt and pepper and kept it to one side.

Next, I used some olive oil to stir-fry the onion and garlic in the rice cooker, and added the chillies. Once the onions started to smell sweet (that's my gauge), I dumped the cauliflower and cabbage into the pot at intervals so that I could mash it up as I cooked it. Remember to keep the water used to blanch the cabbage in, because the sweetness is also retained in there (I think).

After adding the water, I let the mixture come to a boil and keep mashing it up. I'm alright with chunks in the soup, but if you don't, run it through a processor. Stir in the mashed potato next and then simmer the soup till you get a consistency you prefer. Also, season before you serve.

There you have it, a good bowl of soup to last you a couple of meals! Add some curry powder or greek yogurt for some kick if you are feeling adventurous!

Yummy and healthy lunch!