Are you like me? Did you grow up hating vegetables?
Well, maybe not. You're probably the kind of person who grew up nibbling raw broccoli and snap peas. If so, amazing. Good for you. And I may be saying that with a tiny bit of envy/sarcasm.
Okay. So maybe you loved veggies as a kid.
But that was not my story.
I haaaaaaaaaated vegetables. And I especially detested broccoli and cauliflower.
This was back in the dark ages, when canned or boiled vegetables were the norm, and cauliflower rice hadn’t even been invented yet. I’m talking a really long time ago.
But now look at cauliflower — how it has changed!
We’re roasting it until it tastes like french fries, or baking it whole like a turkey. Searing cauliflower steaks and slathering them with chimichurri. Some of us are even throwing frozen cauliflower into our smoothies.
So let's talk about why I think of cauliflower is the Jennifer Garner of the veggie world…
First of all, when I think of cauliflower, I think: friendly. As in easy to work with — its mild flavor makes it very friendly to most palates.
Now, I don't know Jennifer Garner personally of course, but she strikes me as the kind of person who'd be fun to work with, or to hang out with at your kid's basketball game. You know what I mean? She seems cheerful and friendly, and like she's totally got her act together. In other words, you don't read about her being a total bee-otch to fans or quarreling with other celebs on Twitter or getting a DUI.
Kinda like cauliflower, right? Cauliflower's totally dialed in. Nothing like doritos — whose food universe counterpart might be Britney Spears in her shaved-head-walking-barefoot-into-a-gas-station-bathroom-barefoot phase. Amiright?
The other reason I think cauliflower is like Jennifer Garner has to do with her days on the show Alias.
As Sydney Bristow, Garner was an ass-kicking, leather-clad double agent. Total badass.
As for cauliflower, it may look like an average citizen on the outside… but, like Sydney, it can do some serious and covert ass-kicking: its antioxidants slay cancer-causing free radicals, and the fiber sweeps excess cholesterol out of our bodies while boosting our immune system.
That fiber, by the way, can also ramp up our metabolism, helping us get into… that's right, fighting shape.
So in short: cauliflower is both friendly… and fierce!
If you have a head of cauliflower sitting in your fridge right now (or are headed to the store this weekend), and you're not sure how to deploy it just yet, check out my recipe for Thai Curry Cauliflower Soup.
I make several variations of cauliflower soup, and this Thai version is one of my faves. It’s what I make for people who think healthy food is boring or bland — this soup is the exact opposite!
This Thai Curry Cauliflower Soup is lush and creamy, and full of flavor. This recipe is also plant-based, dairy free and gluten free (assuming your curry paste is gluten free… check the label).
Watch the video: Thai Curry Cauliflower Soup
I hope you enjoy this recipe and video, and that you're inspired to make this delicious soup sometime soon.
Happy cooking!
Monica
