This is a really easy and delicious soup which is tangy and mildly spicy, and doesn’t taste overpoweringly of cauliflower. All ingredients are approximate and can be varied depending what you have and the flavours you like, or don’t.

Ingredients

An onion
A piece of root ginger, about 5cm by 2cm
Oil
1 heaped teaspoon turmeric powder
1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
1 medium sized cauliflower
2 medium or 1 large potato
A lemon
25-50g dried, finely shredded coconut
1 heaped teaspoon Bouillon powder
Salt

Method

Peel and chop the onion coarsely and the root ginger very finely.

Put a good slug of any cooking oil you have in a large saucepan, throw in the onions and ginger and cook on a medium heat with the lid off, stirring from time to time. Carry on cooking and stirring for about 5 mins or until the onion has softened but not gone brown.

While that’s cooking cut off the base of the stem and leaves from the cauli (if they are in good shape save them to use as a separate veg) and break/cut the florets off the stem, cutting the larger ones into smaller pieces so they are all roughly the same size. Chop up the stalk as well.

Peel and chop the potatoes into roughly 1cm cubes, or smaller. While you are doing that, boil a half-full kettle.

Put the turmeric and fennel seeds into the saucepan and stir around for a minute. Add the cauli pieces and stir everything around for another minute trying to get as much of the cauli coloured with the spices as you can. You don’t want to burn the spices or cauli as the flavour is horrid.

Add the potato cubes (no need to mix). Add the bouillon powder if you are using it and then add the boiled water to just cover the veg. Watch out as the cauli will float. It doesn’t matter if some of it is above the water as it will cook in the steam. You are aiming for a thick soup so use the minimum amount of water.

Squeeze the lemon and add half the juice to the pan, or all of it if you like lemon. Alternatively you can decide at the end if you want more lemon. It is a key ingredient which really transforms the soup.

Throw in as much dried coconut as you want. This is not essential but adds a nutty taste/texture. If you really like coconut you could use coconut milk instead of some of the water.

Put the lid on the pan and simmer. Check after 10 mins if the potato pieces are soft. They may need a few minutes longer but you don’t want to overcook the cauli which ideally should have a slight ‘bite’ to it.

Liquidise the soup in 2 batches till it is smooth. Add more water only if needed.

Taste and add salt / more lemon juice as needed. Yummy served with plain yoghurt.

Good to make in advance as it is even better the next day, and will keep for several days.