Cauliflower Red Lentil & Ginger Soup

Kozmic Blues's Note:

Inspired from a recipe in La Dolce Vegan cookbook. This week I cought a cold and desperately wanted to make some home made soup. I flipped to this recipe in the book, and had all the ingredients on hand! I love when that happens. So, I upped the spice a bit, added a cup and 1/2 more broth than originally called for, as well as some spinach too, just because... The original spices are listed below. Because I added more liquid, I also added a tbsp of Sharon123 homemade vegan chicken seasoning, as well as a few grinds of the Mccormick spice grinder blend Mediterranean Fusion which contains salt, pepper, chili, garlic and cumin

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a medium soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onions in oil until translucent.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, red pepper, and turmeric and sauté for 2 minutes; stir constantly to avoid sticking.
3. Add the stock, cauliflower, tomatoes, and lentils.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
5. Cover with lid and simmer for 1 minutes or until veggies and lentils are cooked.
6. Stir in the cilantro and salt, remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes before serving.